Haim Hillel Fried — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

Professor Fried (1913-2008) was an Israeli cardiologist, departmental head and acting director of Donolo hospital in Jaffa.

Fried was born in Vilna, Lithuania to a long distinguished rabbinic dynasty, a descendant of Rabbi Haim Volozhni (one of the Vilna Gaon's most renowned disciples and founder of the Etz Haim Yeshiva, the mother of Torah academies) and of his son-in-law, Rabbi Hillel Fried. His grandfather, Rabbi Haim Hillel Fried, the grandson of Rabbi Hillel Fried was the deputy head of the Volozhin Yeshiva and the author of Shut Hut Hameshulash (he passed away two years before Professor Fried was born and he bears his name). His father, Rabbi Shmuel Fried was acting Chief Rabbi of Vilna.

Fried completed his medical studies at the University of Vilna. He was preparing to make aliyah but stayed in Lithuania to help his father who had been injured in an accident. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941 and the occupation of Vilna, his father was one of the first to be exterminated at Ponary. Fried stayed in the ghetto and worked as a doctor until the ghetto was liquidated in September, 1943. He was then sent to several concentration camps and, eventually, reached the Dautmergen labor camp in south-west Germany. In April, 1945 he was sent on the Death March together with all the other prisoners but managed to escape with a few of his friends.

In 1946, after the war, Fried made aliyah through Egypt and settled in Jerusalem; since there were no positions available he worked voluntarily in the department of Professor Moshe Rachmilevitz (one of the fathers of medicine in Israel at Hadassah Hospital on Har Hatzofim). After the hospital was abandoned during the War of Independence, he moved to Donolo government hospital in Jaffa where he was head of the department of internal medicine. In 1970 he became acting director of the hospital and then head of a department of internal medicine at Wolfson hospital in Holon.

Professor Fried was an expert at catheterization. The courses he gave in cardiology formed the basis for the Studies in Continuing Medicine at TA University. He was the president of the Scientific Council of the Doctors' Union in Israel.

In 2000 he was awarded the Distinguished Citizen award of TA. He married Sarah Fried (1926-2011) and they had three children: Yael, Shali and Yehuda.

He passed away at the age of 95 in 2008 and was buried at Kiryat Shaul cemetery. His wife died two and a half years later and was buried alongside him.

Professor Haim Hillel Ben- Sasson and Professor Yona Ben- Sasson, Menahem Ben- Sasson's father are his cousins.

From: Wikipedia