A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of interviewing Asael and Avital Lubotsky for our Humans of Netivot Instagram page. In too short a time I heard about his story of injury during the second Lebanon War, and his story of recovery. Afterward, they were kind enough to gift me the memoir about this part of his life, From the Wilderness and Lebanon: An Israeli Soldier’s Story of War and Recovery. I think it is a must-read for anyone in our community, and not just because Asael is a member of it, as you’ll see.
The memoir is broadly divided into two parts. The first tells the story of his time as an officer in Gaza, and then during the Second Lebanon War. As he so aptly says, the first part is a story about the fog of war – it’s lack of clarity, decisions from above to be followed from below even when not entirely understood, exceptional bravery, as well as understandable fear. Asael was an officer in Golani, which, he observes, is rarely the perspective from which stories of war are told, as they are often narrated from above by generals and those leading the campaign. This first part of the story culminates in his severe leg injury when his armored carrier was hit by an anti-tank missile. The second part tells the story of his more than year-long recovery, his many surgeries, learning to walk again, and adjusting to his new physical reality. The story ends when he finally leaves the hospital. What he didn’t write about, but told me in his interview, was that two days after he left, he went straight to start medical school (p.s. he also has a PhD!)!
The memoir is powerful at several levels. At its most basic, Asael has exceptional midot. He is optimistic no matter the circumstances, sees the best in every situation, takes responsibility where he can, and thinks about others more than himself (this is evident both in his time as a soldier, and a patient). As well, throughout the book Asael makes references to pesukim from Tehilim, passages from the siddur, and other Torah references, as the way he framed his experience. This was exceptionally moving, and certainly not the norm for a war story. One also gets a strong sense of how community and relationships are formed through the story of his recovery – between soldiers, their affected families, the medical staff, and the many volunteers and friends who made sure that Asael and his family were never alone, and always ensured they felt surrounded by love and care. In that sense, it’s a story of community, generosity, and selfless chessed.
I personally enjoyed Maru Gete’s frequent appearances in the story, another incredible Netivot parent (who many of you heard speak at our Shabbaton), and through his time in Golani with Asael, met and married Shaked, Asael’s sister.
We are privileged to have people like Asael and Avital at Netivot, and this story is only one small, but important part of why.
Just Because I Liked It:
- I read this review of a new book, Israel’s Declaration of Independence: A Biography, by Neil Rogachevsky and Dov Zigler, about how the Israeli Declaration of Independence was written. It was fascinating, and I hope at some point to read the book.
- I just finished an incredible book by Tim Urban, which I’ll write about shortly. In the meantime, please listen to this interview with him on Bari Weiss’s podcast, or this slightly longer but equally interesting interview with him on Sam Harris (there is some, but not total overlap between the two interviews). Urban does an outstanding job of explaining what lies behind the polarization in our society, and provides frameworks to learn to think and communicate better.