Founded in 1934 as a small community hospital – open to all patients, regardless of race, religion, language, or ethnic background – Montreal’s Jewish General has grown to become an internationally recognized facility, and a major component of McGill University’s medical school.

This comprehensive account of an esteemed institution begins by outlining the historical connections between Judaism and medicine, and the establishment of Jewish hospitals throughout the Western world at the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries. Specifically Jewish hospitals originated in response to the prevalent anti-Semitism that made post-graduate training for Jewish physicians in hospitals nearly impossible and also due to the need for kosher facilities for patients. Doctor Frank Guttman, who trained at the Jewish General from 1959 to 1964 and joined its staff in 1965, provides a detailed account of the hospital’s history and its various directors, tracking the progress and medical breakthroughs of each department and presenting the exceptional clinicians and scientists who have made the hospital’s progress possible.

This book tells the story of Montreal’s Jewish General, from humble beginnings to a world-class university hospital, committed to service, teaching, research, and innovation.

Frank Myron Guttman is a retired professor of pediatric surgery and former chief of general pediatric surgery at the Montreal Children’s Hospital.

Frank Myron Guttman's profile page

Alexander Wright is a chief archivist in the British Columbia Public Service.

Alexander Wright's profile page