Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer, the radio and TV sex counselor known as Dr. Ruth, will be memorialized in two programs in New York this month.
PASADENA, CA – FEBRUARY 11: Dr. Ruth Westheimer of ‘Ask Dr. Ruth’ speaks onstage during the Hulu Panel during the Winter TCA 2019 on February 11, 2019 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Hulu)
Getty Images for Hulu
Tonight the Museum of Jewish Heritage—A Living Memorial to the Holocaust will present “An Obligation to Repair the World,” a memorial celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Ruth, a longtime board member, who died at the age of 96 last July. This will be livestreamed.
On June 25 Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College in Manhattan will celebrate her legacy with a conversation with the co-authors of her final book and a screening of the 2019 documentary, “Ask Dr. Ruth,” made as she approached her 90th birthday.
The Museum of Jewish Heritage program, to be held in its Safra Hall, will run from 7 to 9 p.m. ET and include an unveiling of the Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer Stage, as well as performances by Zamir Choral and Tom Chapin.
Throughout the evening, family members and friends will reflect on Dr. Ruth’s life and legacy. Among the speakers will be museum president and CEO Jack Kliger, board members Jeff Tabak and Patti Kenner, Annette Insdorf, Ryan White, Mark St. Germain, Pierre Lehu, John Lollos, as well as her children, Miriam and Joel Westheimer. Audience members also will view a short, animated film, Ruth: A Little Girl’s Big Journey, about Dr. Ruth’s childhood.
“The Museum of Jewish Heritage was very important to our mother,” said her children. “We celebrated so many happy events with her at the museum and she certainly was very comfortable on a stage. Naming the stage in her memory is a perfect way to preserve her legacy and her love of the museum.”
“Dr. Ruth was not only a force of nature—she was a force for good,” said Kliger. “We are deeply honored to rename our stage in memory of Dr. Ruth. Her commitment to Holocaust education and to the work of this museum helped ensure that memory is never lost and that future generations understand their responsibility to stand up against hate.”
“Dr. Ruth brought light wherever she went,” added museum board chairman Bruce Ratner. “She championed education and remembrance with courage and compassion. Her leadership on our board helped shape the museum into what it is today. This tribute is a celebration of a woman who inspired millions and reminded all of us that resilience and purpose can change the world.”
The Roosevelt House program on June 25 will feature a discussion with two of Dr. Ruth’s collaborators, Allison Gilbert and Pierre Lehu, co-authors of her final book, The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life.
There also will be a screening of the 2019 documentary Ask Dr. Ruth, which Roosevelt House said would “complement the discussion by providing the full context of Dr. Ruth’s extraordinary life and career.”
Together, Roosevelt House said, “the discussion and film screening will illuminate the legacy of the inimitable, irreplaceable Dr. Ruth—and what we can continue to learn from her cherished memory. In particular, this program promises to show how she drew on her personal experiences—from the loneliness that followed the loss of her family in the Holocaust, to that of living in an orphanage and the challenges of rebuilding her life in America—to help individuals break free from the bonds of sexual stigmatization, hopelessness and isolation.”
According to the Museum of Jewish Heritage, Dr. Ruth’s “life story was a testament to resilience, courage, and the enduring human spirit. Born Karola Ruth Siegel in Frankfurt, Germany in 1928, she separated from her family and left Germany on the Kindertransport when she was only 10 years old, never again seeing her family who all lost their lives during the Holocaust. After the war, she emigrated to the United States, where she went on to become a beloved figure, known for her groundbreaking work in the field of human sexuality and her ability to connect with people across generations.
“Her association with the Museum of Jewish Heritage was a source of immense pride for both Dr. Westheimer and the institution. As a board member, she played an integral role in furthering its mission to educate, commemorate and inspire future generations about the Holocaust and its lessons. Her commitment to preserving the memory of the Holocaust and ensuring that its history is never forgotten was unwavering,” it concluded.