Rahel Straus

Life & Legacy

Rahel Straus née Goitein (Hebrew: רחל שטראוס; 1880–1963) was a pioneering German-Jewish medical doctor, feminist and writer. She was the first normal female student of medicine at Heidelberg University, graduating in January 1905. After marrying her childhood friend, the lawyer Elias Straus (1878–1933), she moved with him to Munich where she opened a medical practice and became an important figure in support of Zionism and the League of Jewish Women. After her husband's death in 1933, she emigrated to Palestine with her four teenage children. There, she continued to practice medicine until 1940 when she retired to devote her time to activities in support of women, especially young immigrants. In 1952, she was a co-founder and active member of the Israeli branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.