Physicians in the young state of Israel: "putting Jewish migration into its historic perspective".

Abstract

The Jewish population in Israel during the 1950s was very heterogeneous. This was true also regarding genetic diseases that were common only among certain ethnic communities. Physicians who conducted research on those diseases, as well as on frequencies of blood groups, used them also as markers that enhabled the study of historical processes. Presented in this article is the work of three well-known Israeli physicians, on the genetics of Jewish ethnic communities (Edot): Chaim Sheba, Joseph Gurevitch and Harry Heller. The aim is to show that ideology motivation greatly influenced the nature of their research.