"I Was Born Again the Day the Bullet Pierced My Helmet"

Tzviki Barkai, wounded by a sniper during Operation Cast Lead, spoke this week at the UN about coping with post-trauma. He recounted years of denial, water therapy with Einat Tzarfati, and establishing the 'Einot Bar' center, which treated ten thousand victims after October 7.

Tzviki Barkai, 38, married and father of two daughters, was wounded on January 5, 2009, by sniper fire during Operation Cast Lead. The bullet pierced his helmet but missed his head by a millimeter. For years he suffered from post-trauma, hiding nightmares and anxieties, leading a double life as an MMA fighter and businessman. At 27, he met Einat Tzarfati, who treated him with water, helping him process the event. In 2015, Tzarfati founded the 'Einot Bar' center in Givat Bar, which after October 7 became a field hospital for mental health casualties, treating ten thousand victims until February 2024. This week, Barkai spoke at the UN, closing a circle of nearly two decades. He said: "I no longer fight to survive; I fight so others can live."

"I Was Born Again the Day the Bullet Pierced My Helmet"