Dr. Yehoshua Rephas was born in Poland in 1888. He studied medicine in Vienna and was certified as a physician. His practical medical work took place during World War I, serving in the Austrian army, and later in the Polish army.
In 1935, he immigrated to the Land of Israel. Until he received his medical license from the British Mandate authorities, he worked in the citrus groves. In 1936, he built his home in Ein Vered and practiced medicine in the Tel Mond bloc. In 1949, after the War of Independence, he moved to Tel Aviv and continued to work as a Kupat Holim doctor. He was a symbol of physical and mental health, unwavering in his purpose, and it is doubtful whether he ever missed a single day of work.
The death of my brother Rafi, of blessed memory, who was killed while serving in the reserves in 1971, deeply affected him and broke his spirit. As a result of this tragedy, my late mother’s health deteriorated, and my father stopped the part-time work he had continued even after retirement.
I will never forget my father’s words by my brother’s grave:
“It is not right that I, the father, should say Kaddish over my son’s grave.”
After we returned home from the funeral, my father devoted all his energy to caring for my mother, who passed away during Passover in 1975. From that point on, he seemingly stopped paying attention to his own health.
He spent his final year living in my home in Safed and passed away on May 21, 1976, in the hospital in Safed. Both my father and mother donated their bodies to science in accordance with their wills.
—Adam Rephas