ABSTRACT
This chapter draws from an interdisciplinary study being conducted with psychologist Joshua Dorban. This study is not focused on the individual personality of the Israeli doctor, but rather on the individual experience and perception of each member of this professional group, each of whom are involved directly in the healing process. The reality of death is always of social as well as individual concern and is thus expressed symbolically in a myriad of ways. Roger Money-Kyrle, the British psychoanalyst, describes how the perception of death is the motivating force behind so much of human development and achievement. The grandeur and drama of Greek archetypes such as Chiron have been a source of conscious and unconscious inspiration, particularly for societies within or influenced by Western culture. A cultural and historical analysis of Israeli society and its ethos reveals the centrality of the enduring themes of idealized sacrifice and heroism, particularly in troubled times, considered essential for survival of the Jewish people.
