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By Way of Deception

By Way of Deception

By Way of Deception

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BY WAY OF DECEPTION 38ground for a new identity. I chose the name Simon Lahay. Myfather's name is Simon, and I'd been told that the name Ostrovskyin Polish or Russian means a sharp blade. Lahav is blade inHebrew.I listed myself as a freelance graphic designer, using my own realexpertise in the field but not tying myself to anything too specific. Igave an address in Holon that I knew was an empty field.Arriving on schedule just before 7 a.m. on a rainy day in January1983, I found there were two women and eight other men in thegroup, plus three or four people I took to be instructors. Afterhanding in the envelopes containing their new identities, thegroup was taken by bus to a well-known apartment-hotel resortcalled the Country Club, outside Tel Aviv on the road to Haifa. Itboasts <strong>of</strong> having the most recreational facilities <strong>of</strong> any resort inIsrael.We were assigned in pairs to one-bedroom units, told to stow oursuitcases, and then gather in Unit 1.On a hill overlooking the Country Club sits the so-called primeminister's summer residence. In reality it is the Midrasha, theMossad training academy. I looked up at the hill that first day.Everyone in Israel knows that place has something to do with theMossad, and I wondered if after this, I'd end up there. I figuredthen that everyone else was there to test me. It may soundparanoid, but paranoia is a plus in this business.Unit 1 featured a huge entrance room, with a long table set up inthe middle all laid out for an elegant breakfast. There was anincredible buffet with more food on it than I'd ever seen, as well asa chef on duty waiting to take orders if anyone wanted somethingspecial.In addition to the 10 students, a dozen or so others were millingaround having breakfast. At about 10:30 the group moved into anadjoining room, also set up with a long table in the middle, wherethe students sat, and tables along the wall behind where theothers sat. Nobody rushed us. We'd had a leisurely breakfast andthere was c<strong>of</strong>fee for us in the conference room — and as usual,everybody was smoking.Uzi Nakdimon addressed the group: "Welcome to the test.

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