Ely Simon

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Aug 3, 2018, 6:43 PM

Putting the Positivity back into Teshuva

Teshuva has gotten a bad rap. Real behavior change is hard to do, so we substitute with rituals, long synagogue services, and chest-beating. But, that is not the essence or the true value of Teshuva. Here’s how Teshuva looks from...

Mar 15, 2018, 8:45 PM

About to leave my office, my patient turned and asked, “How do I know that I don’t have a brain tumor?” Linda (not her real name), a woman in her 40s, came to my office for an unscheduled “urgent” visit. ...

Feb 23, 2018, 11:57 AM

The Fall of Haman the Narcissist

Miracles are often woven into the fabric of nature, and not obvious to the naked eye. As the Purim holiday approaches, it is time to reflect on the lessons of what happened in Persia (modern day Iran) around 2,500 years...

Feb 19, 2018, 4:22 PM

What’s with Blueberries and the Brain?

This is the story of antioxidants and your brain. Blueberries get all the limelight. But, behind the scenes it is about the delicate balance of nature and how that relates to us as people. All patients who come to my...

Feb 16, 2018, 3:57 PM

Good Deeds Cause… More Good Deeds?

An ancient Jewish proverb states that A good deed causes more good deeds, and a bad deed causes more bad deeds (Talmud, Tractate Avot 4:2). This statement, quoted in the name of the second-century sage known simply as Ben-Azzai,...

Feb 14, 2018, 5:53 PM

Bribery Is Bad — For Your Brain

It seems obvious that taking a bribe is bad -- but why? After all, you may think that you can still be objective. What’s the harm in taking a ‘gift’? Unfortunately, we are faced repeatedly with allegations that our...

Feb 11, 2018, 6:49 PM

Learning … It Actually Changes Your Brain

Until the last few decades, everyone thought that the brain does not grow after puberty. Unlike the liver and other organs that can regenerate, it was thought that the adult brain does not generate new cells and does not...

Feb 8, 2018, 6:21 PM

How is the Brain like Hotel California?

Do you ever wonder how the brain works and how we are able to think? The short answer is that we do not really know. The longer answer is that we know a lot about the workings of nerve...

Feb 6, 2018, 9:50 PM

What causes is your arm to shake?

A 67-year-old man came into my office and said, “My hands shake when I lift up my coffee cup. This has been going on for many years, but recently has been getting worse. What causes that?” Shaky hands could be...

Feb 2, 2018, 1:42 PM

Why is it hard to believe that some people are evil?

A special section of Yad Vashem that pays tribute to the Righteous of the Nations. (Naama Bar-Am)

Why our brains insist that clearly barbaric behavior must be a delusion

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About Me

Ely Simon is a neurologist with a passion for educating others about the complexities of the brain. He specializes in developing pioneering approaches to diagnosing and managing brain diseases. In 1984, Simon graduated from Columbia University with a bachelor of science in electrical engineering. He received both a master’s degree in biomedical engineering and a medical degree from Case Western Reserve University. He began his training in neurology and neuroscience at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and completed it at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. Simon has served on the faculty of the Department of Neurology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center in Israel and the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He currently lives in Israel with his family.