In recent years, the very nature of immigration to Israel has changed and the responses of the community, including public institutions like Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center have changed with it. Whereas the 1990’s were characterized by immigration from the former Soviet Union, with olim to Israel numbering over one million, more recently immigration is being seen in larger numbers from places like South America and France.

According to Amalia Oren, Director of the Kestenbaum Department of Social Services at Shaare Zedek, offering these immigrants the support services they require is a fundamental understanding of what her Department is all about. “These people come to the hospital facing many challenges, but only some of which are medically related,” Ms. Oren says. “Our job is to help them deal with these issues and give them as much support as we possibly can.”

South American immigration comes largely from small Jewish communities in places like Argentina, Brazil and Chile and the immigrants are largely dispersed all over Israel, making their klita (the Hebrew word for absorption) more challenging. “These smaller communities of South American immigrants don’t have the strong support networks that we see with olim from places like Russia and North America,” Ms Oren says. “The role of a hospital social worker thus becomes that much more important.”
 

In addition to its more “typical” job of helping patients deal with the medical procedures they will be experiencing, Shaare Zedek knows that without the involvement of the hospital, many other aspects of coping with Israeli society will leave these new immigrants feeling alienated. The social workers therefore take their work to the next level, helping new immigrants with things like finding jobs, navigating the complex bureaucracies of banks, health funds and the national insurance systems. 

Dealing with the Hebrew language is often the biggest obstacle for a new immigrant and the hospital is determined to do everything it can to remove this frustration. Where possible the patient is treated by a nurse or doctor who speaks his or her language but when that’s impossible, a translator is made available. The social workers also try to help patients better understand and appreciate Israel’s unique social norms and culture. The hospital staff is known to buy children of immigrants toys around the holidays and send food packages for Passover and Hannukah.
 

“Being hospitalized can be a very traumatic and alienating experience even for a fully acclimated Israeli, so we know just how difficult it is for the new immigrants,” Ms. Oren says. “In tribute to Shaare Zedek’s well-known legacy for kind and compassionate care, we do everything in our power to take away those challenges and give these special olim just one more reason to love their decision to come home to Israel.”

In recent years, the very nature of immigration to Israel has changed and the responses of the community, including public institutions like Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Medical Center have changed with it. Whereas the 1990’s were characterized by immigration from the former Soviet Union, with olim to Israel numbering over one million, more recently immigration is being seen in larger numbers from places like South America and France.

According to Amalia Oren, Director of the Kestenbaum Department of Social Services at Shaare Zedek, offering these immigrants the support services they require is a fundamental understanding of what her Department is all about. “These people come to the hospital facing many challenges, but only some of which are medically related,” Ms. Oren says. “Our job is to help them deal with these issues and give them as much support as we possibly can.”

South American immigration comes largely from small Jewish communities in places like Argentina, Brazil and Chile and the immigrants are largely dispersed all over Israel, making their klita (the Hebrew word for absorption) more challenging. “These smaller communities of South American immigrants don’t have the strong support networks that we see with olim from places like Russia and North America,” Ms Oren says. “The role of a hospital social worker thus becomes that much more important.”
 

In addition to its more “typical” job of helping patients deal with the medical procedures they will be experiencing, Shaare Zedek knows that without the involvement of the hospital, many other aspects of coping with Israeli society will leave these new immigrants feeling alienated. The social workers therefore take their work to the next level, helping new immigrants with things like finding jobs, navigating the complex bureaucracies of banks, health funds and the national insurance systems. 

Dealing with the Hebrew language is often the biggest obstacle for a new immigrant and the hospital is determined to do everything it can to remove this frustration. Where possible the patient is treated by a nurse or doctor who speaks his or her language but when that’s impossible, a translator is made available. The social workers also try to help patients better understand and appreciate Israel’s unique social norms and culture. The hospital staff is known to buy children of immigrants toys around the holidays and send food packages for Passover and Hannukah.
 

“Being hospitalized can be a very traumatic and alienating experience even for a fully acclimated Israeli, so we know just how difficult it is for the new immigrants,” Ms. Oren says. “In tribute to Shaare Zedek’s well-known legacy for kind and compassionate care, we do everything in our power to take away those challenges and give these special olim just one more reason to love their decision to come home to Israel.”