On 05/31 at noon, Rebekah and Heta had the privilege to interview Dr. Rebekka Taratuta, a physician whose life story was not only surprising but also deeply inspiring.
Dr. Taratuta was born in 1930 in Odessa, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union. During WWII her family was evacuated to Central Asia. They were one of the first families to return to Odessa after it was liberated in 1943. She entered Odessa Medical University in 1948 and transferred to the Kiev Medical University after getting married. Upon her graduation in 1954 she became a physician—a profession that she has had the privilege of serving in until the age of 87.
Because of Soviet state-sponsored antisemitism, Dr. Taratuta’s son immigrated to the United States in 1976 and moved to Boston. Dr. Taratuta and her daughter Elena, who is now also a physician, applied for emigration after Elena’s high school graduation and arrived in the US in 1981. Dr. Taratuta was quite happy to have her family members in the Boston area, where Elena graduated from Harvard with honors.
Boston also holds a special place in Dr. Taratuta’s heart because it was where she started working as the medical director for a state facility for mentally challenged individuals—a job that she held until her retirement in 2017. Since she had a foreign medical diploma, she studied for a year and took ECFMG exams to obtain a medical license. Upon passing the exams in her 50s, Dr. Taratuta started working at the department for individuals who are mentally challenged where she was truly able to help people. Her kindness and dedication earned her the Massachusetts Governor’s award for Excellence in Public Service in 1999 and recognition from her department. She mentioned how difficult it was for parents of children with mental disabilities especially when they grew up into adults that still needed care and attention. She was able to learn so much from her role and give back at the same time.
When asked about what was important to her, she cited work as well as her family—especially her brother Arkady Lvov who was a prolific writer based in New York City. Dr. Taratuta took time to mention the rows of shelves filled with his books in her room. In fact, Mr. Lvov’s works were published in international literary magazines and newspapers, and he received high praise for his novel “The Courtyard,” which was translated into and published in several languages. He was an important Soviet dissent writer—views that caused him to be exiled from the USSR and immigrate to the US in 1976.
Dr. Taratuta was very close to her brother, which made his death 1 1/2 years ago incredibly devastating. She remarked that although “things are what they are,” she still misses him dearly and wishes he were still here.
What kept her going is her work. Although she is retired now, she believes it is very important to work, to have a job, and to do your best. Even though she could have gone on government support, she didn’t feel comfortable with that and did her best to carve out a productive space for herself in this new country. She found herself to be happiest when working and helping people.
Now, she is just grateful to have her family by her side. Both of her children are successful. In fact, her daughter Dr. Elena Taratuta is a member of Penn Medicine radiology faculty, doing clinical care and teaching. When asked about what advice to give to medical students, she poignantly stated, “Be successful, be good, but more importantly do what you want to do.”
It was an honor to speak to Dr. Rebekka Taratuta and hear from her story, and we hope that you find inspiration as well.
Rebekah Chun and Heta Patel are MS1’s at the Perelman School of Medicine.
Image of Dr. Tartuta in 1999, when she received the Governor’s award for public service.
