Yehuda Samberg

  • Born: 1924
  • Died: 2012
  • Poland
A native of Poland, Dr Samberg completed his veterinary studies in 1950 in Munich, Germany, before emigrating to Israel. He began his veterinary career in the Tel Aviv Poultry Disease Laboratory.

In 1960 he was appointed Head of the Clinical Poultry Veterinary Service and concurrently Director of the Poultry Department at the Veterinary Institute at Beit Dagan. In 1969, he was appointed Chief Veterinarian for Poultry Diseases in Israel, a position which he held until retiring in 1990.

The poultry sector saw many changes during these years, and developed from small-scale family farming into an advanced and complex industry. Dr Samberg responded to these far-reaching changes by gradually adapting the regulatory environment and the professional services to fit the industry's changing needs, always preparing the necessary groundwork to support the advances made. He raised awareness of hygiene and sanitation in the hatcheries, and persuaded the poultry farmers' organizations to work together to promote the necessary changes. Dr Samberg developed the service offered to the farmers, setting up the eight regional laboratories, with the aim of improving the veterinary service for the benefit of the farmers and the industry as a whole. He nurtured a long line of poultry veterinarians trained in clinical work, ensuring they also received research training and specialist qualifications.

He published tens of research papers in scientific journals, and actively participated at international conferences nationally and internationally. Even after his retirement he continued to attend conferences at home and abroad.

Dr Samberg won many prizes and awards in recognition of his work, including the Yonas "veterinarian of the year" prize (1982), the Plesser prize in 1992, and 3 Kimron prizes, one for the development of the laryngotracheitis vaccine (1968), one for his research and contribution to the control of Newcastle disease (1975), and one for his life’s work (1990).

He served as President of the Israel Poultry Science Association, WVPA Vice-President (1981-1984), and WVPA President (1985-1989). In 1995 he was appointed a WVPA Honorary Life President.

Following his retirement, Dr Samberg joined the vaccine company Shafit, as a veterinary consultant.

He was married to Ida for 60 years and had two sons.

WVPA thanks Rachel Bock for compiling this profile.

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