Excerpts from Oral History Interview with Ben and Bess Glass (for Slide Show), 1978 October

Item

Identifier: B098.01.0003.00049

Staff Only

Abstract

"Ben and Bessie Glass, a couple who met while young patients of the Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS) in the 1930s, recount their memories of living at the institution while recovering from tuberculosis. They discuss the somewhat unsuccessful attempts of the staff to segregate the younger boys and girls who were patients there. They also describe the institution's efforts to provide rehabilitation in all aspects of the patients' lives, for example by providing the opportunity to work in the facility's bookbindery, an operation founded by a former patient.

The Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS) was founded in Denver, Colo. in 1904 as a non-sectarian sanatorium to treat tuberculosis (TB) patients in all stages of the disease. The society was founded by a group of immigrant Eastern European Jewish men, many of whom were themselves victims of TB. For decades patients flocked to Denver from all over the country and were admitted free of charge. In the early years, the sanatorium was headed by Dr. Charles Spivak as Secretary (1904-1927) and by Philip Hillkowitz as President (1904-1948), and catered primarily to Jewish patients in a distinctively Jewish environment."

Dates

1978 October

Creator

Glass, Benjamin, 1897-1985 (Interviewee, Person)

Language of Materials

English with some Yiddish

Rights and Usage Statement

This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. In addition, no permission is required from the rights-holder(s) for educational uses. For other uses, you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Extent

1 Items (1 sound tape cassette)

Additional Description

Scope and Contents

From the Series:

Series 1 consists of the recorded oral histories of individuals and, occasionally, groups of individuals representing Jewish organizations. Many of the interviewees are descendants of early Colorado Jewish pioneers or were Jewish newcomers to the state in the beginning of the 20th century. The interviews document Jewish history in Colorado in the 20th century.