Since the dawn of civilization, man has understood the importance of physical activity in maintaining his health. The basic premise of the occupational therapy profession is based on this understanding - that meaningful occupation is essential to healing the mind, body and spirit.
The Hebrew University - Hadassah School of Occupational Therapy has a history almost as long as the profession itself. Already in 1946, Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America, recognized the importance of introducing an occupational therapy program in Palestine.
In 1947, a mere thirty years after official recognition of the profession, the first occupational therapy course was established in the Hadassah Nursing School on Mount Scopus, with a class of 20 participants. Our school has had a rich history. The original course offered by the School of Nursing evolved 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 Hebrew University - Hadassah School of Occupational Therapy teaches and applies the latest 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 educates the finest young professionals in the country.
We are proud of the fact that our school has students from all walks of life - Israelis, new immigrants, religious, secular, Jews, Christian Arabs and Muslim Arabs - all of whom are being taught how to improve the quality of life for citizens throughout the country.
The School of Occupational Therapy 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 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.
Senior Teaching Staff
Dr. Maeir Adina - Director, School of Occupational Therapy and Chairman of the Advanced Studies
Dr. Bar-Ilan Traub Ruth Tamar
Dr. Karsenty Tal
Dr. Langer Danit
Prof. Weintraub Naomi
Dr. Yochman Aviva
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