Dr. Ruth: From holocaust survivor to America's sex therapist
Ruth Westheimer, known as Dr. Ruth, was the first person to openly discuss sex in American media. She started with a radio show and then pursued a career in television, publishing nearly 40 books.
15 July 2024 08:01
She survived the Holocaust. Before beginning her career, she was a sniper
Ruth Westheimer was born on 4 June 1928, in Germany, into a Jewish family. When she was young, her parents were killed in concentration camps. At the age of 10, she was sent to an orphanage in Switzerland. Seven years later, she emigrated to Palestine, where she became a scout and a sniper.
She then moved to Paris and began studying psychology at the Sorbonne. Later, she moved to the United States, where, after completing her master's and doctorate, she began working at private universities.
When she turned 50, she started her own programme on New York radio station WYNY. The show, which aired on Sundays after midnight, quickly gained popularity and captured the hearts of Americans. Dr Ruth answered listeners' questions, debunking myths and presenting facts about sex.
She became a pop culture icon
The 15-minute radio segment was broadcast for four years until 1984. Dr Ruth then moved to television, where she began hosting the show "Dr. Ruth Westheimer." The show quickly expanded from a quarter-hour to a full hour.
Her advice supposedly saved many marriages, although the icon of sexual education herself walked down the aisle three times. Her first two marriages ended quickly. At the age of 32, she married her great love. Ruth and Manfred Westheimer's marriage lasted until his death in 1997.
Dr Ruth has published over 40 books that have helped both older and younger readers understand many sex-related issues. Some of the most famous works are "Sex for Dummies," "Dr. Ruth's Encyclopedia of Sex," and "Dr. Ruth's Sex After 50: Revving Up the Romance, Passion & Excitement!".
In the 1980s and '90s, Westheimer was a frequent guest on popular TV shows such as "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" and "Late Night With David Letterman." Additionally, through her collaboration with Playboy, she released a series of films teaching about sex. All these efforts cemented her status as a media star.
She wanted to become an ambassador of loneliness
Westheimer did not live to see the release of her latest book, "The Joy of Connections," which discusses the issue of loneliness and ways to overcome it. The book, written together with Allison Gilbert and Pierre Lehu, will be released in the United States on 3 September.
Dr Ruth, who in 2023 became the first ambassador of loneliness in New York, wanted to be seen not only as a sex expert but also as a person drawing attention to mental health issues, particularly those affecting older people related to loneliness.
