Jewish Doctor

Why do so many Jews, out of proportion to their numbers in the general population, become physicians? In this well-researched study, Nevins answers that question by positing a definite connection between Judaism and medicine, contending first of all that Judaism itself has always been concerned with health. Both the Hebrew Bible and the Talmud are replete with maxims related to the subject, some anachronistic, some timeless; and many early Jewish physicians, such as Moses Maimonides, were also rabbis. In what is really a series of interlocking essays, Nevins chronicles the history of the Jewish doctor by studying the lives of individual physicians, each in his or her own time. In doing so, he puts Jewish doctors in historical context (there were times when they were valued highly and other times when Jews were forbidden to study or practice the profession). Conversely, as Nevins demonstrates, Jewish doctors have also heavily influenced history, most significantly through their scientific contributions to the field. The result is an intriguing analysis of a very interesting topic. (Apr.)