Born at the beth: Newark's Jewish Hospital since 1901

Photographs from the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center Collection at the Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest.

"Born at the Beth", the third in a series of traveling exhibitions
sponsored by the Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest, pays visual
tribute to the founding of Beth Israel Hospital in 1901 by members of
Newark's Jewish community. Beth Israel has known three buildings in its
100 year history. Two buildings were located on West Kinney and High
Streets, now Martin Luther King Boulevard, from 1901-1927. The current
Beth Israel, located on Lyons Avenue, opened in 1928.

Through photographs, artifacts, video documentary, and memorabilia, "Born at the Beth" attempts to answer such questions as why Jews opened hospitals in the first place, and how Beth Israel grew and survived such crises as the Great Depression and World War II shortages.

Among its lists of medical firsts, Beth Israel is credited for the discovery of the Rh factor, responsible for the first successful implant of a nuclear battery-operated pacemaker and site of New Jersey's first heart and lung transplants. Now a world-class medical center, Newark Beth Israel merged with Saint Barnabas Health Care System in 1996 and the proceeds from the sale of Beth Israel established The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey.

This, ultimately, is the story of a family business, or what we affectionately term the Beth family. Two, three and four generation doctors and dentists have interned, volunteered or worked at Beth Israel. Husband and wife teams have practiced at the Beth. Likewise, two and three generations of a family have volunteered or been employed at Beth Israel. Thousands of MetroWest residents claim they, too, were born at the Beth and enjoy the benefits of being part of such a remarkable legacy.

This exhibition is brought to you by the Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest, a subsidiary agency of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest and a recipient of a General Operating Support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.

Additional support has been received from Dr. Victor Parsonnet, The Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey, the Jerome and Sarah Zellar Foundation, Schering-Plough, the Hirschhorn Conservation/Preservation Endowment, the Daniel and Ruth Shiman Memorial Fund, the Lillian and Saul Schwarz Memorial Endowment, the Sam Hollander Endowment, Sandra Heinberg, Betty and Sheldon Fienberg and Marlene Gold Astman. Humanities Week Tours (Oct. 15-22, 2005) were sponsored by the New Jersey Council for the Humanities.

For more information about the exhibit, or to inquire about hosting it, please contact JHSMW Curator/Outreach Director Linda Forgosh at 973-929-2994, or click here to send an e-mail.

© 2005 TheJewish Historical Society of MetroWest, All Rights Reserved
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The Jewish Historical Society of MetroWest is a beneficiary agency of the United Jewish Communities of MetroWest

The Jewish Historical Society received an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State.