JTA — Celebrity physician Mikhail Varshavski administered emergency treatment to a participant of Birthright aboard a flight to Israel, possibly saving the patient’s life.
The incident last week occurred about two hours after takeoff, Ynet reported.
Varshavski, who is Jewish and also known as Dr. Mike, treated the 26-year-old’s acute allergic reaction after flight attendants asked whether there was a doctor on board, according to the report Thursday.
Varshavski, who participated himself 10 years ago in the Birth Taglit Israel program for Diaspora Jews, monitored the patient’s condition until the plane landed.
This time, though, Varshavski, who is 29 years old and was born in Russia, was a guest of the group America’s Voices in Israel, which performs advocacy work by bringing celebrities to the Jewish state.
Get The Times of Israel's Daily Edition
by email and never miss our top stories
By signing up, you agree to the
terms
Varshavski, whose family immigrated to the United States when he was 5, has featured in Buzzfeed and in People magazine’s 2015 issue of The Sexiest Man Alive. He has a YouTube channel that provides medically-themed educational entertainment.
Is our live election coverage important to you?
Are you relying on The Times of Israel for accurate and timely coverage of the 2026 Israeli election? If so, please join The Times of Israel Community. For as little as $6/month, you will:
- Support our independent journalists who are working around the clock to report political developments as they unfold;
- Read ToI with a clear, ads-free experience on our site, apps and podcasts; and
- Gain access to exclusive content shared only with the ToI Community, including our DocuNation streaming film series and weekly letters from founding editor David Horovitz.
Join The Times of Israel Community
JOIN NOW
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this