Disciplines
Jewish Studies
Abstract
Ben Liptzin grew up in the Bronx on 168th Street between the Grand Concourse and Sheridan Avenue in a four-room apartment above a laundromat. His parents were Polish Jewish immigrants, and his father worked as a presser in the garment industry. Liptzin attended a yeshiva until 5th grade, after which he entered the public school system. He later attended the Bronx High School of Science, Columbia University, and medical school in Rochester. Liptzin became a geriatric psychiatrist and taught at institutions including the University of Massachusetts and Mount Sinai. He later served as Chair of Psychiatry at Baystate Medical Center in Massachusetts and helped develop programs in geriatric mental health.
Liptzin reflected on growing up in a dense, vibrant Jewish community and spending time at local institutions like the Allerton Library and Yankee Stadium. He described the ethnic and racial dynamics of the neighborhood, his family’s immigrant experience, and his education in both religious and secular settings. He discussed his lifelong connection to Jewish values and memory, including his family’s experiences with anti-Semitism and the legacy of the Holocaust. Liptzin also spoke about how the Bronx changed over the years, particularly in the 1960s, and his eventual move to Riverdale. He retains deep appreciation for the Bronx’s communal energy, which shaped his personal and professional life.
Recommended Citation
Wampold, Lydia, "Liptzin, Benjamin "Ben"" (2024). Bronx Jewish History Project. 71.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/bjhp/71
