Hadassah hosts first-ever forum for ultra-Orthodox medical trainees

Dozens of ultra-Orthodox medical school applicants, students, doctors and senior health officials gathered Tuesday at Hadassah Medical Center for a first-of-its-kind event focused on one of the toughest challenges facing young Haredi men and women who want to enter medicine, how to build a demanding medical career while preserving Haredi identity, values and lifestyle.

The gathering was held under the national program Haredim for Medicine, which is designed to train doctors and doctors from the ultra-Orthodox community. During the event, organizers launched a new professional community that will support participants לאורך their entire path, from applying to medical school through becoming specialist physicians in the health system.

The program is run by Keren Kemach and led by Prof. Yossi Makori. Its partners include the Joint, the Health Ministry, the Jerusalem and Jewish Heritage Ministry, the Authority for Economic-Social Development of the Haredi Sector in the Prime Minister’s Office, the Labor Ministry, the Azrieli Foundation, the Boston Federation and others. The initiative aims to increase the number of ultra-Orthodox doctors and provide personal guidance, professional support and a communal framework.

Participants moved between stations representing stages in the medical pipeline, from applicants to professors and senior doctors, and heard about the challenges and opportunities of combining professional excellence with family life, community commitments and a Haredi way of life. A central panel featured Hadassah senior genetic counselor Rabbi Dr. Dov Popper and his wife, Dr. Sarah Popper, a resident, who discussed their personal and family journey.

Prof. Liat Aplbaum, head of the radiology department at Hadassah, said the hospital was proud to host the new community and support an effort that combines medical excellence with commitment to values and community. She said, “We believe that integrating young Haredi people into the health system will benefit both patients and Israeli medicine as a whole.” Organizers told Walla that beyond academic training, the goal is to create a new generation of Haredi doctors who can join the system without giving up their identity, while improving access to healthcare for the ultra-Orthodox public and increasing diversity in Israeli medicine.