Joseph Lewi (August 17, 1820 – December 19, 1897) was an American

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

Czech Jewish The history of the Jews in the Czech lands, historically the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, including the modern Czech Republic (i.e. Bohemia, Moravia, and the southeast or Czech Silesia), goes back at least 1100 years. There is evidence that ...

extraction.

Biography

Lewi was born on August 17, 1820, in

Radnice Radnice () is a town in Rokycany District in the Plzeň Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 1,800 inhabitants. Administrative division Radnice consists of two municipal parts (in brackets population according to the 2021 census): *Radnice ...

and educated at the universities of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

and

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

. After graduating from the latter university ( MD 1846), he was appointed assistant at the Vienna Lying-in Hospital. In 1847, he began to practise in Radnice. Lewi's first patient was the daughter of

Isaac Mayer Wise Isaac Mayer Wise (29 March 1819 – 26 March 1900) was an American Reform rabbi, editor, and author. Early life Wise was born on 29 March 1819 in Steingrub in Bohemia (today Lomnička, a part of Plesná in the Czech Republic). He was the son ...

, who was to become the first rabbi in

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It is located on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River. Albany is the oldes ...

, and the most notable American Jewish leader of the 19th century. In 1948, at Wise's suggestion, he emigrated to America, settling in Albany, where his family shared a house with the Wise family. Lewi became one of the first Jewish professionals in Albany and the first Jewish physician in Albany. There he was appointed on the staff of the Albany hospital, and became a member and later president of the Albany County Medical Society, and senior censor of the State Medical Society. Lewi was one of the forty-two citizens of Albany who organized, in 1863, the

Union League The Union Leagues were quasi-secretive men's clubs established separately, starting in 1862, and continuing throughout the Civil War (1861–1865). The oldest Union League of America council member, an organization originally called "The Leagu ...

in that city. Thirteen of Lewi's fourteen children survived him. The oldest son was the journalist Isidor Lewi (1850–1938
/ref>). He was educated at

The Albany Academy Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school in Albany, New York. It enrolls students from Prekindergaten (age 4) to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the cit ...

, became connected with several newspapers, and was an editorial writer for the ''

New York Tribune The ''New-York Tribune'' (from 1914: ''New York Tribune'') was an American newspaper founded in 1841 by editor Horace Greeley. It bore the moniker ''New-York Daily Tribune'' from 1842 to 1866 before returning to its original name. From the 1840s ...

'' and publisher of the "New Era Illustrated Magazine." Another son, Maurice J. Lewi (born Albany December 1, 1857), was a physician in New York City. He graduated from the

Albany Medical College Albany Medical College (AMC) is a Private university, private medical school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1839 by Alden March and James H. Armsby and is one of the oldest medical schools in the nation. The college is part of the Albany Me ...

in 1877. After a postgraduate course in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

and Vienna he began to practice in Albany in 1880, became a lecturer at the Albany Medical College and professor of medical jurisprudence at the

Albany Law School Albany Law School is a private law school in Albany, New York. It was founded in 1851 and is the oldest independent law school in the nation. It is accredited by the American Bar Association The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary ...

, and later became secretary of the state board of medical examiners. Lewi died on December 19, 1897, in Albany, New York.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lewi, Joseph Emigrants from the Austrian Empire to the United States Physicians from the Austrian Empire New-York Tribune people 19th-century American physicians Albany Medical College alumni American people of Czech-Jewish descent 1820 births 1897 deaths People from Rokycany District The Albany Academy alumni