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Best of AJLby Philip RosenfeldIt was early in the morning on April5th when I had the opportunityto witness firsthand the impactthe Israel Defense Forces (IDF)mission had on the lives of theJapanese. These were people amongthe most severely affected by thetsunami. It was also a look at the powerand potential of organized cooperationin the Jewish world.I left the safety of Tokyo and met IsraeliAmbassador Ben-Shitrit in Sendai andfollowed him to Minami Sanriku, thetown in which the IDF field hospitalis located. Upon arriving at the fieldhospital at approximately 8:30 a.m., wewere met by Dr. Ofer Merin and otherkey staff members who, despite a busyschedule, graciously took the time toexplain the field hospital operations andthe role the field hospital plays in theaffected area.ophthalmology, orthopedics, pediatricsand urology. The hospital also providesx-ray imaging and is equipped with anintensive care unit, medical laboratoryand pharmacy with medication availableto treat an extensive array of illnessesand diseases. The IDF practitionerswork in close consultation with localJapanese doctors and this alone isextraordinary. In many cases the localJapanese doctors accompany theirpatients to the field hospital. As ofthe morning of April 5th, the IDF fieldhospital staff had treated approximately130 patients on site and an additionalnumber of individuals in the surroundingarea either in their home or in anevacuation shelter.The IDF practitioners provide a vitalservice to the affected community andthe equipment donated by the AmericanJewish Joint Distribution Committee(JDC), including a portable ultrasoundunit, an endoscope, and LumiView(head lamp with amplifier) also plays acritical role in enabling them to do so.In many cases, the care they provide isotherwise not available within a two hourradius of the field hospital. For patientswith chronic conditions and pregnantpatients, this service is critical.Minami Sanriku is a coastal fishing townlocated in northern Miyagi Prefecture.Prior to the earthquake and tsunami,Minami Sanriku had a population ofapproximately 18,000 people of whichit is estimated that approximately 1,200individuals perished in the disasterwith another 5,500 people beingleft homeless. The destruction anddevastation that I witnessed in MinamiSanriku was utter and complete. Thetown simply no longer exists. Thescene is difficult to describe in wordsbut it looked as though a bomb haddestroyed the area.Photo credit: Hannah RosenfeldThe IDF field hospital team arrived inMinami Sanriku on Monday, March28th and began its operations that verysame day. The field hospital, locatedon the outskirts of Minami Sanrikuadjacent to a gymnasium that is beingutilized as an evacuation shelter, hasa staff that includes thirteen doctors,seven nurses and approximately thirtysupport/logistics members. Specialistservices provided include ENT, internalmedicine, gynecology, obstetrics,Photo credit: IDFASIAN JEWISH LIFE ISSUE 627