By Jeffrey Catalano
Assistant Editor
On Monday, January 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., come to the Mayerson JCC for a special event on the work of Dr. Ruth Westhheimer, author of “The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life.”
Co-authored with Allison Gilbert and Pierre Lehu, Dr. Westhheimer’s 2024 book offers powerful advice on dealing with loneliness and establishing meaningful human connections in a practical, straightforward manner. “The Joy of Connections” contains a stunning amount of tips — 100 to be exact — that readers can act on, making Dr. Westhheimer’s book a worthy addition to the incredibly popular self-help genre.
“The Joy of Connections” was Dr. Westhheimer’s final book before her passing in 2024. She died at 96. Born in 1928, the famous author and talk show host’s early life was plagued by darkness and tragedy.
Born in Germany and only a young child when the Nazis were coming to power, her parents sent her away to a school in Switzerland to keep her safe, while they stayed behind to look after their elderly grandmother. Both of Westhheimer’s parents were later killed in concentration camps.
After WWII came to a close, the orphaned Westhheimer emigrated to Palestine, which was controlled by Britain at the time. At only seventeen, she joined up with Haganah and became a sniper. She was wounded in action during the 1948 Palestine War, nearly losing both of her feet. She was 20 at the time.
She later moved to France to study psychology, then moved to the United States in 1956. In 1980, Dr. Westhheimer’s media career began in earnest and she became a popular personality, especially in the realm of radio.
Someone who’s lived a life like Dr. Westhheimer’s knows a thing or two about loneliness, having experienced it intimately through the loss of both her parents to the Nazis and nearly dying from a bomb blast that almost robbed her of her limbs and the ability to walk.
At the end of her life, she was named New York State’s (and America’s) first Ambassador to Loneliness, appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul. She held the position until her death in 2024.
As Ambassador to Loneliness, Dr. Westhheimer doled out simple, but profound advice to the diverse population of New York, drawing, of course, from her own incredible life story and large body of work. From her tenure as First Ambassador came her final, lasting work, “The Joy of Connections.”
One of the co-authors of the book, Pierre Lehu, will be at this event at the Mayerson JCC to discuss it.
