About the Emblem

The blue emblem is adapted from Heinrich Bünting’s celebrated 1581 cloverleaf map, which depicts Europe, Asia, and Africa arranged around Jerusalem at the center of the world. Its geometric form also recalls the fused rings of the steroid nucleus, linking my career in endocrinology with Jerusalem, the city at the heart of my life and work.

 

 

FEATURED BOOK

 

 

Passion and Profession

The Story of My Life

Explore My Books and Publications

Link to the Books and Articles page

 

EXPLORE MY WORK

Travel Reviews

Journeys, observations, and articles from around the world.

Link to the Travel Reviews page

Art and Music Reviews

Reviews of opera, concerts, museums, and exhibitions.

Link to the Art and Music Reviews page

Gallery

Selected photographs from more than six decades of travel.

Link to the Gallery page

 

Irving M. Spitz

Professor Emeritus of Medicine

Physician-Scientist | Author | Cultural Writer | Traveler | Photographer

 

Born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1939, Irving M. Spitz trained as a physician and later earned both a PhD and a DSc from the University of the Witwatersrand. He emigrated to Israel with his wife, Diane, and their two daughters in 1970.

During a distinguished career in endocrinology, he documented previously unrecognized clinical disorders, helped introduce innovative treatments, and played a pivotal role in the first large U.S. clinical trials of mifepristone. He has published more than 230 scientific works and received the Endocrine Society’s Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Service Award.

Beyond medicine, his lifelong interests include opera, art, history, archaeology, photography, travel, and writing. His books reflect a life shaped by professional achievement, family, faith, cultural exploration, and journeys across more than 70 countries.

Read the Full Biography

 

 

 

Irving M. Spitz

 

 

 

About Irving M. Spitz

 

Early Life and Family

Irving M. Spitz was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1939. He graduated in medicine from the University of the Witwatersrand, where he later earned both a PhD and a DSc. In 1997, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London.

In 1970, Irving and his wife, Diane, emigrated to Israel with their two daughters. Family has always been at the heart of his life. He is the proud father of two daughters, grandfather of five grandchildren, and great-grandfather of one great-grandchild. Their love, accomplishments, and continuing presence in his life have been an enduring source of happiness and inspiration.

Medical and Scientific Career

Irving’s medical career focused on endocrinology and reproductive medicine. He documented previously unrecognized endocrine disorders, helped introduce innovative treatments, and played a pivotal role in organizing the first large multicenter clinical trials of mifepristone in the United States. This work helped establish a major advance in women’s reproductive health.

He has authored more than 230 scientific papers, books, and reviews, lectured internationally, and advised leading medical and pharmaceutical organizations. In recognition of his contributions to endocrinology and women’s health, the Endocrine Society awarded him the Sidney H. Ingbar Distinguished Service Award in 2013.

In 2022, Irving was profiled in A Century of Achievement, a publication celebrating distinguished graduates of the University of the Witwatersrand Medical School.

Writing, Travel, and Cultural Interests

Medicine, however, has never been Irving’s only passion. His lifelong interests include opera, classical music, art, history, archaeology, travel, photography, and the cartography of the Holy Land. He has written more than 150 cultural essays and reviews for The Jerusalem Post, as well as for international journals and books.

His publications bring together the many strands of his life, including medicine, family, faith, travel, photography, and cultural exploration. Together, they reflect a lifelong curiosity about people, places, ideas, and the world around him.

 

 

Contact

For inquiries about my books, published articles, photography, lectures, or this website, please contact me:

Email: irving@spitz.com

Mobile: +972 54 764 8536