04/24/2025
From Hiding to Healing: Meet Prof. Rena Gill, Israel’s Most Veteran Physician and Holocaust Survivor
Today on Yom Hashoah we remember the horrors of the Holocaust — and honor those who rose from unimaginable darkness to rebuild lives of purpose and service to others.
Prof. Rena Gill, head of the Pediatric Respiratory Department at Herzog Medical Center, is one of those extraordinary individuals. Now over 90, she remains Israel’s most senior practicing physician, still overseeing the care of ventilated children and their families with deep compassion and dedication.
Born in Katowice, Poland in 1933, Rena spent 22 months in hiding with her mother, grandmother, and aunt during the Shoah. All the men in her family were murdered — except her father, who miraculously found them after the war. During those long, terrifying months in a dark attic, feeling invisible and forgotten, Rena made a promise to herself: if she survived, she’d become someone who could help others. She would become a doctor.
After immigrating to Israel as a teen, she started school in the fifth grade and — against all odds — became one of the first women to study medicine at Hebrew University. Despite immense barriers, she became a pioneer in neonatal intensive care and eventually found her professional home at Herzog, where she leads innovation in pediatric respiratory medicine.
“In truth, it was the mothers who saved us,” she recalls. “They did everything to hold on to life — to ensure their children would survive. In 1941, with Europe under occupation and no end in sight, these women somehow found the strength to keep going. They made sure we stayed engaged — to save us not only physically, but emotionally. That belief in life, in survival, gave them their strength. That’s real heroism. They kept the ember of life burning — and I strive to honor their legacy through my work.”
At Herzog, she ensures that children who are chronically ventilated — children who might otherwise be overlooked — receive not only top-tier medical care, but are treated with dignity and a lot of love.
“I don’t see prognosis,” she says. “I see a human being — someone who senses, who feels. Our staff of nurses and therapists work around the clock to make sure these children receive the best care and quality of life we can offer.”
She adds: “I never dreamed of healing the whole world. I just wanted to do good, after so much was taken.” Through decades of service, Prof. Gill has touched and uplifted countless lives — and continues to do so every day.
“I love what I do,” she says. “Why would I stay home or travel the world, when I can make a meaningful difference in someone’s life?”
Today, Herzog is also proud to serve Holocaust survivors through our mental health services and comprehensive geriatric rehabilitation programs.
We are deeply honored to have Prof. Gill on our team.
