Dr. Esi Sharon-Sagi, director of the oral rehabilitation graduate program at the Hadassah- Hebrew University School of Dental Medicine, had a grim yet vitally important task in the wake of October 7 –– utilizing dental records to identify remains.
It’s a role she has played through disasters over many years –– though none of this magnitude –– and when she arrived at the scene a little over a year ago, “it didn’t take more than a second. I got into a suit and gloves, I went into the room, and I started my work,” Dr. Sharon-Sagie told Joanne Palmer of The Jewish Standard in a wide-ranging interview.
Dr. Sharon-Sagie spoke about her family background, what it was like to be the first professional to identify the body of terrorist Yahya Sinwar, the mental toll that it takes to be able to perform such a service and the responsibility she feels to victims’ families.
“Everyone is around me and everyone hugs me all the time. My friends won’t let me fall. Hadassah won’t let me fall,” said Dr. Sharon-Sagi, who has worked at the Hadassah teaching hospital for over 24 years. “Every time they look at me and see that something is not quite right, they do something.”
Read the full interview in The Jewish Standard.
Read More
Hadassah’s 2024 Solidarity Mission to Israel: Highlights
From Reserve Duty to Pediatric Nursing Duty, “My Heart Keeps Growing”
Hadassah Trauma Specialist Talks About US-Israel Medical Partnerships and Her NY Fellowship