Shaare Zedek's history is inextricably linked with that of Jerusalem. The city and the hospital have been through alot together.

MILESTONES OF A PROUD HISTORY RICH IN ACHIEVEMENTS
 

Shaare Zedek celebrated the 100th anniversary of its historic opening of on Jaffa Road in 2002. The building’s physical beauty and its location outside the Old City walls made it a Jerusalem landmark. Thanks to the outstanding quality of its medical care, the hospital developed into a fundamental unit of the Holy City’s infrastructure.
 
The history of our hospital actually begins, not in 1902, but in 1873, with the establishment of a committee whose goal was to raise funds for the establishment of the hospital. Today, 134 years later, Shaare Zedek’s legend continues to be written thanks to our committees and loyal supporters throughout the world.
 
1873 - First Shaare Zedek Committee is founded, consisting of prominent Rabbis and philanthropists from Germany and the Netherlands.

1892 - Dr. Moshe Wallach arrives in Jerusalem to begin a 60-year period of medical pioneering as Shaare Zedek’s first Medical Director.

1902 - The construction of Shaare Zedek, the most modern hospital in the Middle East is completed, ready to serve the population of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. The “Gates of Righteousness” (Shaare Zedek) are first opened on Jaffa Road to the sick and needy of Jerusalem.

1910 - Shaare Zedek opens Jerusalem’s first isolation ward, the only one in the city, saving many lives as it combats epidemics of typhoid and diphtheria.

1916 - Schwester Selma Mayer arrives from Hamburg to become Head Nurse of Shaare Zedek – a legendary figure whose life story becomes interwoven with the history of Shaare Zedek.

Her devotion to duty and her love for the sick and needy reflect her personality and symbolize the work of the hospital. She is the first nurse in Palestine with a nursing diploma.

Schwester Selma was the Head Nurse at Shaare Zedek Medical Center from its inception in 1916 until 1964. She established the School of Nursing in 1934, inspiring her students to follow her credo, practicing "Duty is Joy."

1917 - The Turkish masters of Jerusalem surrender the city to the British Commander-in-Chief, General Allenby. The ceremony takes place in the main hall of Shaare Zedek Hospital.

1921 - Shaare Zedek serves as the main casualty center during the Arab riots.

1929 - Shaare Zedek treats the wounded of the Hebron and Motza massacres.

1933 - With the rise of the Nazi regime, Shaare Zedek loses its main source of support, the Jewish community of Europe. Despite overwhelming financial difficulties, the hospital’s medical work is extended to care for the large influx of European refugees.

1936 - The School of Nursing, founded by Schwester Selma Mayer, opens and is fully recognized by the Government. The Emergency Receiving Unit is completely renovated and its area expands over twofold.

1947 - On the eve of the establishment of the State of Israel, Shaare Zedek stands on the threshold of a new era in its proud history. Dr. Falk Schlesinger becomes Director and Chief Physician.

1948 - The War of Independence - Jerusalem under Siege – Shaare Zedek serves as a military hospital, its wards and corridors are crowded to capacity with casualties and wounded soldiers. Its Department of Surgery, the only one functioning in Jerusalem, works around the clock.

1950 - Mass immigration continues to flow into Israel by air and sea, with 340,000 arriving in the first 18 months of the State’s existence.

1952 - Polio epidemic strikes in Israel. Shaare Zedek serves all of Jerusalem and the corridor villages with the city’s only isolation department.

1948-1958 - With the help of newly formed committees in England, U.S.A. and other countries, the hospital building is modernized. Facilities are added and new departments are opened, including a re-equipped X-ray Division, new Operating Theaters, Clinical and Research Laboratories, modernized Delivery Rooms, enlarged Outpatient Clinics, and a new building for the School of Nursing.

1960 - Establishment of Pediatric Neurology Unit, which grows over the years to become a nation-wide referral center for children with a wide spectrum of neurological disorders.

1961 - The Pediatric Department is rebuilt and completely re-equipped.

1962 - Sixtieth Jubilee Celebrations. Key Note speaker: President Itzhak Ben-Zvi.

1965 - Opening of Ophthalmology Department and Clinic.

1967 - Six-Day War – Shaare Zedek serves as a front-line military hospital, treating 450 wounded in 70 hours and conducting over 200 operations. Doctors, nurses and volunteers save many lives through their relentless efforts. After the war, Shaare Zedek was lauded by military and civilian authorities for its outstanding achievements.

1968 - After the death of Dr. Falk Schlesinger, Prof. David M. Maeir immigrates from the U.S. and is appointed Director-General.

1971 - New Departments are established, including: Acute Geriatrics with Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy units , Social Work Services and Volunteer Services.

1973 - 100th Anniversary of the founding of the first Shaare Zedek Committee.
Yom Kippur War – over 250 wounded soldiers treated at Shaare Zedek.
Opening of Intensive Care Unit, utilizing the most modern monitoring equipment.

1974 - Inauguration of Day Hospital, for provision of medical treatment and therapy to patients who do not require hospitalization.
Neurology Division approved by the Israeli Scientific Council for training of residents.
Neurology Ward added to hospital services.
Gastroenterological Service designated by Kupat Holim as sole consultant service for entire Jerusalem area.
Coronary Care Unit and Cardiology Institute opened.

1975 - Opening of the Department of Nuclear Medicine and the Pediatric Dialysis Unit.
Shaare Zedek wins Katz prize for application of Halacha to modern life.
Schwester Selma dubbed "a living saint” by Time Magazine.

1976 - Outpatient Department significantly expanded by means of new Clinic.
Surgery B and Pediatric Surgery Units opened.

1977 - Children’s Day Hospital and Mother’s Milk Bank go into operation.

1978 - Home Dialysis Program inaugurated and Endocrinology Unit opened.
Jerusalem’s first Total Body Scanner installed and activated in the new Medical Center.
Neonatology Intensive Care Unit and Pediatric Cardiology added to hospital’s medical services.
Shaare Zedek accredited as a university-affiliated teaching hospital.
Expanded research and training programs initiated.

1979 - Shaare Zedek moves to the new, ultra-modern Medical Center opposite Mount Herzl, conceived and directed by Prof. David M. Maeir. A giant step for Shaare Zedek from the 19th to the 21st century.
Urology Department opened and existing departments and clinics expanded.

1980 - Inauguration of a program for faculty and student exchanges and medical symposia between the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University, New York and Shaare Zedek.

1981 - Opening of the 54-bed Department of Chronic Care.

1982 - Operation “Peace for Galilee” – Shaare Zedek once again applies its accumulated expertise in treating wounded soldiers.

1984 - Schwester Selma passes away on her 100th birthday.
Opening of the Early Cancer Detection Clinic, offering free diagnosis and follow-up treatment for colon cancer patients.

1985 - Ethiopian immigrants who arrive on “Operation Moses” are treated at Shaare Zedek for tropical disease. A special Department for Tropical Diseases is opened.

1988 - Dr. Jonathan Halevy is appointed Director-General.

1989 - A new Department of Ambulatory Day Surgery is opened.
Expansion of Gynecology-Obstetrics Services to include Fertility Clinic.
Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic inaugurated.
Pediatric Surgical Service opened.

1990 - Establishment of the Gaucher Clinic, which has developed into the largest clinic in the world for treatment of the disease.

1991 - The Gulf War – The Army and the Ministry of Health select Shaare Zedek to be the only hospital in Jerusalem on 24-hour alert for the intake of victims in case of chemical warfare.

Shaare Zedek takes an additional giant step on the forefront of Cardiology, opening its Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.

In-Vitro Fertilization Unit opened, giving hope to many childless couples.
The magnificent 300-seat Hedi Steinberg Auditorium is inaugurated, and becomes the setting for ongoing academic activity: national and international symposia, seminars and study days.

1992 - Institute of Urology opened, providing the entire range of urological services both on an out-patient and in-patient basis – a one-stop treatment center for urological complaints.

1994 - Establishment of the Cancer Pain and Palliative Medicine Unit.
Opening of the Jesselson Heart Center, Israel’s leading provider of comprehensive cardiac care, integrating cardiology, cardiothoracic surgery and rehabilitation in a center encompassing the entire 10th floor of the hospital.

1995 - Nursing School completes its switch to four-year B.A. program.
Department of Cardiology transmits live video of interventional cardiology procedures, via satellite, to an audience of thousands of cardiologists attending a major cardiovascular symposium in Washington D.C.

1997 - Department of Medical Genetics discovers that a third of the cases of ovarian cancer in Ashkenazi Jewish women are due to inherited mutations in BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

1999 - Opening of the Harry, Judith and Leonard Wilf Woman and Infant Center, which offers the entire range of medical services for women on one floor of the hospital, “Charlie’s Floor”. Within two years, the number of births at Shaare Zedek increase by 40%.
Opening of the Department of Complementary Medicine.

2000 - Shaare Zedek becomes formally affiliate with Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s Faculty of Health Sciences.
Shaare Zedek researchers successfully use gentamicin to genetically repair cells in nasal passages of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients.

2001 - Miller Diagnostic Heart Clinic for prevention and early detection of heart disease established.

2004 - Weinstock Department of Emergency Medicine opened.

Shaare Zedek recieves the largest percentage of victims of terror attacks during the second intifada and becomes an international authority in the treatment of mass casualty incidents.

2005- The Fuld Department of Medical Genetics sees the birth of the first baby through the Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis (PGD) method allowing parents with known genetic diseases to birth children known to be certain of that disease.
 
2006 - In August, Shaare Zedek becomes the first hospital in Jerusalem to record over 1,000 births in one month.
 
2007 - Shaare Zedek establishes an academic affiliation with the School of Medicine of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
 
2007 - Shaare Zedek hosted a Conference on Advanced Laparoscopy attracting international leaders in this fast-growing field of surgery.
 
2007 - Construction begins on the new Wilf Children's Hospital and Wohl Surgical Operating Complex ushering in the promise of an exciting future for the hospital.

2008 - Shaare Zedek opens the new Glaubach Department of Pediatric Emergency Medicine as the first phase of the new Wilf Children's Hospital.

2009- With the hospital experiencing close to 13,000 births for the year, the Hochstein Family Mother and Infant C Department opens.

2009- The hospital records its 100th "PGD baby."

2009- Shaare Zedek researchers identify drug to ease the negative effects of fasting.

2009- The hospital carries out a major emergency preparedness drill with the IDF's Homefront Command designed to similuate conditions in the wake of a large-scale chemical attack.  Shaare Zedek serves as the on-call hospital for the Jerusalem area for the treatment of victims of chemical attacks.