Yom Kippur War, A Physician's Account. מלחמת יום הכיפורים, סיפורו של רופא גדודי

The site contains Dr. Itzhak Brook's book, "In the Sands of Sinai, a Physician's Account of the Yom Kippur War." It also contains links to obtain the book in paperback and Kindle format from Amazon.com. The book describes Dr. Brook's personal experiences, struggles, fears and challenges as he cared for his soldiers' physical and emotional needs, including their post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It gives a perspective of the 1973 war that shaped the author's own life and Israel's identity.

A link to order a paperback or Kindle version (in amazon.com) or e-book of " In the Sands of Sinai- A physician's Account of the Yom Kippur War."

Information on the book is presented by the Jewish Book Council, Hareali Haivri High School alumni website and the Hebrew University Hadassah School of Medicine alumni website.

Watch Dr Brook's presentation about his experiences in the Yom Kippur War on YouTube.

Dr. Brook is a speaker on the Yom Kippur war for the Israeli Embassy in Washington DC, USA.

The Yom Kippur War was launched in 1973 in a surprise attack by Syria and Egypt. This Arab-Israeli war posed the most serious threat to the existence of Israel in modern history. Even though Israel was eventually able to achieve a military victory, the country paid a steep price, both in lives lost and in the citizenry’s confidence in their leaders and themselves. Deep within the psyche of the nation, this conflict shattered conventional wisdom that the country was invincible.

This book recounts the author’s personal experiences as a battalion physician during that time. Expecting to heal his soldiers’ physical combat wounds, Brook unexpectedly must address his soldiers’ psychological battlefield trauma (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). It describes how he coped with his soldiers’ medical and psychological issues, the daily struggle of survival in the battle zone, and everyone’s growing anxiety. Through the lens of one participant, the reader can experience the resourcefulness exhibited during the time of war and the struggle to preserve one’s humanity in the midst of it all. In unvarnished details from the mundane to the catastrophic, he describes his perspective of a war that shaped his own life, and his nation's fragile identity.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

The 40th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War

Several articles written by Dr. Brook and interviews of him were recently published in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War.

The articles were published in The Times of Israel, Jewish Tribune, Jewish Exponent, Jewish independent, Mishpacha Jewish Family Weekly, The Israel Forever Foundation, Jewish Voice, and The Jewish Veteran.

Interviews of Dr. Brook were published by the Washington Jewish Week; and Ilta-Sanomal Helsinki, Finland.