His memory was erased after an accident - and each time he rediscovered that his brother was killed | Interview with Alik Oster

Alik Oster, who lost his brother Eitan in the war and was critically injured in a bicycle accident, tells in an interview about the lengthy rehabilitation, the erasure of memory, coming out of the closet and leaving religion, and the turn to teaching. He is set to participate in the VERSE project, where he will present his life story.

Alik Oster, in his mid-40s, grew up in a religious family, came out of the closet at age 24, had three children with his partner, and recently left religion. His life took a tragic turn when his brother Eitan, a soldier, was killed in the current war after entering a building to save soldiers under fire. Alik, who was very close to his brother, used to visit his grave at Mount Herzl almost daily. On November 22, 2024, on his way to the grave, he was hit by a passing vehicle and suffered a severe head injury. He was in critical condition and underwent lengthy rehabilitation for a year and a half, during which he could not walk and remembered nothing. Slowly he returned to functioning, but he is aware that he will never be who he was. The accident and loss changed his life path: he previously worked at Rafael and in high-tech, and now he is set to start teaching physics. He speaks of a deep identity crisis that led him to stop being religious, although the home remains kosher and his children continue in a religious school. He shares his experiences on Facebook and has been writing since age 6. He will come to the VERSE project, where he will present his life story and focus on the meaning of the word 'mother' for him, related to the fear that accompanied him and his brother.

His memory was erased after an accident - and each time he rediscovered that his brother was killed | Interview with Alik Oster