The Truth About Ruth

Debra Auspitz

Who the hell is Dr. Ruth Westheimer? No, really -- there are few public figures who cram so many seemingly contradictory personas into one teeny frame (maybe that's why People called her one of the "Most Intriguing People of the Century"). Is Dr. Ruth the superhero of sex education, using her vast knowledge and frank manner to try to overcome a nation's prudishness and give the study of all things sexual a good academic name? Or is she just a media hog, a pint-sized in-joke -- look at the funny woman talking about sex! Atrocities like her Herbal Essences commercial gig ("Just wait till you try ze body vash!") certainly knock her down a notch or two on the esteemed-scholar scale. Then there's the other Dr. Ruth, a German Jew sent to a Swiss school that quickly turned into an orphanage when most of the Jewish students lost their entire families during the Holocaust. This Dr. Ruth fought with the Haganah for Israeli independence as a teenager, then studied at the Sorbonne. But no matter which Dr. Ruth you meet, you're still meeting a legend, an extraordinarily successful scholar and businesswoman, and an unmistakable media personality.

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All of the facets that make up this fascinating woman will come together this week at Temple Beth Zion-Beth Israel when Dr. Ruth delivers a lecture on "Sex, Love and Romance in a Jewish Context" (well, every facet except the body wash -- probably).

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, presented by the Center City Kehillah, Thu., Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m., $18-$36, Temple Beth Zion–Beth Israel, 18th and Spruce sts. Reception preceding talk, 5-7 p.m., Chancellor Park, 20th and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, for reservations call 215-832-0631.