Ruth Westheimer, famously known as Dr. Ruth, passed away on Friday at her home in New York City. She was 96. Westheimer, a pioneering sex educator, brought candid discussions about sex into American households, breaking taboos and changing the landscape of sexual health education.
Westheimer’s death was confirmed by a spokesperson, according to The New York Times. She was renowned for her explicit, down-to-earth advice on sex and relationships, delivered with a distinctive thick German accent. Her groundbreaking approach made her a trusted expert and a beloved media personality.
Born in Wiesenfeld, Germany, in 1928 to an Orthodox Jewish family, Westheimer’s early life was marked by profound tragedy. Her father was taken by the Nazis after Kristallnacht and was later killed at Auschwitz. At the age of 10, Westheimer was sent to a Swiss orphanage for safety. She borrowed books from the boys in the orphanage to continue her education, as it was forbidden for girls. She stopped receiving letters from her mother and grandmother, never hearing from them again.
At 17, Westheimer emigrated to Palestine, where she trained as a scout and sniper. She was seriously wounded by a shell during this period. Later, she moved to Paris with her first husband, where she began studying psychology. She relocated to New York and earned her master’s degree in sociology in 1959 and later a PhD in education.
Westheimer’s career in media began when she was in her 50s. She started a 15-minute radio segment at midnight on Saturdays on WYNY, a New York radio station, in 1980. The show quickly gained popularity and was syndicated nationwide by 1984 as “The Dr. Ruth Show.” Her radio success led to television, where she hosted at least five shows on Lifetime and other cable stations from 1984 to 1993, including “Good Sex! With Dr. Ruth Westheimer” and “Ask Dr. Ruth.”
Her television career made her a household name. In the 1980s and 1990s, she appeared frequently on “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,” “Late Night With David Letterman,” and even “Hollywood Squares.” She also made cameo appearances in shows like “Quantum Leap” and various TV commercials.
Westheimer’s work had a significant impact on the women’s rights and abortion rights movements. She was an advocate for women’s sexual satisfaction and autonomy, a stance that resonated with the burgeoning feminist movement of her time. “From the beginning, I said a woman has the responsibility for her own sexual satisfaction,” she told NPR, highlighting her role in promoting sexual health and education.
In 2019, her life was documented in “Ask Dr. Ruth,” a Hulu documentary that explored her reluctance to discuss her traumatic past. The documentary featured her visit to the Holocaust memorial Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, where she researched records of her family. It also showed her at home in her longtime Manhattan apartment with her children and grandchildren. Her life story was also the subject of the 2013 Off-Broadway play “Becoming Dr. Ruth.”
Westheimer remained active on social media, continued teaching, and made media appearances into her nineties. Her frankness and approachable demeanor helped demystify sex and encouraged open discussions on a topic that had been largely taboo.
Dr. Ruth Westheimer was married three times; her last husband, Fred Westheimer, died in 1997. She is survived by two children and four grandchildren. Her contributions to sexual health education and her pioneering spirit will be remembered fondly.
