Moshe Rachmilewitz
Encyclopedia
Moshe Rachmilewitz was an Israeli doctor
and was one of the fathers of professional medicine in Israel.
), then part of the Russian Empire
, and grew up in the city of Babruysk
. His parents were Eliezer Lipman Rachmilewitz and Dvosha Zack. After completing high school, he studied medicine in Germany
.
In 1926, he immigrated
to Mandate Palestine and began working at Bikur Holim Hospital
in Jerusalem. In 1927, he was chosen to go to the United States
for further training, and specialized at the Mount Sinai Hospital
in New York
. Following his return from the United States, he worked at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital
on Mount Scopus
. In 1949, following the evacuation of the Mount Scopus facility as a result of it being cut off by Arab forces, he moved with the hospital to temporary facilities before moving in 1961 to the new Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem
, in southwest Jerusalem.
Rachmilewitz was the personal physician to many of Israel's leaders. He was among the first heads of medical school at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, serving as dean of the faculty from 1958 to 1961.
Rachmilewitz's principal area of research and specialization was blood diseases.
He was married to Chava (née Pomerantz) and had two sons, Daniel and Eliezer, both of whom are professors of medicine. He died in 1985 of colon cancer.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and was one of the fathers of professional medicine in Israel.
Biography
Rachmilewitz was born in 1898 in Mstislavl (now in BelarusBelarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
), then part of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, and grew up in the city of Babruysk
Babruysk
Babruysk or Bobruysk is a city in the Mahilyow Voblast of Belarus on the Berezina river. It is a large city in Belarus with a population of approximately 227,000 people . The name Babruysk probably originates from the Belarusian word babyor , many of which used to inhabit the Berezina...
. His parents were Eliezer Lipman Rachmilewitz and Dvosha Zack. After completing high school, he studied medicine in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
In 1926, he immigrated
Aliyah
Aliyah is the immigration of Jews to the Land of Israel . It is a basic tenet of Zionist ideology. The opposite action, emigration from Israel, is referred to as yerida . The return to the Holy Land has been a Jewish aspiration since the Babylonian exile...
to Mandate Palestine and began working at Bikur Holim Hospital
Bikur Holim Hospital
Bikur Holim Hospital is a hospital in Jerusalem, Israel.-History:Bikur Holim first opened in a residential building in the Old City in 1826. In 1843, the hospital had only three rooms for patients. In 1854, a building was purchased which soon grew overcrowded...
in Jerusalem. In 1927, he was chosen to go to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for further training, and specialized at the Mount Sinai Hospital
Mount Sinai Hospital, New York
Mount Sinai Hospital, founded in 1852, is one of the oldest and largest teaching hospitals in the United States. In 2011-2012, Mount Sinai Hospital was ranked as one of America's best hospitals by U.S...
in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Following his return from the United States, he worked at Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital
Hadassah Medical Center
Hadassah Medical Center is a medical organization that operates two University hospitals at Ein Kerem and Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, Israel, as well as schools of medicine, dentistry, nursing, and pharmacology affiliated with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.The hospital was founded by Hadassah,...
on Mount Scopus
Mount Scopus
Mount Scopus , جبل المشهد , جبل الصوانة) is a mountain in northeast Jerusalem. In the wake of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Mount Scopus became a UN protected Jewish exclave within Jordanian-occupied territory until the Six-Day War in 1967...
. In 1949, following the evacuation of the Mount Scopus facility as a result of it being cut off by Arab forces, he moved with the hospital to temporary facilities before moving in 1961 to the new Hadassah Hospital in Ein Kerem
Ein Kerem
Ein Kerem , lit. “Spring of the Vineyard”, and - ‘Ein Kārem), is an ancient village of the Jerusalem District and now a neighbourhood in southwest of Jerusalem. According to Christian tradition, John the Baptist was born in Ein Kerem, leading to the establishment of many churches and monasteries....
, in southwest Jerusalem.
Rachmilewitz was the personal physician to many of Israel's leaders. He was among the first heads of medical school at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
, serving as dean of the faculty from 1958 to 1961.
Rachmilewitz's principal area of research and specialization was blood diseases.
He was married to Chava (née Pomerantz) and had two sons, Daniel and Eliezer, both of whom are professors of medicine. He died in 1985 of colon cancer.
Awards and honours
- In 1964, Rachmilewitz was awarded the Israel PrizeIsrael PrizeThe Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
, in medicine. - In 1970, he received the award of Yakir YerushalayimYakir YerushalayimYakir Yerushalayim is an annual citizenship prize in Jerusalem, Israel, inaugurated in 1967.The prize is awarded annually by the municipality of the City of Jerusalem to one or more residents of the city who have contributed to the cultural and educational life of the city in some outstanding way....
(Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem) from the city of Jerusalem. - Rachmilewitz Street in Pisgat Ze'evPisgat Ze'evPisgat Ze'ev , is an Israeli settlement and a residential neighborhood with a population of 50,000 located in northern East Jerusalem. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, although the Israeli government disputes this...
, in northeast Jerusalem, is named after him.