Name Surname : Prof. Dr. Robert Yomtov Baritzhak
Parents’ Names : Nisim , Rahel Baritzhak
Date and place of Birth : 1924, Istanbul
Year of Aliya : 1963
Year of death : 2018
Education / Schools attended: Saint Benoit Fransiz Lisesi, Istanbul University Faculty of Medicine
Profession: Professor, Medical doctor specialized in eye diseases and surgery
CV:
Prof. Baritzhak started his medical studies at the University of Istanbul after graduating from St. Benoit, a French High School in Istanbul. He decided to have his specialization in ophthalmology. He did a first residency in this field in the Medicine department of the University of Ankara and a second residency in the eye department of the University of Istanbul. The subject of cancer in the eye interested him the most.
In 1957, he was accepted to the University of California in San Fransisco as a guest researcher on the subject of the pathology of the eye. Prof. Baritzhak continued his research in the Royal Hospital of Denmark in Copenhagen. During his stay abroad, he was invited to continue his studies of eye cancer in research laboratories at Hadassah University Hospital in Ein Karem, Jerusalem, Israel.
Consequently Prof. Baritzhak made his aliya in 1963 and started to work in the hospital laboratories of Hadassah as a clinician and researcher.
In 1964, following an invitation he recieved form professors Sheba, Stein and Wolman, Prof. Baritzhak came to establish the laboratories for eye pathology in Sheba Tel Hashomer Hospital.
In 1968, he also started to teach at Tel Aviv University as a senior lecturer in ophtalmology.
From 1974 to 1978, he was head of the Ophthalmology Department in the Sackler faculty of Medicine at Tel Aviv University.
During the years 1960 and 1980, he was sent by the Israeli medical authorities to actively train clinicians and establish appropriate medical departments in Gaza and Hebron areas.
In 1976, he was appointed as Head of the Eye Department of Asaf Harofe Hospital. Upon his arrival to this hospital, he opened an eye pathology section. He continued to manage this department until his retirement in 1989.
He was instrumental in the establishment of the eye medicine department in the veterinary school in Bet Dagan.
Upon his retirement in 1989, he went to California for a sabbatical and studied and researched eye diseases in animals.
During the years 1990 to 1994, he presided over the the animals ophthalmology department at the veterinary school in Beit Dagan. He continued to volunteer his time and knowledge for many more years after 1994.
Prof. Baritzhak was active in the research of eye medicine, helped University students with their theses and continued to publish articles until 2018, the year he passed away.
Prof Baritzhak was awarded the “Life Award” by the Union of Eye Doctors in Israel in 2015.
He was also merited with a “Special Award” for his contribution to the research and development of the eye medicine department by Tel Aviv University.
Works, publications:
Prof Baritzhak wrote numerous articles, books and sections of books describing the outcomes of his vast research.
Institutions established, supported:
Establishment of the eye pathology laboratory at Tel Hashomer Hospital.
Co-founder of the Eye Medicine department at the Veterinary School in Bet Dagan.
Co-founder of the eye medicine system and the first hospital for this purpose in the Gaza strip.
Outstanding and Permanent contribution /reasons for nomination:
Professor Baritzhak has been one of the pioneers in the establishment and research of “eye medicine” in Israel not only for human beings but for animals as well. His contributions to the hospitals he worked in and the academic research and development he conducted both in Tel Aviv and Hebrew Universities are of great value. He also represented Israel in conferences during his stays abroad, particularly in the USA.
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