Ogen South
Your Regional Hub for Physicians in Southern Israel
Ogen South is a regional initiative dedicated to recruiting, welcoming, and retaining physicians in Southern Israel, while serving as a home for the community of doctors already living and working here.
We bring together professional opportunities, housing options, and community connections in one regional platform, offering personalized support for both you and your family.
Explore the communities and opportunities across Southern Israel, find useful information, and choose the support pathway that best suits your needs.
Updates & News
Who’s It For?
Medical students in the advanced stages of their studies
Medical interns and residents at the beginning of their careers
Specialist physicians considering relocating to Southern Israel or continuing to build their lives here
Spouses and partners looking to explore housing, education, and employment opportunities in the region
Stronger Together
Personalized Support Every Step of the Way
Thinking about moving to Southern Israel?
Not sure what career opportunities, lifestyle options, and experiences await you here?
Ogen South is here to help. We’ll answer your questions, introduce you to the possibilities, and guide you through the decision-making process.
Our Offer
Professional Opportunities in Southern Israel
Southern Israel offers a growing range of professional, community, and financial opportunities that make building a career and life in the region even more rewarding.
These include the Ilanot, Kochavim, and Ofakim programs, relocation and settlement grants, research funding, entrepreneurship opportunities, and professional development initiatives.
Click on a logo to explore the opportunities available to you
Your Opportunities in the South
Programs & Opportunities
We help you identify the opportunities most relevant to your current career and life stage, and connect you with the right people and organizations to help you move forward.
Life in Southern Israel
Discover information about residential areas, municipalities, schools, community life, culture, and leisure activities, helping you envision what life in the South could look like for you and your family alongside your career.
The South – Choose to Make It Home
Your Doctors’ Space
Southern Israel's Medical Community
Doctors' Community Hub
The Southern Israel Doctors’ Hub is a professional and community home for physicians across the region. It’s a place to connect, learn, grow, and feel part of a community that understands the realities of working in medicine.
The hub brings together networking events, workshops, lectures, resilience and well-being activities, and a supportive community of physicians who have chosen to build their lives and careers in Southern Israel.
Explore Upcoming Activities
Sorry for Asking – Medicine and Life in Southern Israel
➤
➤
The hub will host community gatherings, networking events, peer consultations, and professional forums, while encouraging grassroots initiatives and supporting physicians in bringing their ideas to life.
It will also serve as a central part of the regional support network for physicians relocating to the South, connecting newcomers with professional opportunities, practical information, and personalized relocation assistance.
Beyond professional development, the hub will create opportunities for social and community engagement, including meetings with aspiring medical students from Israel’s peripheral regions, as well as cultural and leisure activities that foster a sense of belonging and provide a welcome break from the demands of medical practice.
Doctors Who Know the Journey
The ‘Physician Integration Package in the South’ initiative is conducted in collaboration with the healthcare system, local authorities, and regional partners in the South.
Dr. Meital Haber
My name is Dr. Meital Haber, a dermatologist and pediatric dermatologist, married and a mother of four, living in Lehavim. I initially arrived in the Negev on a temporary basis for my residency at Soroka, after years of establishing my family and social life in central Israel.
Read more
Connecting with the local people, alongside the serene and accommodating pace of life, anchored me to the South. The Negev became my home and a space of purpose and action.
Today, as the Dermatology Coordinator for Clalit’s Southern District, alongside academic involvement in medical education and research, I experience every day the fulfillment and impact of practicing medicine in the periphery. Moving to the South is a golden opportunity—it allows physicians not only to advance professionally, but to make a real difference: expanding services, narrowing healthcare disparities, and promoting high-quality, accessible care for every community.
Dr. Oren Ziv
I am Dr. Oren Ziv, an ENT specialist with Clalit Health Services Southern District and Soroka Medical Center. I arrived at Soroka for my internship, fell in love with the South and its people—and decided to stay. Today, I live with my family in the community of Lehavim.
Read more
I serve as Head of Otolaryngology (ENT) for Clalit’s Southern District and am pursuing a residency in Medical Administration. My work integrates clinical practice with medical innovation, research, and teaching medical students, driven by a commitment to advancing high-quality, compassionate, and forward-looking healthcare for the residents of the South.
Dr. Lital Rahmani
My name is Lital Rahmani Zvi-Ran. I am a family physician in Be’er Sheva, married to Ilan, a nephrologist. After completing our medical studies at Ben-Gurion University, we chose to stay in the South, and today we live with our children on a kibbutz in the Negev. For me, medicine in the Negev is far more than a profession…
Read more
The Negev is a landscape of community, initiative, and authentic partnership—a place where one can make an impact, grow, and build a future. There is ample room here for new ideas, leadership, and responsibility, paired with a warm community life, closeness to nature, and a sense of belonging. For me, the South is a choice that enables a fulfilling life filled with abundant opportunities for growth.
Dr. Shai Kleitman
I am a native of the Negev, living in Be’er Sheva with my wife and two children, and a graduate of the pediatric residency program at Soroka Medical Center. Currently, I work as a pediatrician at Maccabi in Arad while completing a fellowship in Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Sheba Medical Center (Tel HaShomer), sponsored by Maccabi.
Read more
Choosing to work in the South is, for me, a value-driven and Zionist decision. The work here presents both clinical and human challenges among a diverse population with complex medical needs, offering deeply meaningful medical practice, professional leadership, and a direct impact on the community.
Dr. Moria Gal
I was born in the Negev, where I also grew up and was educated until my military service. I completed my medical studies at Tel Aviv University, followed by a residency in family medicine.
Read More
Dr. Meni Amran
Married with four children, living in Kibbutz Kramim.
Currently a specialist in family medicine at Maccabi Healthcare Services and Leumit Health Services, an ADHD physician for children and adults, and a technology project manager in Medical Informatics at Maccabi.
Read More
Dr. Tzafnat Test
Sometimes, a professional decision becomes a life-changing choice.
Twenty-one years ago, I came to Southern Israel as a medical student at Ben-Gurion University. What initially seemed like a temporary stop became an entire life journey, including medical studies, residency, starting a family, and professional growth.
Read More
Dr. Daniel Kabut
My name is Dr. Daniel Kabut, married and father of two. I am an OB-GYN, a Medical Director at Maccabi, and a resident of Be’er Sheva.
Read More
The South offers rich professional opportunities (academia, technology, and career horizons) alongside significant financial advantages—higher salaries, a lower cost of living, and tax benefits.
Above all, settling in the South is a national calling. As Ben-Gurion said: “It is in the Negev that the people of Israel and its State will be tested.” It was true then, and it is truer today than ever.
Dr. Touri Gabril
My name is Touri Gabriel, a family physician and diabetes specialist. I am married to Areej, a mathematics teacher.
Read More
Following medical school, I chose to remain in the South out of a deep sense of purpose and belief in the region’s power to foster meaningful and innovative medicine.
To me, the South is far more than a workplace—it is a space of community, human connection, and genuine impact. Here, there is room for initiative, responsibility, and clinical leadership, alongside close patient relationships and an intimate understanding of community needs. Working in the South allows me to combine family medicine and diabetes care through a holistic approach that considers the individual, their family, and their lifestyle.
Choosing the South is choosing a life of meaning: vibrant community life, mutual support, proximity to nature, and a true sense of belonging, together with opportunities for personal and professional growth. For me, practicing medicine in the South is a way to build a healthier future—not only for patients, but for society as a whole.
Shaping the Future of the South
The Regional Initiative
A collaborative regional initiative bringing together the Ministry of Health, healthcare providers across Southern Israel (hospitals and health maintenance organizations), local authorities, regional organizations, foundations, and the business sector.
Our goal is to develop tailored solutions and coordinated support for physicians considering or making the move to Southern Israel.
The initiative creates a comprehensive support network that connects careers with everyday life through personalized guidance, professional and community connections, and a long-term foundation for building a thriving medical community in the South.
How It All Began
The initiative was led by Dr. Hadas Malda Matzri, a family physician and Director of the Physicians’ Workforce Unit at Clalit Health Services, Southern District, with the support of the Ministry of Health, JDC, and the Maoz organization.
It was developed through a process of listening to physicians and understanding the needs on the ground.
The first stage involved a focus group of approximately 30 physicians from across Southern Israel. Together, they explored ways to build a regional medical community and develop the support systems needed to attract, integrate, connect, and retain physicians over the long term.
This was followed by a survey of approximately 100 physicians who were considering working and relocating to Southern Israel. The survey identified key barriers, needs, and motivations.
The process highlighted a clear need for a broad regional initiative built on cross-sector collaboration between healthcare organizations, academic institutions, local authorities, businesses, and social organizations.
The goal is to provide holistic support for physicians and their families, making the decision to live and work in Southern Israel a choice that combines professional fulfillment with quality of life.
Launch Conference: "Opening New Horizons in the South" (December 30)
Approximately 200 physicians and 100 regional partners came together to explore the opportunities available in Southern Israel.
Participants included representatives of the Ministry of Health, hospitals, healthcare organizations, local authorities, and regional organizations.
The conference featured:
Hospital and Healthcare Organization Leaders Panel – Professional career pathways and development opportunities in Southern Israel.
Local Authority Leaders Panel – Quality of life, community, housing, and family support services.
Opportunities Fair – Hospitals, healthcare organizations, local authorities, and regional partners, offering direct connections and opportunities for continued engagement.
Every Step Covered
Our Partners
The “Physician Recruitment and Integration Support Initiative in Southern Israel” is carried out in collaboration with healthcare organizations, local authorities, and regional partners across Southern Israel.
