Welcome to the
School of Occupational Therapy
of Hadassah and the
Hebrew University
Since the dawn of civilization, man has understood the importance of activity in maintaining health. The basic premise of the occupational therapy profession is based in this understanding – that meaningful occupation is essential to healing the mind, the body and the spirit. The School of Occupational Therapy of Hadassah and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has a history almost as long as the occupational therapy profession itself. Already in 1946, Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, realized the importance of introducing an occupational therapy program in Palestine. In 1947, only a short thirty years after the official establishment of the profession, the first occupational therapy course began in the Hadassah Nursing School on Mount Scopus, with 20 participants.
Our school has had a rich and rewarding history. The original course developed into the School of Occupational Therapy in 1964 and was recognized by the Israel Council for Higher Education as an academic school of the Hebrew University Medical Faculty in 1978. Since then, the School of Occupational Therapy of Hadassah and the Hebrew University has constantly been keeping up with international developments of the profession.
The last decade has seen an increased international awareness of the importance of function and self-fulfillment for every individual member of society. In recent years in Israel, the importance and appeal of occupational therapy has grown. Today, occupational therapy is one of the most highly demanded professions for entry-level studies in Israel – on average, only 5% of all applicants are accepted into the BOT program, ensuring that the School of Occupational Therapy of Hadassah and the Hebrew University educates some of the finest young professionals in the country. We are proud that every year we have students from all walks of life – Israelis, new immigrants, religious, secular, Jews, Christian Arabs and Muslim Arabs – being prepared to improve the quality of life for citizens throughout the country.
The School of Occupational Therapy of Hadassah and the Hebrew University is dedicated to promoting the quality of life of the individuals in our community by addressing their needs through our teaching curriculum and research efforts. In recent years we have introduced a number of ongoing, school-wide projects, with the involvement of undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty, focusing on research of issues of particular interest in Israeli society. The success of these and other projects, as well as the high research and academic standard of the School of Occupational Therapy of Hadassah and the Hebrew University has ensured its place in the forefront of the development of the profession in Israel. We are proud of our rich history and ongoing contributions and are sure that our school will continue to play a vital role for occupational therapy in Israel and around the world.