In this gripping episode of Shoulder to Shoulder, Rabbi Pesach Wolicki and Pastor Doug Reed sit down with Dr. Tuvia Book, the oldest combat medic to serve in the IDF during the Swords of Iron war. Book offers a raw, first-person account of returning to service at age 55, racing into Gaza under fire with Israel’s elite Palmar medical extraction unit, and witnessing both the devastation of October 7 and the extraordinary courage of Israeli soldiers and medics.
Beyond the battlefield, Book describes how Israeli innovation transformed combat medicine, saving lives in minutes that once would have been lost. He reflects on faith, duty, and what it means to “walk the walk” in a moment of national crisis, while also sharing the remarkable story of how the final hostage, Rav Gvili, was located and brought home.
This is a conversation about trauma and healing, darkness and light, and why the struggle in Gaza is not only Israel’s war, but a global battle between civilization and a death cult.
To learn more about Tuvia or to get in touch with him, go to his website today.
