Yehuda Nir facts for kids
Yehuda Nir (born March 31, 1930 – died July 19, 2014) was an American psychiatrist and author. He was born in Poland and survived a very difficult time during World War II called the Holocaust. During this time, he pretended to be a Roman Catholic and learned Latin to stay safe from danger.
His experiences during the war led him to become a psychiatrist. He specialized in helping children and people who had experienced very stressful events. In 1959, he moved to the United States to continue his medical training. He worked in New York City and Philadelphia. From 1979 to 1986, he was the head of child psychiatry at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Who Was Yehuda Nir?
Yehuda Nir was born Juliusz Gruenfeld in a city called Lwów, which was in Poland at the time. Today, this city is known as Lviv in Ukraine. He was born on March 31, 1930.
After World War II, he decided to change his name to "Nir." His original last name, Gruenfeld, had German roots. The name "Nir" means 'plowed fields' in Hebrew.
His Important Book: The Lost Childhood
Yehuda Nir wrote a special book about his experiences during the Holocaust. This book is called "The Lost Childhood." It was first published in 1989.
A new edition of the book was printed by Scholastic Press in 2002. Today, "The Lost Childhood" is used in high schools across the United States. It helps students learn about this important part of history.
He also wrote other books to help people with their relationships. These books included "Not Quite Paradise: Making Marriage Work" and "Loving Men for All the Right Reasons."
Later Life and Legacy
Yehuda Nir passed away at his home in Manhattan, New York City, on July 19, 2014. He was 84 years old.
His funeral was held at Riverside Memorial Chapel in New York. He was buried on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. He is remembered for his work as a psychiatrist and for sharing his powerful story in "The Lost Childhood."
