(RNS) Which Brooklyn-born woman celebrated her 99th birthday this month (Sept. 30) by promoting a new documentary film about her career as a journalist, award-winning author of 20 books, celebrated photographer and a global humanitarian?
It’s the same woman who, in 1931 at age 20, graduated with a doctorate from the University of Cologne, making her the youngest person to earn a Ph.D. at that time.
The same woman who, with her perfect knowledge of German, attended a Nazi rally in the 1930s because she, as a young Jewish girl, wanted to learn first-hand why Adolf Hitler exercised such evil power over millions of people.
The same woman who, a few years later, flew in rickety Soviet aircraft to write a book about the people who lived in Russia’s bleak Arctic region.
The same woman who was a secret agent of President Franklin Roosevelt, and traveled to Europe during World War II to help bring 1,000 war-weary refugees from 18 countries to the United States.
The same woman who, in 1947, covered the Exodus ship carrying 4,500 Jewish Holocaust survivors that was forbidden entry to British-controlled Palestine, and who accompanied those refugees when the British returned them to Germany. Her front-page articles about the refugees’ plight attracted worldwide attention and helped break the British blockade.
The same woman who has written books about such diverse regions as Alaska and Puerto Rico and who, at age 74, journeyed to Africa to report on the exodus of Ethiopian Jews to Israel.
The same woman who was portrayed by Natasha Richardson in a 2001 film, and who remains a global leader in the fight against censorship and a champion of human rights everywhere.
The same woman who shattered a myriad of gender barriers long before the world ever heard the words “feminism” or “glass ceiling?” The same womanour family has been privileged to call a friend for more than 30 years.
The answer: Dr. Ruth Gruber.
My wife Marcia vividly recalls a 1983 trip to Israel she made with Ruth as part of a delegation of authors and journalists. “Most of us wore jeans and several turtlenecks we could pack into one small suitcase, but Ruth juggled several pieces of large luggage containing her flawlessly coordinated elegant wardrobe and matching jewelry.
“Ruth looked fabulous at all times; the rest of us didn’t. She needed good clothing and jewelry because some nights she left our group to dine with more important people, such as the president of Israel.”
After World War II, Gruber pressed for “her” 1,000 refugees to gain U.S. citizenship since they were originally only presidential “guests” in America. Her efforts were successful, and many of the newcomers have made outstanding contributions to our nation: one, Dr. Alex Margulies, helped develop the CAT-scan and MRI medical tests. Another, Ralph Manfred, was a leader in the U.S. space program.
Ever the professional journalist, Gruber has an interviewing style that is both knowledgeable and probing because she is always in search of the real story. Asked recently how she maintained such a hectic and creative schedule, Ruth replied: “Proper diet, exercise every day, never, never retire, keep up your social life.”
There was one more thing she added, and it’s worth remembering: “Do everything, everything from the heart.”
(Rabbi Rudin, the American Jewish Committee’s senior interreligious adviser, is the author of the forthcoming “Christians & Jews, Faith to Faith: Tragic History, Promising Present, Fragile Future.”)
