Ben-Gurion University’s Dr. Oren Wacht to Speak at Chizuk Amuno about Impact of Oct. 7 Attacks

August 28, 2024 Staff Report

Dr. Daniel Chamovitz (left), president of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, chats at Soroka University Medical Center with Eyal Pasternak, a BGU medical student who volunteered at the hospital in the days following the Oct. 7 attacks. (Photo courtesy of BGU)

On Wednesday evening, Sept. 18, Chizuk Amuno Congregation and the local chapter of Americans for Ben-Gurion University will present “Emergency Medicine in Action: Healing the Negev Post-October 7th.”

Guest speaker will be Dr. Oren Wacht, head of the emergency medicine department at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

Dr. Wacht is also head of the Beersheva university’s program for training paramedics and serves as academic manager of the Field Family Medical Simulation Center. The center trains BGU students receiving master’s degrees in emergency medicine on how to provide disaster relief around the world.

At the Chizuk Amuno event, Dr. Wacht will share his insights on the future of tactical medicine. Attendees will also learn about student-reservists returning to their work and studies while simultaneously dealing with the trauma of the ongoing war.

The BGU community was disproportionately impacted by the Oct. 7 attacks compared to other universities in Israel, in regard to the number of its community members who were killed, wounded, kidnapped, evacuated or called to reserve duty.

Eighty percent of Israelis killed in the attacks were from the Negev. Nearly 3,000 people were treated at BGU’s Soroka University Medical Center and Barzilai Medical Center, and 200,000 Negev residents were displaced from their homes.

The Sept. 18 event begins at 6:30 p.m. with a reception featuring wines from the Negev, followed by the program at 7.

Chizuk Amuno is located at 8100 Stevenson Road in Pikesville. The event is free of charge, but RSVP is requested.

For information and to register, visit americansforbgu.org/events/emergency-medicine-in-action-baltimore/. To learn about the Baltimore chapter of Americans for Ben-Gurion University, contact Jason Pressberg at jason@a4bgu.org.