Welcome to What Matters Now, a weekly podcast exploring key issues currently shaping Israel and the Jewish World, with host Jessica Steinberg speaking with author Yishay Ishi Ron.

Ishi Ron's award-winning 2023 book, "Dog," is about an Israeli combat officer returning from Gaza, grappling with PTSD and heroin addiction until a stray dog enters his life and helps save him.

The novel became a bestseller in Israel, was long-listed for the Sapir Prize, and is currently being adapted into a film by director Eran Ricklis.

After "Dog" was translated into English, it won two 2026 National Jewish Book Awards, in the Book Club and Hebrew Fiction in Translation categories.

A former commando in the elite Duvdevan unit fictionalized in the Netflix series "Fauda," Ishi Ron wrote "Dog" before he was diagnosed with PTSD, while he was self-medicating with alcohol and drugs.

Ishi Ron talks about writing books as part of his healing process and what has become his mission to help others in his situation.

He also discusses his latest book, a Holocaust drama called "The Girl Who Rode the White Lion," inspired by his grandfather, a Holocaust survivor.

What Matters Now podcasts are available for download on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Yishai Ishi Ron, author of the award-winning novel 'Dog,' appears on the May 19 What Matters Now podcast (Courtesy)