1888-1968
Dr. Finkler established and headed the endocrinology department at Beth Israel Hospital. This was the first endocrinology department in New Jersey. She also practiced medicine in Newark for 55 years and wrote over 70 papers. She was president of the NJ Women’s Medical Association and received the Woman of the Year award from the AMA in 1956.
Born in Russia, Dr. Finkler arrived in the US at age 13. She was the first women intern at Polyclinic at Philadelphia General Hospital. She graduated the Women’s Medical College of Philadelphia and lived for many years at 35 Leslie Street in Newark.
Bibliography
Journal of the Medical Society of New Jersey 1984
“Dr. Rita S. Finkler, Retired Physician, 80” Star Ledger Nov 9, 1968
Gillan, Maria (1996). “Rita Sapiro Finkler, 1888–1968”. In Burstyn, Joan N. (ed.). Past and Promise: Lives of New Jersey Women. Syracuse University Press. pp. 288–290. ISBN 978-0-8156-0418-1.
Hurst, Marsha (March 1, 2009). “Rita Sapiro Finkler”. Jewish Women’s Archive.
http://www.njwomenshistory.org/Period_5/finkler.htm
“Dr Rita Finkler of Short Hills” Newark News Nov 9, 1968