Medicine with a Mission: Sara Erblich’s Commitment to Healing and Home

An Unexpected Turn Toward Aliyah

Sara Erblich grew up in Los Angeles and attended Jewish day school. Aliyah was never part of her plan. If anything, she assumed her future would unfold in America.

That assumption began to unravel during her year at MMY seminary. Immersed in a deeply Zionistic environment, Sara began to see Israel differently.

“I fell in love with Israel, the land, the culture, the people. I couldn’t imagine raising a family anywhere else.”

A Lifelong Pull Toward Medicine

Sara’s passion for medicine started early. As a child, she would gravitate toward doctor kits. In high school, she joined a medical ethics program that brought her to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She thrived in the hospital environment.

Over time, her love for medicine developed a deeper meaning.

“In biology, you learn that every single cell has to function in precise coordination for the body to survive. The more I studied, the more I couldn’t fathom how deeply this world is intertwined with G-d’s hand. The complexity isn’t random. It’s deliberate. Medicine, for me, became a way to witness that every day.”

Making the Decision to Stay

As her seminary year progressed, Sara faced a practical reality: pursuing medicine in America would likely anchor her there for the next seven to ten years. If she was serious about building a life in Israel, she needed to begin her academic journey there.

She began looking into Israeli universities that would allow her to pursue medicine. Bar-Ilan University’s Life Sciences program stood out, particularly because it offered a system of support for olim and English-language classes for the first year. Still, academics were only part of the equation.

A Shabbat spent in Givat Shmuel solidified her decision.

“The location and the community vibe drew me in immediately. It’s religious and halacha-observant, but also normal. People have a connection to the outside world. I knew I didn’t want a completely sheltered bubble. Here, I feel like I can express my views and not be judged.”

The balance of serious religious commitment and openness resonated deeply. Givat Shmuel felt smaller and more relaxed than a big city, but not isolated.

Choosing to stay also meant committing to a demanding academic path.

The Challenge of Life Sciences

Bar-Ilan’s Life Sciences program is rigorous and heavily science-focused. The coursework leaves little room for distraction and demands discipline. 

“This program pushes me every day, but that’s the point. If I can get through this, I can get through medical school. I’m gathering as much knowledge as I can because I know it’s building the foundation for everything I want to do.”

Despite the intensity, Sara describes the environment as collaborative rather than cutthroat.

“My classmates have become close friends. We’re all aiming for similar goals, but it’s not competitive in a toxic way. We hang out together. We really support each other.”

The professors have been supportive as well. The Life Sciences cohort is close, which helps make the demanding workload manageable.

Navigating Hebrew in the Classroom

Sara’s Hebrew level has allowed her to begin integrating into Hebrew-language coursework. She is currently taking one class in Hebrew and hopes to transition more fully next year.

“I definitely sit there with Google Translate open during lectures. But every class gets easier. I’m excited for the day when I can sit in a fully Hebrew course and not feel like I’m translating in my head — because if I’m going to be a doctor here, the language has to feel natural.”

The linguistic challenge is part of the broader commitment she has made to building a life in Israel — not just living here temporarily, but integrating fully.

A Vision for Giving Back

Sara is already thinking about how she can contribute to Israeli society as a doctor.

One aspiration is to serve in miluim as an army doctor. She is also passionate about expanding access to healthcare.

“Healthcare isn’t always accessible, and I want to help people in underserved communities access good care. I also hear people complain about doctors who don’t explain, who rush, who speak in terms no one understands. I don’t want to be one of those doctors. I want my patients to walk away knowing what they need to do and feeling respected.”

Building Community Through JLIC

Outside the classroom, Sara is deeply involved in campus life. She serves on the JLIC Mizrachi Givat Shmuel board as co-head of the Community Support Committee, which focuses on acts of chessed both within the student body and beyond. The committee organizes meal trains, social events, hospital visits, and trips to visit soldiers. 

“We’re the kind of community where if you’re sick, someone will show up with frozen chicken soup. The community is made up of people who genuinely care about each other.”

Paying It Forward

Recently, the community hosted a Shabbaton for prospective students. Sara chose to get involved in order to recreate the experience that once helped her make her own decision.

“I wanted to pay back what I was given on the Shabbat I visited last year. Sometimes all someone needs is one weekend to realize that what feels impossible is actually within reach.”

What began as a single year in Israel has become a long-term commitment to her education, to medicine, and to building a future in the place she now calls home.

 

To learn more about First-Year-In-English degrees at BIU and Jewish life on campus, visit us here.