Dr. Elliot Marvin Rudnitzky, 80, of Edison, New Jersey, passed away on December 24, 2024.
Born in Newark, New Jersey, on November 2, 1944, he grew up in Linden, New Jersey, the son of immigrant parents who escaped Germany just before the Holocaust. While he spent his medical career saving lives as a cardiologist, perhaps his greatest and most far-reaching legacy was changing the world as the father of gestational surrogacy.
A cum laude graduate of Yeshiva University, Dr. Rudnitzky earned his medical degree from Hahnemann Medical School in 1970. He completed his internship at Maimonides Medical Center and his medical residency and cardiology fellowship at Montefiore Hospital. He began practicing medicine in 1975 with Menlo Park Medical Group before establishing his own practice, Rudnitzky and Shugar MDs, with offices in Edison and Millburn, New Jersey. After 36 years, he transitioned to Prime Care Medical Group, where he continued seeing patients until two days before being hospitalized with a stroke. On January 26, 2025, he was honored posthumously for 50 years as an attending physician at JFK Medical Center.
Dr. Rudnitzky was also on the staff at Rahway Hospital and served as a consulting cardiologist at Roosevelt Hospital in Edison. He was a diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Cardiology.
Dr. Rudnitzky was a force in life—a skilled physician, a scholar, a philanthropist, a pioneer and a raconteur who loved a good story and a well-delivered punchline. He enjoyed engaging in philosophical debates and delving into life’s most challenging issues. He never settled; he was accomplished yet aspiring, content yet curious, fulfilled yet forward-looking.
When his wife, Sandye, was unable to carry a child after a uterine rupture, he envisioned a revolutionary solution: implanting their genetic embryo into a surrogate carrier. Though the idea was deemed impossible, unethical and immoral at the time, Dr. Rudnitzky was relentless. He reached out to IVF programs across the world until he found Dr. Wulf Utian, a South African-born, Cleveland-based gynecologist and reproductive biologist who recognized the potential in this revolution idea. Together they made medical history. In 1986, Dr. Rudnitzky’s daughter, Jillian, became the first child in the world born via gestational surrogacy. Because of his unwavering determination, hundreds of thousands of families have realized their dream of having children. In time, his legacy will have brought millions of lives into the world, forever impacting reproductive medicine.
Dr. Rudnitzky was deeply involved in his community and his faith. He never forgot what it was like to grow up with very little and always strived to be exceedingly charitable. He had a lifelong affiliation with Anshe Chesed Synagogue in Linden, serving as its president for a record six years and remaining an active board member. He was also a founding board member of Chabad House Rutgers, honored at their annual dinner in 2023 for 45 years of continual support. In addition, he served on the ethics committee of Edison Township for 15 years and the bioethics committee of the Middlesex County Medical Society.
His interests extended beyond medicine and service. He was a student of Talmud, philosophy and politics. In addition, he earned a black belt in karate.
Dr. Rudnitzky is survived by his loving wife, Sandye (Rosenbloom) Rudnitzky; his devoted daughters, Robyn Rudnitzky, Michelle Saka (William) and Jillian Brand (Danny); and his cherished grandchildren, Shalom, Mark and Danny Saka, and Tali, Ozi, and Nuri Brand. He is also survived by his sister, Joyce Petty, and nephew. He was predeceased by his beloved parents, Mathilde and Robert Rudnitzky, and his baby daughter, Heather.
Dr. Elliot Marvin Rudnitzky’s pioneering spirit, medical excellence and deep love for his family and patients leave an indelible mark on the world. He will be deeply missed but never forgotten.
