On Living here vs Israel:

After commuting for many years, we lived in Israel for a few years. To me, life there feels like living in vivid technicolor!

On being a surgeon during the intifada:

I volunteered for facial trauma surgery at Ichilov hospital during the second intifada. The strength of the Jewish people, to go on with life every day in the face of such threats, is G-d given. כי בשם קדשך נשבעת לו שלא יכבה נרו לעולם ועד.

On Parshat Vayechi

When the brothers see that their father had died they said לו ישטמנו יוסף. The Or Hachaim Hakadosh interprets לו as its usual meaning- הלוואי- “if only Yosef would punish us now, then the Jewish people wouldn’t have to pay throughout our unfolding history for our sin.” Looking at the success of our Land, it appears to me that the debt is paid, and we are witnessing the glory days unfolding before us. עלה רש

On Friendship:

Friendships are life. “O Hevruta, O mituta, Give me Hevruta or give me death.” —Ta’anit 23a

On the quest for harmony:

Facial reconstruction, like music, is based on harmony, symmetry, basic rules of anatomy, and both possess art and science. If a note is off key or If a facial asymmetry exists, it is obvious. Music and facial reconstruction both strive to get as close as possible to what the Master Designer or composer had in mind.

Other inspirations:

I grew up on poogi and pirchei, jahnoon and chopped liver, Frye boots and sandalim tanachiim…… Bob Dylan and Chava Albershtein. Rav Aharon Lichtenstein and Rav Shlomo Carlebach. Some kind of split personality.

Dovid Zelig, DDS is an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, trained at LIJ, worked in Memphis, Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, NY and NJ. He left Memphis to make Aliya and is now living in a great Jewish community, Teaneck, surrounded with great friends. BH.

Photos and interview by David Beyda www.davidbeyda.com

Available for family portraits, business headshots, shidduch photos, simchas and all of your photographic needs. IG @davidbeydaphotography. 212-967-6964, Studios in Manhattan and Teaneck

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All images David Beyda©