JEWISH WORLD

16 JEWISH WORLD • APRIL 1 - 7, 2022 and, of course, the IDF. Its work with hospitals is consid- ered unique in the world. Thanks to Dream Doctors, medical clowns are hired directly by the hospitals and are, therefore, full-fledged members of the healthcare team, rather than visitors. As part of his work for the asso- ciation, Eisenberg and other medi- cal clowns have traveled to various regions worldwide hit by natural disasters. The first such delegation flew to Thailand in 2005 following a deadly tsunami that devastated the region. “I found myself playing with Thai children whose villages had been destroyed. Since then, there have been many more medical clown delegations who sought to help in other places. We met Is- raeli organizations of all kinds in disaster-stricken areas, including the IDF. The military allowed us to enter field hospitals even before we were there ‘officially,’” he said. T he IDF’s medical clown unit, which was established in 2015, is part of the military’s Medical Corps. Following the earthquake that devastated Nepal that year, the IDF field hospital was named the best in the world by the World Health Organization. “This is a wonderful project that reaches areas where natural disas- ters struck — earthquakes, tsuna- mis, etc. — and there they treat the wounded population,” said Eisen- berg. “The main part of the hospi- tal is the surgical unit, where the medical team works to save lives. The hospital can operate on-site, in sterile conditions and among the rubble,” he added. In mass-fatality events, he ex- plained, basic infrastructure is of- ten damaged, causing epidemics, “which is why epidemiologists, water treatment specialists, com- munity aid and even maternity ward [professionals] also join.” When the field hospital was in Nepal, he recalled, 20 babies were born there. “There were two words written on the wall — in Hebrew letters — that meant ‘push’ and ‘congratulations’ in Nepali. … Reservists come to the other side of the world and bring life — I find it incredible. The IDF comes with food, generations, a water By KARNI ELDAD R ecently, Nimrod Eisen- berg — a military medi- cal clown — was ordered to get ready for a possible trip to war-torn Ukraine, “a kind of call up of reserve forces.” Only in his case, instead of packing an ironed uniform and a beret, he filled his duffel bag with a felt duck, color- ful juggling balls, a clown hat, bal- loons, and last but not least, a red foam nose. Eisenberg is the commander of the Israel Defense Forces’ medical clown unit. It includes five mem- bers — all reservists like Eisen- berg — who are sent along with a healthcare team every time the IDF sets up a field hospital in ar- eas of conflict. Eisenberg and his “fighters” use humor to commu- degree from the University of Hai- fa, the first university in the world to offer a full B.A. program in Med- ical Clowning. As part of the three- year degree, students learn psychol- nicate with the locals, especial- ly children, and identify medical problems and injuries in a way that does not cause anxiety. Eisenberg received his bachelor’s ogy, child development, emotional assistance and nursing. T wo weeks ago, it was an- nounced the IDF would not be setting up field hospitals in Ukraine, but Eisenberg did not give up, and flew to Latvia on his own initiative to join local medical clowns as part of the Dream Doc- tors Project, an Israeli non-profit that integrates professional medi- cal clowns into Israeli hospitals by training them to work as members of multidisciplinary care teams. “The IDF hasn’t been called on yet, probably due to political sen- sitivity,” said Eisenberg. “If, in the end, the military does decide to set up a field hospital in eastern Europe, to aid refugees and the wounded in the Ukraine war, the medical clown unit will be there.” Eisenberg is in the Latvian cap- ital of Riga, where he trains medi- cal clowns — volunteers at centers for Ukrainian refugees. The Dream Doctors Project has sent two del- egations to the region, which in- cludes eight clowns. Soon, Eisen- berg will probably join a third delegation traveling to Poland. Eisenberg served in the military as a combat engineer, and joined the IDF’s medical clown unit as a reservist through the Dream Doc- tors Project. Founded in 2002, the non-profit aims to promote medi- cal clowning as an officially rec- ognized paramedical profession. It routinely cooperates with Israe- li hospitals, the Health Ministry, HMOs, Magen David Adom emer- gency service, United Hatzalah The Power Of Laughter IDF medical clowns comfort Ukrainian refugees Israeli military clown, Nimrod Eisenberg, cheers up Ukrainian children in Latvia. REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK There is something very Israeli about jump- ing into the re and understanding, know- ing how to improvise and be quick-witted.