Unyielding resolve: Ex- POW defies his traumatic past to save lives under fire

You would think that 63 year old Prof. Nahum Nesher would be done with the army, especially as he is a senior surgeon from Ichilov Hospital. But even more than that, with his history as a POW, kept in a notorious Syrian prison, enduring interrogations and torture.

You would be wrong. This hero has returned to enemy territory, but this time by choice. He has set aside his scalpel, and is now carrying a heavy medical kit, alongside the fighters of Battalion 920 on the Syrian border. Serving alongside his youngest son, Koren, he has logged over 250 days in reserves.

Nesher and Koren are now completing their fourth round since the war began. “Like a good father, he just said, ‘I’m coming with you,’” Koren says proudly. “He runs with us in the hills, carries gear, and radiates strength to the entire battalion, from the commander to the last cook.”

A Hero’s Journey

Nahum’s history with Syria is profound. Captured in 1984 during an intelligence role, he spent three months in Damascus’ infamous al Mazzeh security prison facing harsh interrogations. “I came out by the skin of my teeth,” he recalls. “Not a day passes without it being with me.”

Despite the trauma, he completed medical school, and later became a renowned heart and lung surgeon. He served as medical commander for a rescue unit until 2005, and he never imagined returning to uniform, until October 2023.

Koren, a law and business student at Reichman University, was injured in a South American car accident after his paratrooper service. He was initially exempt from reserves. But when his commander called in October 2023, citing dwindling enlistment, Koren didn’t hesitate. “They said they needed me; the guys were worn out. I didn’t think twice,” he says.

When the battalion needed a doctor, Koren half-jokingly suggested his father. Nahum’s response was immediate: “I’m coming with you.”

Since April 2023, Nahum has saved lives under fire, and with the Syrian operation’s start, he refuses to abandon his battalion or son. “As far as I know, I’m the only former POW who willingly returned to the enemy state where he was imprisoned ... Crossing into Syria again was tough, but so moving that I recited Shehecheyanu wrapped in an Israeli flag atop Hermon’s Crown,” he shares. “I carry the captivity and trauma daily, especially since October 7, with the pain of hostages in Gaza burning deeper.”

Koren, a combat soldier in the same unit, adds, “He’s not 20 anymore, but you’d think he is. He runs with us, hauls medical gear, and projects an indescribable strength that uplifts the entire battalion.”

A Story of Valor and Pain

Koren reflects, “I know better than anyone what ‘leave no one behind’ means. My father is proof of it. Being the son of a redeemed POW is a story of heroism but also pain. From him, I learned how to be a better person ... When you realize you’re among the three percent securing the country while others enjoy the calm, it’s not easy. But I don’t look sideways. I see my 63-year-old father, a heart surgeon who could stay home, showing up. Some run away; he steps up.”

During brief periods of leave, Nahum returns to Ichilov for complex surgeries, lamenting systemic issues: “If I must leave patients waiting for urgent operations to go to the front, something’s wrong. But I can’t fix the country: [I can only] do my part. As long as I’m needed, I’ll show up.”

Ynet contributed to this article.