Chaim Yassky (; November 23, 1896 – April 13, 1948) was a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and medical administrator in

Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...

. He was killed in the Arab attack on a medical convoy bringing supplies to Hadassah Hospital on

Mount Scopus Mount Scopus ( ', "Mount of the Watchmen/ Sentinels"; ', lit. "Mount Lookout", or ' "Mount of the Scene/Burial Site", or "Mount Syenite") is a mountain (elevation: above sea level) in northeast Jerusalem. Between the 1948 Arab–Israeli ...

Biography

Yassky was born in Kishinev,

Imperial Russia Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor/empress, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * ...

, in 1896. While studying medicine at the University of

Odessa ODESSA is an American codename (from the German language, German: ''Organisation der ehemaligen SS-Angehörigen'', meaning: Organization of Former SS Members) coined in 1946 to cover Ratlines (World War II aftermath), Nazi underground escape-pl ...

, he became active in the

Zionist Zionism is an Ethnic nationalism, ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in History of Europe#From revolution to imperialism (1789–1914), Europe in the late 19th century that aimed to establish and maintain a national home for the ...

movement.''Physicians, Forerunners of Modern Israel'', David Margalith, Jerusalem Academy of Medicine, Tel Aviv 1973, p.75 Before

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

he took part in Jewish self-defense against pogromists in Odessa. In 1917, after the Russian revolution, he co-founded the Russian Maccabee Society, a Zionist youth organization. After World War I, he worked in a Military Hospital in Odessa, before leaving for the British Mandate of Palestine. In 1920, Yassky immigrated with his wife Fanny, (maiden name Gorodetsky) whom he married in Odessa, to

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

, where he was appointed district physician of

Haifa Haifa ( ; , ; ) is the List of cities in Israel, third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropolitan area i ...

. In 1921, he received a medical degree from Geneva University in Switzerland, after specializing in ophthalmology and in 1927, was appointed acting head of the eye department of the Rothschild-Hadassah Hospital. As an

ophthalmologist Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...

, he initiated programs to eradicate

trachoma Trachoma is an infectious disease caused by bacterium '' Chlamydia trachomatis''. The infection causes a roughening of the inner surface of the eyelids. This roughening can lead to pain in the eyes, breakdown of the outer surface or cornea ...

. In 1931, Yassky became director of the Hadassah Medical Organization. He was one of the driving spirits behind the establishment of the Rothschild-Hadassah University Hospital on

, which was opened in 1939. At the start of World War II, Hadassah formed an emergency committee to administer a health program and to cooperate with the allied medical corps of which Dr. Yassky was a committee-member. After the cessation of hostilities, he helped to plan the group's health work.''The New York Times'', April 14, 1948 Yassky was killed in the

Hadassah medical convoy massacre The Hadassah convoy massacre took place on April 13, 1948, when a convoy, escorted by Haganah militia, bringing medical and military supplies and personnel to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus, Jerusalem, was ambushed by Arab forces. Seventy-e ...

on April 13, 1948, during the

1948 Arab-Israeli war Events January * January 1 ** The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) is inaugurated. ** The current Constitutions of Constitution of Italy, Italy and of Constitution of New Jersey, New Jersey (both later subject to amendment) ...

, approximately one month before

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

declaration of independence A declaration of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another state or failed state, or are breaka ...

. A bullet went through his liver and he exsanguinated in about ten minutes.

References

Bibliography

*Cornay, Joan (2001). ''Who's Who in Jewish History''. London: Routledge.

External links

Guide to the Hadassah Archives on Long-term Deposit
at the

American Jewish Historical Society The American Jewish Historical Society (AJHS) was founded in 1892 with the mission to foster awareness and appreciation of American Jewish history and to serve as a national scholarly resource for research through the collection, preservation an ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yassky, Chaim 1896 births 1948 deaths Russian Jews Immigrants to Mandatory Palestine Jews from Mandatory Palestine Israeli ophthalmologists Israeli military doctors Israeli military personnel killed in the 1948 Arab–Israeli War People from Chișinău Odesa University alumni Russian Zionists Deaths by firearm in Mandatory Palestine