I have difficulty believing that we are just about done with our trip to Israel. The last 12 days have flown by in a blur. Today we began with a visit to the National Library of Israel which is on the campus of Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The National Library is equivalent to our Library of Congress. It is housed in a building that is clearly too small for the collection and the many scholars, librarians and visitors that come in each year. We spent the large part of our time in the archives and rare books section where we were treated to an up close view of a number of books that focused on the history of medicine including a first edition of the book written in 1543 by the Flemish anatomist Andreas Vesalius.
Our visit to the National Library was done too soon and we took the short walk to the Israel Museum. This is truly one of the most magnificent museums in the world that combine multiple worlds including art, culture and history. Spending 3.5 hours at the was far too short a time to take in everything from the Dead Sea Scrolls, the extensive archaeology section, sculpture throughout the exterior, Impressionist galleries, Jewish art and life and the Second Temple Model.
In mid afternoon, we met up with David Chinitz and walked to the Brookdale Institute for Applied Social Research. There, we were met by Dr. Bruce Rosen, Director of the Smokler Center for Health Policy Research. According to their website and verified by David Chinitz and others, "The main objective of the Smokler Center for Health Policy Research is to contribute to reforms and the development of Israel's national health services by offering objective data and independent analysis to improve the organization, delivery and financing of health services. In addition to hearing about the important work done by the Smokler Center, Dr. Rosen was particularly interested in hearing from our students about their impressions of Israel's health care delivery system. Wanting to hear from our students was so gratifying to me as I listened to what they shared with some of the leading figures in health services research in Israel.
Leaving the Brookdale Institute, we had come to the end of our formal academic segment of the trip. One more day on Friday and then it is time to depart.