Before you can obtain recognition as a midwife, you must first become recognized in Israel as a registered nurse. This involves meeting all of the qualifications for nurses and passing the nursing exam. For details, see Nursing.

After you qualify as a nurse, you can begin the recognition process for midwifery by sending all of your midwifery documents including licenses, diplomas, syllabi, and information about your previous work experience(s) to Hila Figel at Misrad HaBriut. You can reach Hila Figel by phone at 03-737-8107 or 02-670-5852 or by fax at 02-678-7782.

If You Make Aliyah with a Midwifery License from Abroad

If you make Aliyah with a midwifery license from abroad, the certification process is as follows:

• Internship: You are required to complete an internship involving approximately 252 hours in the labor room plus approximately 64 hours in other, related floors such as post-partum or the NICU. This internship takes an average of 3-4 months. You can request to do the internship at the hospital that is closest to your home.
• Coursework: In addition to the internship, you will be required to take 70 hours of lectures on midwifery, including certification courses in adult and neonatal CPR. The course is usually offered once a year, and this past year, it took place at Tel Hashomer Hospital. The course is partially subsidized by Misrad Haklita and the cost to Olim is approximately 850 NIS.
• Exam: After completing both the internship and the coursework, you are eligible to take the licensing exam, which is offered once a year.

If You Make Aliyah Without a Midwifery License

If you make Aliyah as a registered nurse but without a midwifery license, you are required to participate in the entire midwifery program at Tel Hashomer Hospital, which takes approximately 10 months. Note that before going to midwifery school in Israel, you must work at least 1 year as a nurse (either in Israel or abroad).

Additional Resources

• For more information about the Tel Hashomer midwifery course, contact the director of the program, Debby Gedal-Beer at
  Debby.Gedal-Beer@sheba.health.gov.il.
• If you would like to speak to an Olah who recently went through the licensing process for midwives, write to employment@nbn.org.il.
• For more information about midwifery in Israel, contact the Israel Midwives Association at www.midwives.co.il or email contact@midwives.co.il.