Combat medic visits Australia
This visit marks Book's tenth trip to Australia, completing what he calls "a perfect 10."
Tuvia Book, the second oldest soldier to serve in the Israel Defence Force (IDF) during the recent Gaza conflict, is set to visit Australia in August.
Book, a 55-year-old combat medic who creatively bypassed age restrictions to join a unit in Gaza, will be a featured international guest at the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) Educators Conference on August 18-19.
This visit marks Book’s tenth trip to Australia, completing what he calls “a perfect 10.”
The educator and tour guide who is officially too old to serve, grabbed his old uniform and headed to an army base following October 7 and in his words “had to fight to fight”.
He was told he couldn’t join up but as always in Israel he said no doesn’t necessarily mean no.
He slept at the base and kept pestering people until eventually being accepted by the combat medical extraction unit Palmar Asaf and served with them in Gaza.
“A lot of the news that we get from Israel is very doom and gloom, and it’s been a very difficult nine plus months since October,” Book explains.
However, his message is one of resilience and unity. “My story is more about the people, the resilience of the people, of the soldiers.”
Book’s experiences in the IDF have given him a renewed sense of optimism.
“I’m surrounded by people who, like, I thought I had a crazy story. It turns out there’s many people with crazy stories,” he says.
Book, who was born in London and made Aliyah as a lone soldier said there is plenty of diversity within his unit, but differences disappear when united for a common cause.
“We have Druze and we have Christians in our units as well, men, women… secular, Orthodox, new immigrants, veteran Israelis, left wing, right wing. But once you put that uniform on, no one cares, because we’re there for one purpose and one purpose alone, and that is to defend our homeland” he said.
A key theme of Book’s message is the strengthened bond between Israeli and diaspora Jews in the wake of recent events.
He recounts how diaspora communities rallied to provide essential equipment for IDF units.
“We’re all in this together,” Book believes, referencing the Talmudic principle that all Jews are responsible for one another.
During his visit, Book aims to inspire Australian Jews with personal stories of heroism and sacrifice.
His overarching message is clear: “We are all brothers and sisters. We’re all in this together through good times and through bad times.”
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