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In a recent episode of the Healthful Woman podcast, “By Your Side, Part One,” Dr. Nathan Fox interviews Chani Turk, an Israeli midwife, about her experience moving to Israel from the United States and her journey of becoming a midwife. 

Chani’s Story

Chani grew up in Chicago and, at sixteen, decided that she wanted to pursue a career in nursing. After volunteering in a hospital and graduating, she enrolled in nursing prerequisites and soon spent a gap year in Israel. “I fell in love with the country that year. I knew that eventually I wanted to get here, raise my family here, valued it, appreciated it, and loved it. Yeah, just walked away with really just wanting to get back. Almost, you could say, homesick to get back.” 

After returning to the United States, she completed her nursing education, got married, and began working in the labor and delivery department of a hospital. When her husband, Moshe, was offered a job in Israel, they moved within six weeks.

Chani’s Career Changes After Moving to Israel

Before the move, Chani worked night shifts as a labor and delivery nurse in Chicago. In Israel, she learned that maternity care operates differently. She shared, “To work in the labor and delivery unit in Israel, you have to be a midwife. They don’t have nurses. It’s midwives and doctors.” Midwives staff labor and delivery wards, and there is no role for nurses in these units. Midwives provide complete care for patients in labor, while doctors are involved when complications arise.

Chani initially thought that becoming a midwife was unrealistic due to language barriers and the additional training required to become one. Instead, she focused on getting her Israeli nursing license. She studied in Hebrew, passed her boards in 2009, and worked briefly in a clinic. She did not enjoy the job as much as hospital work, so she stepped away to have another baby and spend time with her family.

Chani’s Decision to Become a Midwife

Several years later, Chani enrolled in Israel’s midwifery training program. The course lasted two years and consisted of classroom instruction, clinical training, and numerous exams. The program was demanding and required time spent in hospitals, as well as intensive preparation for both practical and written exams.

The training prepared her for her midwifery responsibilities. Unlike in the U.S., where responsibilities are divided between nurses and physicians, Israeli midwives are expected to manage all aspects of patient care during labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery.

Chani’s Job as a Midwife

Chani now works part-time in a hospital maternity ward. She rotates between morning, evening, and overnight shifts depending on staffing needs. Each shift may place her in triage, the delivery room, or recovery, where she cares for patients she often meets for the first time.

Her job as a midwife reflects the importance of midwives in Israel’s maternity care system. From delivering babies to managing complications and ensuring both mother and newborn are stable, midwives carry primary responsibility throughout the process.

Chani’s career highlights the differences between maternity care in the U.S. and Israel, as well as the training required in another country. Her experience shows how midwives in Israel serve as the primary providers of labor and delivery care, combining both nursing and delivery responsibilities in a single role.

Learn More

To learn more about Chani’s move to Israel and career requirement changes, listen to the full episode of the Healthful Woman podcast. For more information on labor and delivery, contact Maternal Fetal Medicine Associates in New York by completing the online contact form.

Carnegie Imaging for Women blogs are intended for educational purposes only and do not replace certified professional care. Medical conditions vary and change frequently. Please ask your doctor any questions you may have regarding your condition to receive a proper diagnosis or risk analysis. Thank you!