In November this year at the biennial conference held in Jerusalem, the organization for Child Development Centers in Israel bestowed a "Lifetime Achievement Award" on Dr. Luba Zuk for her worthy and important contribution to child development in Israel.

Luba retired recently as a senior lecturer in the Physical Therapy Department, Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University (1985-2009). She was head of the pediatric program both for undergraduate and graduate students. Over the years she was responsible for building the undergraduate studies from a one-semester to a three- semester program. She continues to teach in the graduate program and to supervise the research theses of students for their M.Sc.PT. degree. She twice received a prize for her teaching excellence from the Steyer School of Health Professions, as well as a grant for research from the Sackler Medical Faculty.

Luba was instrumental in establishing the first Child Development Center for the Meuhedet Health Service (1982) and continues to act as a consultant advisor for the physiotherapists at the Herzliya Child Development Center.

She developed the "Zuk Evaluation" for motor problems in children aged 4 - 8 years. The test was standardized for Israeli children by one of her M.Sc. students. This evaluation is used in child development centers all over Israel. She has taught many postgraduate courses: Baby and Child Development, Developmental Coordination Disorder, and The Child with Cerebral Palsy.

Luba, a co-instructor in neurodevelopmental therapy Bobath approach, taught several NDT courses in the USA. She has delivered many papers at scientific meetings in the USA, Europe, South Africa and Australia. She is one of the authors of scientific papers published in several peer reviewed journals such as The Journal of Child Neurology, Brain and Development, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. She has served on scientific organizing committees for conferences in Israel.

Luba received a Ph.D. in Medical Sciences from the Sackler Faculty of Medicine of the Tel Aviv University (2002), an M.A. in Expressive Arts Therapy from Lesley College in Boston (1988), a diploma in Special Education from the University of South Africa (1970) and a B.Sc. in Physiotherapy from Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg (1961).

Luba is a longtime member of ESRA and also a member of the "South African Mafia" in Israel, a term affectionately used among doctors and members of the health professions who were born in South Africa. Luba was born in Randfontein, where she was brought up and educated. She married Joe Zuk, also from Randfontein, and he soon realized he was married to the eternal student. In 1975 together with their two children, Dorit and Jonathan, they came to live in Israel. After living for four years on Kibbutz Tzorah they moved to Ramat Hasharon where she still resides. She is the proud grandmother of Roie, Shonie and Neta. 

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Audrey Goodman

Audrey Goodman came to live in Israel from Columbus, Ohio, in 1969 with her late husband, Richard, and their three sons. She was active in ESRA activities for many years, having served as chairpers...
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