Karola Ruth Westheimer (née Siegel; born June 4, 1928), better known as Dr. Ruth, is a Jewish German-American sex therapist, talk show host, author, professor, Holocaust survivor, and former Haganah sniper.
Born in Germany to a Jewish family, as the Nazis came to power Westheimer's parents sent her at 10 years old to an orphanage in Switzerland for safety. Her parents were subsequently sent to concentration camps by the Gestapo, and killed. After World War II ended, she immigrated to British-controlled Mandatory Palestine. Despite being only 4 feet 7 inches (1.39 m) tall and 17 years of age, she joined the Haganah, and became a scout and sniper. On her 20th birthday, Westheimer was seriously wounded in action by an exploding shell during a mortar fire attack on Jerusalem during the 1947–1949 Palestine war, and almost lost both of her feet. Moving to Paris, France two years later, she studied psychology at the Sorbonne. Immigrating to the United States in 1956, she worked as a maid to put herself through graduate school, earned an M.A. degree in sociology from The New School in 1959, and earned a doctorate at 42 years of age from Teachers College, Columbia University in 1970. Over the next decade, she taught at a number of universities, and had a private sex therapy practice.
Westheimer's media career began in 1980 with the radio call-in show Sexually Speaking, which continued until 1990. In 1983 it was the top-rated radio show in the area, in the country's largest radio market. She then launched a television show, The Dr. Ruth Show, which by 1985 attracted 2 million viewers a week. She became known for giving serious advice while being candid, but also warm, cheerful, funny, and respectful, and for her tag phrase; "Get some". The New York Times noted in 1984 that she had risen "from obscurity to almost instant stardom." She hosted several series on the Lifetime Channel and other cable television networks from 1984 to 1993. She became a household name and major cultural figure, appeared on several network TV shows, co-starred in a movie with Gérard Depardieu, appeared on the cover of People, sang on a Tom Chapin album, appeared in several commercials, and hosted Playboy videos. She is the author of 45 books on sex and sexuality.
The one-woman 2013 play Becoming Dr. Ruth, written by Mark St. Germain, is about her life, as is the 2019 documentary, Ask Dr. Ruth, directed by Ryan White. Westheimer has been inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame, and awarded the Magnus Hirschfeld Medal, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, the Leo Baeck Medal, the Planned Parenthood Margaret Sanger Award, and the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.
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Some of their strengths
Ruth Westheimer has many admirable traits.
Based on spiritual traditions from around the world, they are someone who can be described as Charming, Energetic, Intelligent, Passionate, Optimistic, Adventurous, and Imaginative.
Charming and Quick-witted
According to Mysticism’s Astrology tradition, Ruth Westheimer is someone who is a charming, quick-witted, and energetic person who combines passion and intelligence with an ability to feel what others are feeling and to effectively communicate with them. A person who is charismatic and resourceful.
Adaptable and Versatile
Based on Daoism’s Ba-Zi or ‘Chinese Zodiac’ tradition, people who know Ruth Westheimer well know them as someone who can be adaptable, flexible, and polite, like a flower or a sapling.
Productive and Perseverent
According to Hinduism’s Jyotisha or ‘Vedic Astrology’ tradition, many would also describe Ruth Westheimer as someone who is productive, persevering, deliberate, and direct.
A person who is creative, has good luck with work and money, good listening skills, good relationships with people at work, is a good teacher or counselor, and who is good at organizing groups, teams, or causes.
Vigorous and Friendly
Based on the Mayan Tzolk’in or ‘Mayan Astrology’ tradition, Ruth Westheimer is someone who has a vigor and energy that applies itself to all life's activities and endeavors, and a knack for forming family-like structures, groups, and communities.
They are also someone who is intuitive, imaginative, and an agent of change, and who is always dreaming of life's great possibilities and partnering with people to try to achieve those possibilities.
Logical and Reasonable
According to Judaism’s Kabbalah tradition, Ruth Westheimer tends to be someone who is understanding, logical, and reasonable. Who can be intellectual and intuitive, speak the truth at any cost, be witty and sociable, and live life to its fullest.
Some of Ruth Westheimer's challenges
While Ruth Westheimer has many strengths, nobody is perfect. They also have some challenging traits they need to manage.
For example, Ruth Westheimer can be Self-centered, Impulsive, Hypocritical, Careless, Possessive, Stubborn, and Demanding.
Hypocritical and Self-centered
One of Ruth Westheimer's key challenges is that they are someone who can be perceived as hypocritical and self-centered.
Ruth Westheimer must also exercise caution as they can have a hard time reconciling wants and needs, and can have difficulty dealing with responsibility, authority, or criticism.
Possessive and Stubborn
Ruth Westheimer is someone who can be possessive, jealous, inflexible, and stubborn, can have a habit of being a frivolous spender, and who can feel insecure or cynical in romantic relationships and have difficulty forming productive personal and professional partnerships.
Indecisive and Distracted
Finally, Ruth Westheimer also can have a hard time staying focused and can easily become restless.
