Her Excellency Andrea Faulkner, who has been serving in the post in Tel Aviv for the past seven months was greeted at Shaare Zedek by Professor Nathan Cherny, Director of Palliative Medicine at Shaare Zedek and a well known Australian native.

While many of those who met with the Ambassador have been living in Israel for extensive periods, some more than twenty years, all said they feel a strong connection to their former “homeland.”

Professor Cherny stressed in his remarks to the Ambassador that there exists amongst expat Australians a large sense of gratitude to the strong educational and cultural upbringing that they received down under. He stressed that this is particularly true for those in the medical profession where establishing strong interpersonal relationships between the medical staff and the patient is something which is a focus in medical education in Australia. Professor Cherny serves as an ideal exemplar of this as his particular area of expertise, palliative medicine, is largely based on establishing a strong emotional connection with the patient and he has become a world recognized leader in this field.

The Ambassador warmly welcomed Professor Cherny’s comments and said that she saw this as a source of pride for Australia. While the Ambassador had served in Israel earlier on in her diplomatic career, followed by stints in Hanoi and Paris before returning to Tel Aviv, she said that she always welcomed the chance to meet with Australians now living in Israel and was constantly amazed at the bond they maintained with their native country. 

Dr. Jeffrey Fisher who is one of the hospital’s senior anesthesiologists said he wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment and that Australians even more so than other immigrants from other Western nations held onto the traditions and passions (like Australian sport for example) that they grew to love as children.

The gathering was also addressed by Dr. Uri Peleg, an Israeli-born surgeon. Dr Peleg welcomed the chance to meet the senior diplomat from the country he had worked in for a period of a year and a half earlier in his career.  “I want to thank you as a representative of the Australian people because much of the knowledge that I gained while in your country is instrumental in allowing me to do the very things that I must now run and do,” Dr. Peleg said to laughter before turning for the door and literally running towards his next surgery.

The collection of Aussies working at Shaare Zedek spans the full spectrum of possible roles. Included amongst the ranks are senior surgeons, emergency room physicians, obstetricians and IVF experts, medical students, an audiologist, several nurses and even a member of the hospital’s security team who emigrated in 2006.

Included in the Ambassador’s time at the hospital was a briefing from Shaare Zedek Director General, Professor Jonathan Halevy. which focused on the Medical Center's rich history and its role in caring for all of Jerusalem’s residents- regardless of religion or ethnicity. Ambassador Faulkner concluded her visit with a tour of the facility, admiring the various development projects underway and saying it gave her an even better appreciation for the medical system in Israel and the contribution Australians are making to Israeli society.

For more information please contact jeremy@szmc.org.il

Her Excellency Andrea Faulkner, who has been serving in the post in Tel Aviv for the past seven months was greeted at Shaare Zedek by Professor Nathan Cherny, Director of Palliative Medicine at Shaare Zedek and a well known Australian native.

While many of those who met with the Ambassador have been living in Israel for extensive periods, some more than twenty years, all said they feel a strong connection to their former “homeland.”

Professor Cherny stressed in his remarks to the Ambassador that there exists amongst expat Australians a large sense of gratitude to the strong educational and cultural upbringing that they received down under. He stressed that this is particularly true for those in the medical profession where establishing strong interpersonal relationships between the medical staff and the patient is something which is a focus in medical education in Australia. Professor Cherny serves as an ideal exemplar of this as his particular area of expertise, palliative medicine, is largely based on establishing a strong emotional connection with the patient and he has become a world recognized leader in this field.

The Ambassador warmly welcomed Professor Cherny’s comments and said that she saw this as a source of pride for Australia. While the Ambassador had served in Israel earlier on in her diplomatic career, followed by stints in Hanoi and Paris before returning to Tel Aviv, she said that she always welcomed the chance to meet with Australians now living in Israel and was constantly amazed at the bond they maintained with their native country. 

Dr. Jeffrey Fisher who is one of the hospital’s senior anesthesiologists said he wholeheartedly agreed with that assessment and that Australians even more so than other immigrants from other Western nations held onto the traditions and passions (like Australian sport for example) that they grew to love as children.

The gathering was also addressed by Dr. Uri Peleg, an Israeli-born surgeon. Dr Peleg welcomed the chance to meet the senior diplomat from the country he had worked in for a period of a year and a half earlier in his career.  “I want to thank you as a representative of the Australian people because much of the knowledge that I gained while in your country is instrumental in allowing me to do the very things that I must now run and do,” Dr. Peleg said to laughter before turning for the door and literally running towards his next surgery.

The collection of Aussies working at Shaare Zedek spans the full spectrum of possible roles. Included amongst the ranks are senior surgeons, emergency room physicians, obstetricians and IVF experts, medical students, an audiologist, several nurses and even a member of the hospital’s security team who emigrated in 2006.

Included in the Ambassador’s time at the hospital was a briefing from Shaare Zedek Director General, Professor Jonathan Halevy. which focused on the Medical Center's rich history and its role in caring for all of Jerusalem’s residents- regardless of religion or ethnicity. Ambassador Faulkner concluded her visit with a tour of the facility, admiring the various development projects underway and saying it gave her an even better appreciation for the medical system in Israel and the contribution Australians are making to Israeli society.

For more information please contact jeremy@szmc.org.il