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Spine surgeon Dr. Maria Auron was born and raised in Finland, a country roughly 16 times larger than Israel with a population of 5.5 million, about half of Israel’s.
Four years ago, she left Helsinki's small Jewish community and made aliyah with her 4-year-old daughter.
As part of Dr. Auron’s residency in orthopedics at Helsinki University Central Hospital, she completed a short fellowship at the Hadassah Medical Organization. "It’s the single event that defined my future life and career,” she said.
Dr. Auron wanted to visit Israel but had had no professional connection to the country. She contacted a few Israeli hospitals, "and Hadassah immediately responded positively about an observership, a short fellowship in the orthopedic unit," she said.
The Orthopedic Trauma Unit at Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, where she arrived, "had a good name around the world, and I had already heard of it."
"During the fellowship, I was exposed to the spine unit and got the chance to participate in surgeries. I felt connected to the hospital and felt highly motivated to continue with spine surgery," she said.
"The first visit made the possibility of making aliyah concrete,” Dr. Auron continued. “I was really impressed with the work culture in Israel, the communicative and proactive culture, the innovative thinking and the dynamic environment. It gave me the spark needed to continue."
On that first visit, Dr. Auron also felt a strong connection to Israel and her Jewish heritage.
Years later, contemplating where to raise her daughter and thinking back to her positive experience at Hadassah Ein Kerem, she was drawn back to Jerusalem.
"My daughter has become very Israeli. She has integrated very well and learned the language very fast. She's thriving here and has friends. She's very happy, and I'm very happy I made the decision," she said.
Before she arrived, Dr. Auron knew only a few phrases and the Aleph Bet (Hebrew alphabet). Hebrew would be her fourth language, after Finnish, Swedish and English. “From the beginning, I was very decisive that this was the right choice for me, so I put a lot of effort into studying the language and integrating. I received a lot of support from the spine unit.”
“I'm very grateful for the opportunity that Hadassah and Israel have given me as a new immigrant. It’s very important to me now to be able to contribute to the country.”
In the Swords of Iron, the unit cared for many soldiers who sustained war-related injuries. "It's very emotional, challenging and meaningful for me,” she said.
"We deal with very complex conditions that affect the patient's life in a very dramatic way. We make the difference between losing the ability to walk and living an independent life. We work with a full range of patients — from newborns to adults.”
Both of Dr. Auron’s parents are gynecologists, and becoming a physician and a surgeon “was a natural choice.”
Recently, she completed a sub-specialization in minimally invasive spine surgery at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital in Korea, a leading country in the field of spinal endoscopy.
When she isn’t working, Dr. Auron enjoys spending quality time with her daughter and exploring nature. She loves the Jerusalem winter. "It's something most people wouldn’t say, right? But compared to the long, freezing, snowy and dark winters of Finland, winter in Jerusalem is all pleasure.”
