Several medical professionals hoping to immigrate to Israel spoke with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News from the MedEx event in New Jersey, where Nefesh B’Nefesh works to help medical professionals move to Israel.
“There is every possible thing that could be done in order to be able to go to Israel,” says physical therapist Dr. Steven Marrowitz. “We're going hopefully in the next year. After everything that took place on October 7th, my wife and I decided right away that this is what we wanted to do and this is where we needed to be. We need to be in Israel. Everyone else should be joining us.”
He thanked Nefesh B’Nefesh for their help: “This process has been made so much easier. I couldn't imagine years ago how difficult it might have been to immigrate, but everyone's been very helpful and supportive.”
His wife added: “There's no comfort in New York, in America. The comfort is in Israel, even with a war, even with everything going on. We want to be there, with our Jewish brothers and sisters. It's not easy being Jewish here. The only comfort is to be with our Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel, supporting them, supporting IDF soldiers, supporting everybody in Israel. There's no comfort here anymore.”
Dr. Marrowitz said that the war has pushed them to move: “What happened on October 7th opened our eyes that the world is anti-Semitic, and we need to be in Israel, together, where we're supposed to be. That is our land and that's where we're going to be.”
Dr. Adam Bonder said that he too was inspired to move by the war. “After October 7th, I was inspired to move to Israel in order to help the people of Israel. I'm a trained emergency medicine physician and psychedelic physician, with the goal of helping cure the resultant PTSD that the Israeli people have experienced. I also want to bring my emergency medical expertise to the people of Israel to help improve their healthcare.”
Medical care is a family business for Dr. Bonder: “My wife is also a chief nursing officer, who also wants to bring her expertise to Israel to help improve their healthcare for all of Israel as well. She's also looking to hopefully help out with the Ministry of Defense.”
Dr. Bonder detailed why they were moving: “We were in Israel on Yom Ha’atzmaut last year and fell in love with Israel again. I think the opportunity to help our people is the reason why we're here, and the reason why we have the skill set that we do. It's our purpose in life. The opportunity to help the people of Israel is why we're here today.”
Dr. Marina Rubin, a pediatric emergency physician, had a similar revelation: “I came to the realization that I need to move now when I volunteered at Barzilai Hospital. I left my seven kids and my husband at home to be able to give to our people and our land as much as I could in my area of expertise, which is pediatric emergencies and ultrasound emergencies. That was an incredible experience that moved me to come and give everything now, as well as get my kids and my husband on board.”