Dinner – Jewish medical association

Annual Dinner | Professor Sir Simon Schama

The Annual Dinner took place on Monday 4th September 2023.

The Guest Speaker was Professor Sir Simon Schama

In his introduction to Sir Simon’s talk Prof Ian Goodman noted Sir Simon’s past historical contributions, and how this had translated into his most recent book on a medical theme. In his talk Sir Simon illustrated the key feature of his new book, “Foreign Bodies”. He said that humanity is vulnerable, and has been caught out previously – before Covid 19 – between the terror of contagion and the ingenuity of science. His book was set in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, when people were desperate for vaccines but fearful of what inoculation may bring. The unsung hero, Waldemar Haffkine, a Jewish student from Odessa who became a microbiologist at the Pasteur Institute, was hailed in England at the 1899 Maccabean Dinner as “the saviour of Mankind” for vaccinating millions against cholera and bubonic plague in British India. He was cold-shouldered by the medical establishment but created the world’s first mass production line of vaccines in Mumbai. Tragically he was brought down in an act of shocking injustice. He said that as we face the challenges of our times together, “there are no foreigners, only familiars”. Human achievement has been circumscribed by what we have done to nature and what it has done to us. Prof Maralyn Druce proposed a vote of thanks to Sir Simon for his thought-provoking and inspiring talk.

Professor Sir Simon Schama, University Professor of Art History and History, was educated at Christ’s College, Cambridge and taught at Cambridge, Oxford, and Harvard before coming to Columbia in 1993.

His courses have addressed the British Empire, English and French art and politics, the Gothic Revival in England, Ruskin, and Victorian culture. Publications include: A History of Britain (3 vols., 2000-2002); Patriots and Liberators (1977); The Embarrassment of Riches (1987); Citizens (1989); Dead Certainties: Unwarranted Speculations (1991); Landscape and Memory (1995); Rembrandt’s Eyes (1999); Hang-Ups: Essays on Painting (Mostly) (2004); and Rough Crossings: Britain, the Slaves and the American Revolution (2006), which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for non-fiction in 2007.

His award-winning 15-part television series, “A History of Britain,” was broadcast on the BBC and the History Channel from 2000 to 2002, and a new series, “The Power of Art,” on PBS and BBC in 2006 and 2007. He served as Vice President of PEN American Center from 1994 to 1996, and from 1995 to 1998 he was art critic of The New Yorker magazine, for which he continues to write.

In 2019 he was knighted for services to history. Throughout his distinguished career Prof Schama has contributed significantly to Jewish history. One of his first books was about Two Rothschilds and the Land of Israel (1978). Two major volumes about the History of the Jews (1000 BCE – 1492 and 1492 – 1900) and the BBC television series “The Story of the Jews” have appeared since 2000. His most recent book is on the highly topical subject of “Foreign Bodies: Pandemics, Vaccines and the Health of Nations “ (2023) which brings together aspects of medical, cultural, British and Jewish history.

Annual Dinner 2019

The annual dinner took place on Monday 1^stApril 2019. Prof Sir Simon Wessely was the guest speaker.

The dinner was chaired by the London President, Prof Liz Lightstone, who introduced the speakers. Over 150 doctors and medical students were present.

The opening blessing was made by Eli Goldin. The loyal toasts were proposed by medical student leaders Daniel Gutmann and Sophia Fabianne Viner. The toast to the Association was proposed by Dr Yehudit Harris

In his response Prof Katz thanked Dr Harris, and also expressed his appreciation to the many Association members who had contributed to furthering our charitable aims during the past year. He welcomed especially the Israeli Ambassador, Mark Regev, who had flown in from Israel the same morning, and Profs Clarfield and Paltiel who had contributed much to the Association’s activities while on their London sabbatical. He noted that the brochure included not only details of events, but also insightful and informative elective reports, and news about future events including the Health Policy and Cardiovascular meetings to be held in Israel. He introduced the Treasurer, Dr Mervyn Jaswon, who made a presentation to Dr Jeanne Katz as a token of acknowledgement of her huge background support to the Executive Chair and hence to the Association.

In her introduction to the guest speaker Prof Lightstone noted Sir Simon’s outstanding achievements in many different fields, dating back to his undergraduate career, and continuing today in his important role in review of mental capacity.

Sir Simon reflected on his experience in sorting out fact from mythology in management of conditions such as post traumatic stress disorder. He used examples from military medicine to illustrate that interventions may not always be as effective as we think they are. Overall doctors need to have an open mind and to consider the evidence carefully in order retain our credibility.

Dr Abigail Swerdlow proposed a vote of thanks to Sir Simon, noting that he had engaged with his audience and had educated and informed in an outstanding and memorable fashion.

Grace after meals was led by Dr Ian Goodman, and was followed by a desert buffet.

Annual Dinner 2018

The annual dinner took place on Thursday 15^th March 2018 at St John’s Wood Synagogue Hall, 37-41 Grove End Rd. Baroness Deech was the main speaker.

The dinner was chaired by the London President, Prof Gideon Lack, who introduced the speakers. Over 130 doctors and medical students were present.

The opening blessing was made by Dr Stephen Herman. The loyal toasts were proposed by medical student leaders Jemma Barash and Fabianne Viner. he toast to the Association was proposed by Dr Tammy Rothenberg.

In his response Prof Katz thanked Dr Rothenberg on behalf of the Association not only for her toast but also for her contribution to it’s activities during the past year, in particular in relationship to the immunisation initiative. He introduced the Treasurer, Dr Mervyn Jaswon, who made a presentation to Dr Lionel Balfour – Lynn as a token of acknowledgement of contribution to the Association, in particular in relationship to the student elective scheme.

Prof Katz emphasized the role of the Association as a link communication organization between different aspects of medicine. The immunisation meeting was illustrative – an important aspect of public health in general, a field where there are known Jewish principles relating to preventive medicine, a Jewish local underprivileged population affected, and Jewish doctors taking an initiative to tackle the issue and then working with local authorities to ensure that it is tackled.

Prof Katz noted that cross generational links between trainees and more senior doctors were another important aspect, and it was pleasing to have many trainees present. Similar connectivity and cross-communication between British and Israeli medicine was exemplified by Prof Stephen Brecker’s work in organizing the forthcoming Anglo-Israel Cardiovascular Meeting which will take place in April 2018. He commended the medical student elective reports which were included in the brochure, noting that these included several from Israel, as well as participation in Global Health programmes, where a new UK-Israel scheme in Uganda has been proposed.

In his introduction to the guest speaker Prof Lack paid tribute to Baroness Deech’s contribution, both to wider British society and to the Jewish community.

In her address, which she entitled “Telling it like it is”, Baroness Deech said that she had made a contribution to medicine via the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Authority, including the recognition of stem cell research, but that the wider more general role of defending an open and honest society was itself very important for doctors. Freedom of the press was a critical element, and needed to be used effectively. She noted that her late father had devoted much time to speaking and writing about Zionist affairs, and now she found herself in the situation of having to do the same. It was very disturbing that misinformation about Israel in particular is constantly appearing in the public domain and going unchallenged. She regarded combatting this as a major priority which is not as widely recognized as it should be by colleagues.

Dr Abigail Swerdlow proposed a vote of thanks to Baroness Deech, noting that she was the first woman who had been invited to speak at the dinner since 2009. She said that Baroness Deech had been a role model in many respects. She had illustrated this in her talk with her reflective insights about defending freedom and fair play as a member of the House of Lords, where we are indebted to Baroness Deech for the way that she is resolute in making sure that a balanced voice about Jewish and Israeli issues continues to be heard.

Grace after meals was led by Dr Jonathan Cohen, and was followed by a desert buffet.

Annual Dinner 2017

The annual dinner took place on Tuesday 23rd March 2017 at St John’s Wood Synagogue Hall, 37-41 Grove End Rd. Lord Turnberg was the main speaker at this event.

The dinner was chaired by the London President, Miss Jo Franks, who introduced the speakers and who succeeded skillfully in making sure that the proceedings ran smoothly.

Over 150 doctors and medical students were present.

At the start of the evening a minute of silence was observed for those killed the previous day on Westminster Bridge and outside the Houses of Parliament. It was noted that Lord Turnberg had been in Parliament at the time and had not been allowed to leave; and that Dr Sebastian Vandermolen (a junior doctor present at the dinner) had been one of the St Thomas’s doctors who had gone on to the bridge to tend to the injured.

The loyal toasts were proposed by medical student leaders Jessica Franklin and Avi Korman.

The toast to the Association was proposed by Dr Abigail Swerdlow, junior doctor trainee in psychiatry, who reflected on the activities during the past year..

In his response Prof Katz thanked her on behalf of the Association not only for her toast but also for her contribution to all aspects of junior doctor activities, including the dinner. He highlighted that several junior doctors had contributed to the Association’s programme, during the past year, citing Dr Noam Roth and Dr Adam Levine, who had participated in recent meetings, and Dr Brett Bernstein who had reported on the Anglo-Israel Cardiovascular Meeting. He commended the medical student elective reports which were included in the brochure, and reflected that the Association is the sum of its members.

In her introduction to the guest speaker Ms Franks reminded those present about Lord Turnberg’s contribution to British medicine, and congratulated him on his recent birthday for which a celebratory cake had been included in the desserts.

In his address Lord Turnberg outlined the main features of his recent studies about the Balfour Declaration, which will be published shortly. He noted that the origins of British support for Jewish settlement in today’s Israel dated back to well before the time of Balfour, as evidenced by Lord Shaftesbury’s campaign for the “restoration of the Holy Land to the Jews”. He summarized Balfour’s early career, how he had been influenced by Joseph Chamberlain, and how the role he played in 1917 had to be seen in parallel with the Sykes-Picot agreement which was at that time still secret. He emphasized that although the Balfour Declaration was an important document of principle, the real legal substance of British involvement in the Zionist endeavor emerged from the San Remo Conference in 1920.

Dr Michael Fertleman introduced his remarks by quoting from one of Lord Turnberg’s prescient reports: “We found a health service under pressure. Services across the whole spectrum of care, from those in the community and primary care to those in hospitals, were sorely stretched. Although the impact of these pressures was most keenly felt in the care of elderly people and those with mental illness, others were not immune from the failures to meet an acceptable standard of service . . .Furthermore, there is evidence to suggest that the pressures are increasing.” Dr Fertleman noted that this item was reported in Parliament in 1999, and that by a quirk of fate the next speaker was a Dr Tonge….He concluded that all present were grateful not only for Lord Turnberg’s talk but also for his eloquent and passionate commitment to Israel.

Annual Dinner 2016

The Annual Dinner took place on Tuesday 5^th April 2016.

The guest speaker was Lord Finkelstein of Pinner

-10Daniel Finkelstein, OBE, is the Associate Editor, a Columnist and Leader Writer for The Times newspaper. He sits in the House of Lords as Lord Finkelstein of Pinner.

In the Times, as well as his weekly political column in the comment section and his Saturday Notebook, Lord Finkelstein writes the “Fink Tank” for the Saturday paper, and a statistical column on football. He also writes a regular column in the Jewish Chronicle.

Lord Finkelstein is the son of the late Prof Ludwig Finkelstein, who was born in Lviv (then in Poland), and became Professor of Measurement and Instrumentation at City University London. His mother is a Holocaust survivor. He is the grandson of Dr. Alfred Wiener, the Jewish activist and founder of the Wiener Library. He was educated at University College School, the London School of Economics and City University.

Lord Finkelstein played an important role in two respected think tanks: he was formerly Director of the Social Market Foundation and from 2011-4 was Chairman of the Trustees of the Policy Exchange. Between 1995 and 1997, he was Director of the Conservative Research Department in which capacity he advised Prime Minister John Major and attended meetings of the Cabinet when it sat in political session. Between 1997 and 2001, he was chief policy adviser to the Leader of the Opposition Rt. Hon. William Hague MP and Secretary to the Shadow Cabinet. In 2001, he was Conservative parliamentary candidate in Harrow West.

Lord Finkelstein is married with three sons, Aron, Isaac and Samuel. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science by the City University in 2011. He was elevated to the House of Lords as a life peer in 2013.

In his address at the dinner Lord Finkelstein described how his career had evolved, and looked at it through the different perspectives, perceptions and misperceptions that the public has about political life. He analysed the political and media processes critically, explaining how the way we behave when confronted with alternatives can often appear paradoxical.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Simon Woldman.

Annual Dinner 2015

Prof Mark Clarfield was brought up and educated in Toronto, receiving his MD from the University of Toronto in 1975. He specialised first in Family Medicine, then Community Medicine and Public Health and finally in Geriatrics. Together with his wife, Dr. Ora Paltiel, also a physician (haematology and clinical epidemiology), he moved to Montreal, where he was with the Faculty of Medicine at McGill University from 1978 -1992.

During that period, Clarfield was Chief of Geriatrics at the Sir Mortimer B. Davis – Jewish General Hospital as well as head of the McGill University Division of Geriatric Medicine. He was the Assistant Dean of Students at the Faculty from 1989-92 and reached the rank of Professor. He maintains an adjunct status at McGill University.

In 1992 the Clarfield family he moved to Israel. From 1994-2001 Mark was Head of the Division of Geriatrics at the Ministry of Health in Jerusalem. He was appointed Head of Geriatrics at the Soroka Hospital (a 1,100 bed acute care institution) and the Sidonie Hecht Professor at Ben-Gurion University (BGU) in Beersheva where he now works. In 2009 he was appointed head of BGU’s Medical School for International Health. He is the medical consultant to Eshel, the Association for the Development of Services for the Elderly, in Jerusalem. Prof Clarfield’s research interests include Alzheimer’s Disease and the related dementias, the organization of health care services, medical history and ethics. He also publishes medical humour, book reviews and miscellaneous pieces in various newspapers. Described as a “journalistic nudnik” he has published many letters to the editor in publications around the world, and wrote a blog about his experiences as a physician in Beersheva during times of war.

Prof Clarfield enjoys performing folk music with his band, “The Unstrung Heroes”.

Annual Dinner 2014

Mike Stratton is Director of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. He qualified in medicine at Oxford University and Guy’s Hospital, trained as a histopathologist and obtained a PhD in the molecular biology of cancer at the Institute of Cancer Research, London.

His primary research interests have been in the genetics of cancer. His early research focused on inherited susceptibility. He mapped and identified the major high risk breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA2 and subsequently other cancer susceptibility genes.

In 2000 he initiated the Cancer Genome Project at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute which conducts systematic genome-wide searches for somatic mutations in human cancer. Through these studies he discovered somatic mutations of the BRAF gene in malignant melanoma and several other mutated cancer genes in breast, lung, renal, bone, myeloid and other cancers. He has described the basic patterns of somatic mutation in cancer genomes revealing underlying DNA mutational and repair processes.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) and was knighted in the 2013 Queen’s birthday honours.

In his talk Prof Stratton reflected on the three last three decades of genetic research: from 1990-2000 was the period of the Human Genome Project; from 2001-10 was the period when disease association linkages were identified; and since 2011 we have entered the period when costs of genome sequencing are falling to such an extent that personal sequences are becoming more easily available, which poses interesting ethical problems, but also offers opportunities for more focussed treatment options. The vote of thanks to Prof Stratton was proposed by Dr Jo Franks, and the toast to the Association was proposed by Dr Nicola Rosenfelder.

Annual Dinner 2013

With over two decades of experience in Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, His.Excellency. Daniel Taub has played a key role in a wide range of diplomatic, legal and political arenas.

As Principal Deputy Legal Adviser of Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Taub served as legal adviser to Israel’s missions to the United Nations in New York and Geneva, and represented Israel in many multilateral fora.

Ambassador Taub was extensively involved in the Israeli- Palestinian peace process, helping negotiate most of the agreements reached between the two sides, and heading the Israeli side of the Culture of Peace track of negotiations. He was also an active member of Israel’s negotiation team in the Israel-Syrian negotiations.

Ambassador Taub is a much sought after lecturer on Middle Eastern issues, international law and negotiation theory. He is frequently invited to appear on television and radio, and lectures widely in universities and policy institutes in Israel and abroad. Within Israel’s foreign ministry he developed and taught training programs for Israeli diplomats in negotiation strategies and communications skills.

In his army service, Ambassador Taub served as a combat medic and as a reserve officer in the IDF’s international law division.

Ambassador Taub holds degrees from the universities of Oxford (University College), London (University College), and Harvard (Kennedy School of Government).

Together with his wife Zehava, he has six children: Yehuda, Tsofia, Aaron, Reuven, Asher and Amichai.

In his address at the dinner Ambassador Taub noted that he had served briefly as a combat medic in the Israel Defence Forces. He referred to the Israeli Army oath which required medics to treat all injured on the battlefield – from both sides – which was a clear reflection of a higher value which the Army has to respect and implement. Later in his career he had participated in the negotiations for the recognition of Magen David Adom by the International Red Cross.

With regard to legal issues, he discussed how he had had to give advice about aspects of warfare, and in particular about ethical dimensions of what is and is not lawful. He observed that the concept of a United Nations may have been wonderful at the outset but that it has become an organisation which is defined by the ability to remain silent in so many instances. The behaviour of the UN in relationship to Gaza was a striking example of dysfunction.

Reflecting on Israeli medicine today, he said that the Israeli hospital ward is a force for unity, demonstrating how multiple nationalities can live together harmoniously. Despite this, Israel faces challenges not only militarily but also in terms of legitimacy, and today some of these challenges are emanating from universities and hospitals in the UK, which harms relationships. Responses need to be immediate – do not let false accusation go unanswered – but the deeper response is also very important, which has to include the promotion of enduring medical and academic links between the countries.

Annual Dinner 2012

Professor Sir Mark Pepys Kt MA MD PhD FRCP FRCPath FRS FMedSci

Professor Sir Mark Pepys headed the Division of Medicine at the Royal Free Campus of University College London from 1999-2011. After studying at Trinity College Cambridge, UCHMS, Harvard and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, he was elected Fellow of Trinity (1973) and then directed the RPMS Immunological Medicine Unit from 1977-1999. In 1999 he established the UK NHS National Amyloidosis Centre and in 2011 founded the UCL Wolfson Drug Discovery Unit. His work on blood proteins has had far reaching scientific and clinical impacts, identifying novel therapeutic targets and designing drugs with potential applications in amyloidosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases. Two projects are currently in development with GlaxoSmithKline, another is supported by the first MRC Developmental Clinical Studies award. Recognition includes the Royal College of Physicians Goulstonian (1982) and Lumleian (1998) Lectureships, the Moxon Trust Medal for Clinical Research (1999), and Harveian Oratorship (2007); Royal College of Surgeons Sims Professorship (1991) and Royal College of Pathologists Kohn Lecturership (1991). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society and Founder Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, and was lately a Council member of both academies. He received the Royal Society GlaxoSmithKline Prize for biomedicine in 2007 and the Ernst Chain Prize for medical discovery in 2008. He has won £12 million of new research funding from the UK Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust since 2007. In 2008 he raised £6.5 million to renovate the extended Royal Free Division of Medicine, opened in 2011 by HRH The Princess Royal. He was made Knight Bachelor for services to biomedicine in the 2012 New Year Honours

Annual Dinner 2011

Professor Sir Michael G. Marmot MBBS, MPH, PhD, FRCP, FFPHM, FMedSci, FBA

Director: International Institute for Society and Health;

MRC Research Professor of Epidemiology and Public Health,

University College London

The 2011 Annual Dinner was attended by 180 members, including 60 medical students, and was adjudged a great success, with positive feedback from many of those who were present. The guest speaker, Prof Sir Michael Marmot, gave an entertaining and at the same time thoughtful talk, explaining how his identity as a Jewish physician interdigitated with his interest in health inequalities, and how these should be tackled as a priority by the medical profession.

Michael Marmot has led a research group on health inequalities for the past 30 years.

His many professional activities include:

Acting as Principal Investigator for the Whitehall Studies of British civil servants, investigating explanations for the striking inverse social gradient in morbidity and mortality.

Leading the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA)

Engaging in several international research efforts on the social determinants of health.

Chairing the Department of Health Scientific Reference Group on tackling health inequalities.

Serving on the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution

Chairing the Commission on Social Determinants of Health set up by the World Health Organization in 2005: ‘Closing the Gap in a Generation’.

He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and an Honorary Fellow of the British Academy. In 2000 he was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen for services to epidemiology and understanding health inequalities.

Internationally he was a Vice President of the Academia Europaea, and is a Foreign Associate Member of the Institute of Medicine.

Prizes and awards include the Balzan Prize for Epidemiology (2004) and the William B. Graham Prize for Health Services Research (2008). He delivered the Harveian Oration in 2006.

Most recently, at the request of the British Government, he conducted a review of health inequalities, which published its report ‘Fair Society, Healthy Lives’ in February 2010

He has now been invited by the Regional Director of WHO Europe to conduct a European review of health inequalities.

Currently he is the President of the British Medical Association (BMA) and represents the BMA on the World Medical Association.