Malben: Institutional Care and Rehabilitation of  the Hard Core Immigrants

This book traces the history of Malben, a health and social organization originally founded as a temporary emergency relief agency but active for 25 years, leaving a lasting mark on Israel’s health and welfare systems. Malben directly provided care to roughly 100,000 immigrants, funded treatment and rehabilitation for hundreds of thousands more, and established long-term care structures and professional training programs.
Based on comprehensive research—including documents from the JDC archives, contemporary press articles, additional sources, and interviews with key figures, the book examines Malben’s wide-ranging activities. These include care for tuberculosis patients, the elderly, psychiatric patients, the blind, and exceptional children, as well as social rehabilitation and community integration programs.
The book also features 38 historical photographs, offering a visual record of early Israeli society, institutional life, and Malben’s operations. These images enhance the narrative, providing both historical depth and empathetic insight. Clear writing and meticulous production make the book accessible to specialists and general readers alike.

Dr. Pnina Romem immigrated from Uruguay in 1957. She worked for 20 years in clinical settings, most recently as head nurse in a psychiatric ward at Tel Hashomer Hospital. She holds a B.Sc. in Nursing, an M.A. in Health Sociology, and a Ph.D. in the History of Medicine from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, where she also served as Head of the Nursing Department in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Her combination of clinical experience and academic expertise gives this book its depth, human perspective, and historical insight.