Nachman Ash

Nachman Ash was born in 1961 in Petah Tikva

Nachman Ash was born in Petah Tikva on February 21, 1961, and grew up and went to school there. He studied medicine at the Sackler School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University through the IDF academic reserve program.

In the army he was a doctor in the Givati Brigade and in Sayeret Matkal, and later held senior medical posts. He trained in internal medicine at Sheba Medical Center and earned a master's degree in medical informatics from Harvard and MIT. He also earned a master's degree in political science from the University of Haifa while at the National Security College.

From 2007 to 2011 he was the IDF chief medical officer, including during Operation Cast Lead. He then became a senior deputy director-general for information and computing at the Ministry of Health, and in 2014 head of the health division of Maccabi Healthcare Services.

In November 2020 he replaced Ronni Gamzu as coronavirus commissioner and head of the Magen Israel program. In July 2021 the government approved him as director-general of the Ministry of Health, a post he held until a successor was named in January 2023. In April 2025 he became chairman of the Reut association.

He is married to Dr. Shifra Ash, a pediatric oncologist, and they have three children. They live in Rosh HaAyin.