As it does each year, the 2014-2015 IMPH course closed with an inspiring, emotional and festive Graduation Ceremony, as the class celebrated the 40th anniversary of the program.
The ceremony was held on September 9, 2015, at the Botnar Auditorium on the Ein Kerem campus and chaired by Prof. Ora Paltiel, IMPH Program Director.
Greetings were given by Hebrew University Rector
Professor Asher Cohen, Prof. David Lichtstein, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Prof. Yehuda Neumark, Braun School Director, Prof. Yoram Weiss, Director of the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital, and Ambassador Mattanya Cohen, Director of MASHAV's Training Department, Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hadassah President, Mrs. Marcie Natan sent a videoed message to the class.
IMPH class representatives, Majd Zerifeh (East Jerusalem) and Dr. Charles Okidi (Uganda), summed up the year from the students' perspective.
The keynote speaker was Prof. Alex Brown, Director of School of Population Health University of South Australia, and an IMPH alumnus from 1999. Alex gave a moving and inspiring lecture “Bringing the Fringes to the Centre-Public Health at the Margins of Society”. Alex also met with faculty and students during his three day visit and presented a seminar on "Overcoming Cardiovascular Inequalities in Aboriginal Australians".
We were fortunate to have representatives of all our sponsors and donors present at the Graduation Ceremony.
The entire IMPH class sang the song "Yachad Lev el Lev" (Together, Heart to Heart) in Hebrew, and also wowed the audience with traditional dances from each of their countries. They also prepared an entertaining film highlighting their teachers and experiences in the IMPH.
