DR. EDWARD NORD:
An exciting life from South Africa
to NST by way of Israel and California
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
The son of a Lithuanian father and a Dutch
mother, both of whom had escaped Hitler’s
Europe to start a life in South Africa, I was
born and grew up in apartheid Johannesburg.
The Jewish community comprised a tightly
knit group of immigrants, secular rather than
religious, and from a young age I belonged
to a vibrant, active Zionist youth movement,
Habonim, literally “The Builders,” which
shaped my world views and set me on my
life’s path. Habonim summer camp was an
annual ritual. The sleeper train that pulled out
of Johannesburg’s Central Station on a three
night/two-day journey to the camp site near
Cape Town led to instant bonding. The two- to
three-day hikes, sleeping under the stars and
bathing in the nearby lake were unforgettable
experiences. This Jewish immigrant neigh-borhood
I grew up in was Sydenham East,
Johannesburg.
WHAT WAS LIFE LIKE IN ISRAEL?
After graduating high school I was drafted
into the South African Defense Force and
served a year in South West Africa, now
known as Nambia. Upon completion I
entered medical school (University of the
Witwatersrand, or WITS), a six-year stint
with no undergraduate requirement as per
the British system. As I came to learn in
later life, this was an amazing experience,
with diseases not commonly encountered in
western medicine.
After completing a year of internship,
inspired by my experience and involvement
in Habonim and armed with a newly minted
medical diploma, I married and made Aliyah
to Israel, where I spent 10 years (the 70s), and
where my two kids, Galit and Yaniv, were
born. I continued my medical training, was
subsequently drafted and served as a Medical
Officer in the Israeli Air Force and for a few
years lived in Northern Sinai, in a beautiful
coastal town, Yamit. During this period, I
also provided medical services to the local
population, and was the visiting physician
at three kibbutzim in the area.
Perhaps the highlight of my years in Israel
was the few days that Egyptian President
Anwar Sadat spent visiting Israel. Amongst
other things, it was surreal watching on
national TV as the Israeli Military Band
practiced the Egyptian National Anthem.
Probably the toughest time was the 1973 Yom
Kippur War; in the early days of fighting it was
unclear whether our country would survive.
My infant daughter spent many nights with
her mom in the local bomb shelter.
WHAT BECAME YOUR MEDICAL SPECIALTY?
After completing my military training in
Israel, I embarked on a career in Nephrology,
which deals with all aspects of kidney diseas-es.
As part of this I was offered a three-year
Research Fellowship at UCLA. So I moved
my family to Los Angeles where we spent
most of the 80s. My seven-year old daugh-ter,
coming from a small settlement town in
Northern Sinai, was amazed by the size of
Los Angeles and wanted to know “where the
fence around Los Angeles” was.
I had two great mentors at UCLA and
after completion of my training I was offered
a faculty position. By the end of 80s my
career had taken off and I was offered the
position of Chairman of Nephrology at
Stony Brook University School of Medicine
on Long Island, where I spent the next
30 years. During this time I ran an active
NIH (National Institute of Health) fund-ed
laboratory and oversaw all aspects of
Nephrology that included an active intensive
care practice, kidney dialysis, and kidney
transplantation. I enjoyed academic life,
had the opportunity to act as a consultant
to NIH, served as President of the New York
Society of Nephrology, and was involved in
numerous professional activities.
WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY?
I am married to my lovely wife Jill (nee
Stecher) for about 25 years. We have a blend-ed
family of four kids and now 10 grandchil-dren
after the recent arrival of baby Sage.
Jill has a Master’s degree in Counseling and
volunteered at the Suffolk County Response
Hotline Crisis Center. Many of the volunteers
she worked with remain her dear friends.
She also sold precious metal alloys used
in dentistry to dental laboratories. Later, she
became certified in phlebotomy and was the
laboratory administrator for a hematologist
in Huntington. Prior to coming to NST she
was an ophthalmic technician in the office
of a local ophthalmologist.
WHERE ELSE HAVE YOU TRAVELED?
We’ve done a lot of traveling over the past
25 years. On a number of occasions we have
gone with an outfit called University at Sea
which contracted me to teach Continued
Medical Education. On one occasion the
group comprised a group of Australian physi-cians
who were delightful. We have traveled
to Israel and to ancient Petra in Jordan.
One of the most beautiful places we visit-ed
was Alaska with the whales and eagles,
but sadly we also saw melting glaciers due
to climate change. We especially enjoyed
visiting the old Jewish areas of European
cities, such as Venice and Prague and the
Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam.
Since coming to NST in 2017 perhaps
of all the many amenities we most enjoy is
time at the pool during summer months. I’m
a member of the Chess Club which meets
weekly and am in the process of starting
a Backgammon Club. We both enjoy the
proximity of NST to fine NYC restaurants
and Broadway shows and, of course, our
nearby children.
Ed Nord grew up in Johannesburg where he attended medical school. After graduation he
moved to Israel for 10 years and served as a doctor in the Israeli Air Force. He was offered a
Research Fellowship at UCLA in his specialty, Nephrology, which deals with kidney disease.
His career took off and soon he was offered the Chairmanship of the Nephrology Department
at Stony Brook University on Long Island. He accepted, and spent 30 years there prior to
coming to North Shore Towers. Many of you recognize him as a frequent visitor to our pool
in the summer and as a regular chess player in the Men’s Card Room.
Jill & Ed Nord
4 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ March 2020