One of Baltimore’s Top Docs talks about his heritage, Jewish values and giving back.
Jim Vogel’s decision to become a doctor was greatly influenced by his father. Growing up in New York City, Jim recalls his dad encouraging him to go into medicine to ensure that he would “always be able to earn a good living and have a respected profession.” But the advice to his son to pursue a medical degree went far deeper than the potential income he could earn.
“My father always believed that no one can take away your education and what is in your mind.”
Having survived 12 months in Nazi concentration camps and everything stripped from him, Jim’s father believed his survival was thanks to a strong mind and the power of prayer.
“He prayed every night and hung onto his religion. No one could take away the thoughts in his mind. So, he felt strongly that if I would become a doctor, it would always provide me with security and a profession, no matter what happened. He never pushed me against my will. I was always very interested and I haven’t looked back.”
Today, a newly retired, popular Baltimore plastic surgeon, Jim attributes his commitment to family, Judaism and philanthropy to being the only child of a Holocaust survivor. Jim’s family’s background story greatly impacted his upbringing, self-identity, career path and worldview.
Here are 10 things to know about Doctor Jim Vogel: 1. Jim’s father was brought up in a fairly religious home in Budapest, Hungary.
“My father and his family were members of the Dohány Street Synagogue, the largest synagogue in Europe. My father was bar mitzvahed there and his parents were married there. To this day, the name plates of my family are still on five or six seats in the sanctuary.”
2. Jim’s father was sent to Auschwitz Concentration Camp for six months before being transported to the labor camps at Mauthausen.
“What happened in the Holocaust was not an abstract concept to me. As a young boy I just had to look at the tattoo on my father’s arm to understand that it was a reality. He would never volunteer stories or recollections independently. He would never just bring it up, but he would always answer my questions in an age-appropriate manner.”
