An emotional full-circle moment took place last week at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem when Ronen Fuxman, director of the National Physician Aliyah Program at Nefesh B'Nefesh, required urgent medical attention and discovered that the doctor treating him was a recent immigrant whom he had personally helped make Aliyah to Israel.
Fuxman underwent complex heart surgery last week. After being discharged home, he developed a medical complication that required him to be rushed back to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital by ambulance.
Upon arriving at the hospital, he was surprised to discover that the doctor receiving him was Dr. Eitan Brandler, a senior physician in the Emergency Medicine Department at Hadassah Ein Kerem who had recently immigrated to Israel.
For many months, Fuxman had personally guided Brandler through the aliyah process. As part of his work, he and the organization's staff helped Brandler navigate Israel's medical licensing procedures, complete his preparations for immigration, and secure a position at the hospital.
Now, their roles had been reversed: The physician who had received assistance from Fuxsman was the one providing him with medical care in his time of need.
Fuxman heads the National Physician Aliyah Program, a joint initiative involving Nefesh B'Nefesh and the Ministries of Aliyah and Integration, Health, and the Negev and Galilee.
The program is designed to assist Jewish physicians from around the world who wish to immigrate to Israel and continue their medical careers within the Israeli healthcare system.
Through the program, physicians receive personalized guidance throughout the immigration process, assistance with professional licensing procedures, and connections to employment opportunities at hospitals and medical institutions across the country.
For Fuxsman, the unexpected encounter with Dr. Brandler provided a deeply personal illustration of the significance of his work.