Tuesday, May 27, 2014

My presentation about my experiences as a physician in the Yom Kippur War and book signing at Temple Shaaray Tefila, Manhattan, New York, May 19, 2014.

An appreciation note from the Israel Program Director at Temple Shaaray Tefila, Manhattan, New York, following Dr Brook's talk on May 19, 2014

Dr. Brook,
Thank you very much for such a meaningful and inspiring event.
I knew it would be great, but I didn't realize how great. Everyone came up to me that night and afterwards and told me how meaningful and moving your talk was, and how much they learned about the war which they thought they knew.

I wish you all the best and thank you again for such a great experience that will not be forgotten.

L'Hitraot

Dan Adler
Israeli Programs Director
Temple Shaarai Tefila 
Manhatten , New York, 10075






Monday, May 12, 2014

My lecture about my experiences as a battalion physician in the Yom Kippur War at Beth Jacob Congregation, Irvine, Apr. 27, 2014.




Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Presentations flyers


 

Upcoming presentation about the Yom Kippur War in the Beth Jacob Congregation, Irvine, California, Apr. 27, 2014.





Upcoming presentation about the Yom Kippur War in the Calabasas Shul, Calabasa, California, Apr. 27

Additional announcements:




Friday, March 28, 2014

Presentation at the University Hospital Cleveland March 7, 2014

Keynote speaker University Hospitals Quality and Patient Safety Fair, Case Medical Center, School of Medicine Case Western University:  “Preventing medical errors: a physician personal experience as a laryngeal cancer patient.” Cleveland, Ohio, March 5, 2014.

Watch the lecture on Youtube.






 Signing copies of my book "My Voice"


2014.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

The power of a hug in patient care



A 5 minute interview I had (filmed by Yoni) as part of a documentary about the power of a hug and human touch in patient care.  Discovering the importance of these was a new revelation for me. 

Sunday, January 12, 2014

My new book “The Laryngectomee Guide” was endorsed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery


I recently published  the 170 pages "The Laryngectomee Guide”. The Guide provides contains information about side effects of radiation and chemotherapy; methods of speaking; airway, stoma, and voice prosthesis care; eating and swallowing; medical, dental and psychological concerns; respiration; anesthesia; and travelling.

Thanks to an educational grant by Atos Medical paperback copies of guide are available at no charge to laryngectomees and there medical caregivers.



The Guide was also endorsed by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and the e book edition is available (free) on their website: 



Friday, December 13, 2013

How soccer Saved my Father’s Life

My father Bernard (Baruch) Brook was born in 1907 in Fraunkirchen, a small town about 35 miles southeast of Vienna Austria. As one of seven children, he was the only one who played soccer with the “Goyim” and his team won the regional championship in 1930. He was “discovered” by Hacoach Vienna which recruited him to their team (he was left front position). On a tour of the Middle East in 1933  which included Egypt and British Palestine, he and another teammate (Stern) stayed behind in Palestine after being enticed by Hapoeal Haifa soccer team (which promised him a job as a welder in the Shemen (oil) factory in Haifa). The condition for getting him the job was that he would play also on the factory’s soccer team.

He played on Hapoel Haifa, as well as the National Jewish team of Palestine and kept playing into the nineteen forties. I remember as a child (I was born in 1941) travelling on a truck with the Happoel soccer team (buses were a luxury) on Shabbat to different parts of the country where they played other teams in the national soccer league. Soccer remained my father’s love all his life. He later became the coach of Hapoel Haifa’s youth team, and later a  referee. Being a referee was not easy and I remember one time when he came home with a bloodied face, as the crowd did not like his decision.

My father was fortunate to have stayed in Palestine. He was able to entice two of his brothers to come before the Second World War broke out. One of them (Uri), who was also a soccer player, got help in getting a visa because he played with Hacoach Haifa.

Soccer helped my father and two of his siblings escape the Holocaust.  My grandmother, aunt and niece were killed by the Nazis. My father’s other siblings and their families tried to come to Palestine illegally despite the British blockade in 1940, but their boat was captured by the British Navy and they were sent to a detention center in Mauritius Africa. They finally made it to Palestine in 1946.
As a side story-- my father’s last name was “Brock” but the British misspelled it on his tourist visa as “Brook.” Being an illegal emigrant, he never protested and the name stayed.

The soccer connection also helped me during the Yom Kippur War: 
I was a physician for a supply battalion of an armored division in the Sinai. We were stationed very close to the fighting area, dangerously exposed to Egyptian commando attacks. My physician friends at the field hospital nearby asked me to get them hand grenades so that they could defend themselves.( The irony of war: physicians needed explosives to be able to care for patients.) They promised that if I could get the hand grenades to them, they would be able to give me some medical supplies that I needed.

Fortunately, the son of my father’s soccer mate from Hacoach Vienna and Hapoel Haifa (Stern) was the Major in charge of the ammunition company in my battalion. The young Stern climbed on top of an ammunition truck one night at 11 pm and hand-delivered a box full of grenades, which I promptly brought to my grateful friends at the field hospital. Happily they never had to use them, but it surely made them feel better. And I was able to get the extra supplies we needed.

This last story is also in my book “ In the Sands Of Sinai: a Physician’s account of the Yom Kippur War,” on page 51. I am attaching the e copy and also have mailed you a paperback copy.
So, as you can see soccer played an important role in my life. I still watch the soccer leagues in Israel and happily, Hapoell Haifa is having a good year.



Fraunkirchen Austria Sport Club Soccer Team 1930. The Team won the regional championship for 1930. Bernard is kneeling first on the left (the only Jew in the team).




Hapoel Haifa Soccer team of 1935. (Bernard is 4th from the left)




Baruch (Bernard) Brook's Austrian amateur soccer ID organization card 1928 

 



Baruch (Bernard) Brook's Austrian amateur soccer ID organization card 1929