Shaare Zedek Medical Centre opened in 1902 on the Jaffa Road with only 20 beds, an outpatient clinic and a pharmacy.
Today it stands as a landmark building, a world class medical centre and one of Jerusalem’s most vital resources.
Shaare Zedek then and now
Dr. Wallach founded the Shaare Zedek Hospital and managed the institution for 45 years. He was instrumental in providing modern medical care to Jerusalem residents since his arrival in the city in 1891 and dedicated his life to medicine and the Jerusalem Jewish community.He was one of the outstanding personalities in a city and community struggling for existence.
The ethos of our hospital today was determined 100 years ago by Dr. Wallach. It was he who integrated the ancient Jewish moral spirit into a modern medical service tradition. While fulfilling his daily tasks, both as a practicing physician and as the hospital-director, Dr. Wallach became a role model to those who followed him. He mixed freely with the elite and thanks to his personal relations with local dignitaries, political figures, influential westerners and many others he was able to successfully contribute to the growth, success, and reputation the hospital enjoyed during the last century.
On the other hand, he was also personally involved with destitute new immigrants to Eretz Israel and actively engaged in finding jobs, housing, and employment for them. Arriving in Palestine as a young man of 26, his life-long mission was to help his fellow man. He fought fiercely against disease, even prescribing milk, meat and vegetables for the malnourished and making home visits by donkey. A medical pioneer, he performed the country’s first tracheotomy and introduced inoculation against diphtheria. Throughout his long years of service, Dr. Wallach ran the hospital with iron discipline, traditional Jewish observance and compassionate care.
Today the hospital is run by Professor Ofer Merin who has been at the helm since March 2019. Professor Merin took over from Professor Jonathan Halevy who ran the hospital since 1988
