Prof. Avi Rivkind recognized for work in founding network of trauma centers that boosted national resilience against attack.
At a special ceremony celebrating Israel’s 78th birthday, the Government of Israel conferred its highest civilian honor on Prof. Avraham “Avi” Rivkind, MD, an internationally known pioneer in the field of trauma medicine and director of the trauma unit and the department of general surgery at the Hadassah Medical Organization.
Prof. Rivkind was awarded the 2026 Israel Prize for Lifetime Achievement for his transformative work, beginning in 1992 with the establishment of Israel’s first trauma unit at Hadassah Hospital-Ein Kerem. The Hadassah facility became the model for similar specialist units throughout the country, putting in place the expertise and capabilities that prepare Israel to withstand the events of the past few years.
The Prize Committee described Dr. Rivkind as “a pioneer in developing new medical approaches and tools for saving lives that have become an integral part of the State of Israel’s reality.” The Committee noted the comprehensive life-saving system Dr. Rivkind created for treating trauma victims both in the field and in hospitals and which has served as a model in Israel and abroad, and the generations of doctors, medics and students whom he has trained.
The international community as well as Israel has called on Dr. Rivkind’s expertise over the years. Those he has treated include victims of the Buenos Aires Jewish community center bombing in 1994, the blizzard and avalanches in Nepal’s Annapurna and Dhaulagiri regions in 2014, the tsunami in Sri Lanka in 2004 and the terror attacks in Kenya in 2002.
Said Yoram Weiss, MD, Director General of the Hadassah Medical Organization, “Avi Rivkind’s vision and dedication transformed trauma care in Israel. His leadership has saved countless lives at home and abroad and set an international standard for emergency medicine.”
Reflecting on his work in a speech at the prize ceremony, Prof. Rivkind said: “Over the years, trauma centers in Israel have become strongholds of hope. The wounded arrive at their most difficult moments and leave with a chance and renewed hope for life.”
Avi Rivkind began his professional life after graduating from the Hadassah-Hebrew University School of Medicine in 1973. He did his residency in general surgery at the Hadassah Medical Organization under Natan Zalts, MD, also an Israel Prize recipient, and Arie Durst, MD, who established Israel’s first transplant unit at Hadassah.