Day Three, November 10 - Remembering a Fallen Israeli Soldier

Prayers at the shiva house

My flight, which had initially been scheduled from Berlin to Israel, was canceled, so I flew to London and then Tel Aviv. Shortly after landing, I attended a prayer service at the shiva of an American Israeli soldier who was recently killed. Over 100 people were there to support the family and celebrate the life of this amazing young woman that was cut short. The young woman, described as warm and loving, was a natural and gifted writer who penned essays that won a number of awards for creative writing. The shiva was a poignant reminder of the human cost of this conflict and reinforced the need for collective efforts towards healing and breaking the cycle of violence.

The situation in Jerusalem is somewhat eerie. There have been no rocket warnings here recently. It is almost unnaturally quiet with very little traffic on the roads. I met with Dr. Abraham Steinberg, a pediatric neurologist who is Director of Medical Ethics at one of Israel's large hospitals. We discussed complex ethical issues that have arisen as a result of the current war.

While there are no easy answers to complex and thorny questions, I sensed that he and his team were rising to these challenges with a clear focus on their responsibility as physicians and healthcare providers.