Background
Yehudith Gershtanski (later Birk) was born in Grajewo, Poland to Frida (née Borowitz. 1895–1974) and Baruch Gershtanski (1890–1950), both ardent Zionist activists.
Yehudith Gershtanski (later Birk) was born in Grajewo, Poland to Frida (née Borowitz. 1895–1974) and Baruch Gershtanski (1890–1950), both ardent Zionist activists.
Gershtanski attended the school for workers’ children on Lasalle Street in Tel Aviv. She studied for a master"s degree in biochemistry and microbiology at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, completing her degree in December 1950.
Frida was an accountant and Baruch was a businessman. The family immigrated to the British Mandate for Palestine in 1935, settling in Tel Aviv. She received a doctorate in biochemistry from Hebrew University"s Faculty of Agriculture in Rehovot in 1954.
They had two sons: Yitzhak (born 1953) and Ohad-Shmuel (born 1957).
She founded the Food Science and Nutrition school at the Hebrew University Institute of Biochemistry, and was its founding director from 1972-1974. She was dean of the Faulty of Agriculture from 1977-1980.
She also helped discover the ß-lipotropin (lipolytic hormone). Her book, Plant Protease Inhibitors: Significance in Nutrition, Plant Protection, Cancer Prevention and Genetic Engineering, was published in 2003.
Israel Academy of Sciences and Humanities]
A member of the Israel Academy of Science and Humanities since 1993, Birk was elected to be an active member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in 2004.