The Candelabra and the Prayer Book

Born in Berlin in 1932, Moses Spira and his parents escaped the Nazi storm and settled in Palestine only to be swept up in the country’s War of Independence against its Arab neighbors. After serving in the army and working for the Israeli government, he changed the course of his life by electing to become a doctor.

He studied in Vienna and Munich and eventually found his way to the United States with his wife, a pathologist, and their three children. Dr. Spira was a trailblazer in the field of kidney dialysis, opening free-standing treatment centers so that patients did not have to travel far for care. In his book, he shares his philosophy that a doctor must not only be an excellent clinician but also an empathetic counselor.