A 31-year-old medical student serving as a combat medic in the war, Elisha Loev is about to complete his studies at Bar-Ilan’s Faculty of Medicine.
On October 7th, Elisha Loev, along with his partner, Tal, were staying at his parents’ home in Ma’ale Levona. They intended to switch off their mobile phones, as Elisha’s parents observe the Sabbath.
“When my phone suddenly rang early in the morning, I realized that I had forgotten to turn it off,” he recounts. “A friend of mine, who also observes the Sabbath, called, which indicated that something unusual had happened.” As the hours passed, Elisha began to grasp the magnitude of the tragedy and horror, preparing himself for joining the IDF reserves.
“I serve as a combat medic in the reserves, and also served in this capacity during Operation Protective Shield in 2002. I mentally prepared myself for the callup, feeling that I want to take part in what is about to happen and contribute as much as I can.” he says.
Ever since, Elisha has been stationed in Southern Israel undertaking various roles while the conflict continues around him.
“At first, we were in one of the evacuated communities, participating in searches for terrorists and evacuating bodies. Later, we served in various bases in the south and on the Gaza border. I had the opportunity to use my skills to treat a gunshot wound victim evacuated from the field, on the way to the hospital”.
Elisha leverages his skills not only to treat injuries in the field but also to assist soldiers, many of whom are young and inexperienced, in coping with the situation.
“I have experience with similar situations from my past in the army, and the training I received in my studies includes psychological aspects. I have a responsibility to help soldiers and people around me, and I strive to support them in this emotionally challenging situation.
On a personal level, it’s challenging, obviously. I remember from my studies how the human coping mechanism works; I know what happened, but for now, I choose to focus on the task at hand and not delve too deeply into it. I focus on being professional, and will handle the emotional and psychological processing of the experience when it’s over”.
