Who Am I? June 5, 2021
I was born into an orthodox Jewish family in Weisenfeld, Germany at the worst of times. My mom, Irma, was a hausfrau and my dad, Julius was a notions wholesaler. My poor dad was snatched by the authorities a few days after Kristallnacht. My mom and my paternal grandmother grabbed at the chance to get me out of Nazi Germany and put me on a kindertransport with 100 other kids bound for Switzerland. . Years later I found out that my parents were deported to the Lodz ghetto and perished along with millions of others in the Holocaust.
I was given vocational training at an orphanage in Switzerland and worked for a time as a handmaiden to the children of rich Swiss families. At age 17 I emigrated to British Mandatory Palestine where I soon joined the Haganah, the forerunner of the I.D.F. During the 1948 War of Independence I was wounded by an errant Jordanian shell and spent a long time convalescing before I could walk properly again.
I left the new state of Israel to study in France at the Institute of Psychology at the Sorbonne. I also taught kindergarten in France to make ends meet. In the mid-1950’s I emigrated to the U.S.; and, like many native German Jews, I took up residence in Washington Heights. I was fortunate to get a scholarship at the New School for Social Research where I earned an M.A. Later on, I earned a Doctor of Education degree from Teacher’s College at Columbia University.
There were a couple of very strong influences upon me that led to my chosen career field. A key mentor of mine was a professor of psychiatry at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical
Center. The second big influence on my career path was a job I took with Planned Parenthood.
Over the years I’ve made my mark as a radio presenter; as a pop culture icon who became a household name; as a TV guest on talk shows like Johnny Carson, Nightline, Late Night with David Letterman; as a TV show host myself; and as an author. I’ve penned about 40 books! A play was written about me and I am also a board game. My shows became syndicated and I may have even spoken to you if you rang me up on one of my call-in shows. I’m pretty sure I’ve met some you either in June 2015 when I came to Bookends at 211 E. Ridgewood Avenue in Ridgewood to meet, greet and sign copies of one of my books or else when I gave a talk at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in November 2018. I tweet and have my own website.
My forte is communicating frankly and honestly about the joy in intimacy when coupled with the need of personal responsibility. That’s a younger version of me in the photo below.
(1)”Who Am I?” (2)I’ve headed several mass media shows. Name just 2 of them. (3a)What was the title of my “How to” manual? (3b)What is the title of my autobiography and who
was my co-author? (4a) I have collected miniature dollhouses and turtle figurines. Why turtles? (4b)Which book of mine did I autograph in Ridgewood, N.J.? Here are a few rapid fire trivia questions: (5a) Who was my favorite N.Y. mayor? (5b)Where do I sit when I go to Sardi’s Restaurant? (5c)What is my connection to Tryon Park in Hudson Heights? (5d) Finally, what is my shoe size?
