The Hadassah hospital in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Ein Kerem was opened in 1960. Its previous location at Mount Scopus was cut off from the Jewish part of the city after a massacre in April 1948 when 77 staff members lost their lives. After independence in May 1948, during the 19 years Jerusalem was divided between Israel and Jordan, the Mount Scopus facility - an Israeli demilitarized enclave in Jordanian East Jerusalem - stood empty, except for a small contingent of Israeli policemen. From 1960 until 1975, when the Mount Scopus hospital reopened its doors, Hadassah Ein Kerem was Jerusalem's major hospital. Then, as well as today, the Ein Kerem branch of the Hadassah Medical Center is regarded as a world-class medical facility, the most advanced in Israel.
Obverse The obverse of the Hadassah Inauguration medal shows in its incused area a nurse holding an infant in her arms.
Reverse The medal's reverse depicts the Hadassah hospital at Ein Kerem.
Edge The State emblem and the words "State of Israel" in Hebrew and English.
