From Ultra-Orthodox to a Career in Medicine at Rambam

 Once a teenage girl navigating the ultra-Orthodox streets of Bnei Brak, Dr. Tovi now walks the halls of Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam). Her journey of stepping beyond her upbringing to graduate at the top of her class is a testament to resilience, purpose, and belief in something bigger.

This week, Rambam proudly welcomes a new internal medicine resident whose journey to medicine is anything but ordinary.

Photo: Dr. Tovi - Photography: Rambam HCC

Dr. Tovi grew up in Bnei Brak, one of Israel’s most traditional ultra-Orthodox cities, where young women typically follow a very different path. From a young age, Tovi was raised in a world with clearly defined roles and expectations, and becoming a physician was not one of them.

When she was just 15 years old, everything changed. Tovi arrived alone, afraid and unsure, at the emergency room seeking medical attention. The physician who treated her did not just administer care, she looked Tovi in the eye and “saw” her. That moment of compassion, of being seen and not judged, stayed with her.

By 18, Tovi made the decision to leave the world where she was raised, and she stepped into a life that was entirely unfamiliar. Without a formal high school diploma or traditional support system, she completed her matriculation exams through a pre-academic program, volunteered for national service, completed the rigorous psychometric exams, and earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience. Eventually, she was accepted to the Faculty of Medicine at Bar-Ilan University’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, and this week, she graduated with highest honors.

Now married and a mother to a young son, Tovi will begin her residency at Rambam. Her story is a powerful reminder of the strength it takes to leave behind what is known, in pursuit of what is right for yourself and for the future.

Dr. Tovi represents more than personal resilience. She embodies a growing movement in Israeli society: one that embraces diversity in medicine, welcomes those from all backgrounds—a value that Rambam proudly embraces.

In her own words: “Living the dream—that’s the real and most rewarding job there is.”