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On October 6th 1973, the Egyptian army launched a massive attack on a line of fortifications Israel had constructed along the Suez canal after occupying Sinai.  The attack marked the start of the Yom Kippur war.  At the Israeli outpost at El Firdan, only a handful of soldiers survived the initial onslaught, and subsequent summary executions conducted by Egyptian soldiers.  One of the survivors was Ohry, a twenty five year old medical officer.

What followed was a virtual death.  He was subjected to long periods of sleeplessness.  He endured beatings, and mock executions.  He was forced to stand, or to sit bound for lengthy periods of time.  Two weeks into his battle to survive, Ohry sat blindfolded, his arms tied behind his back, in a small cell, when he became aware of a vivid presence.

It was his wife, who was in Geneva at the time.  He spoke with her.  A short time later he had a similar visit, and the presence this time was a close friend from medical school.  In each case, ‘I urged them to save and evacuate me from that miserable situation’.  The presences were comforting, but suddenly disappeared when the interrogators’ steps were heard.  ‘I could not understand how they managed to enter the jail safely and how they succeeded in leaving’.

The visits ‘encouraged me.  I had the impression that I would be released soon.’  Ohry was eventually repatriated to Israel.