Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society

Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS)
Map
Geography
Location1600 Pierce St., Lakewood, Colorado, U.S.
Coordinates39°44′37″N 105°04′12″W / 39.7435°N 105.0699°W / 39.7435; -105.0699
Organisation
Care systemPrivate, defunct
TypeSpecialist
Affiliated universityUniversity of Colorado, St Anthony Hospital
Services
Emergency departmentN/A
Beds400 at its peak
Specialitytuberculosis, later cancer research and treatment
History
Opened1904
Links
ListsHospitals in U.S.
Jewish Consuptives' Relief Society
Isaac Solomon Synagogue
Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society is located in Colorado
Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society
Location in Colorado
Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society is located in the United States
Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society
Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (the United States)
Location6401 W. Colfax Ave., Lakewood, Colorado
Area15 acres (6.1 ha)
Built1904 (1904)
Architectural styleClassical Revival
NRHP reference No.80000905[1]
Added to NRHPJune 26, 1980

The Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS) was a non-sectarian sanatorium to treat tuberculosis patients in Lakewood, Colorado. Founded in 1904, the sanatorium campus was also home to the first synagogue in Jefferson County, Colorado. In 1954 the institution changed its mission to cancer research and became The American Medical Center at Denver. The American Medical Center merged with the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in 2002.

Today, most of the original JCRS campus buildings are occupied by Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, which purchased the property in 2002.[2] Approximately 20 acres (8.1 ha) of the original JCRS campus was converted into a shopping center in the 1950s, known first as the JCRS Shopping Center and renamed to Lamar Station Plaza in 2014.[3]

History[edit]

By the late 19th century, Colorado and the American Southwest had become famous for the health benefits of a dry, sunny climate. At that time, the only known treatment for tuberculosis was clean air and sunshine and hundreds of people with tuberculosis descended upon Denver in hopes of finding a cure for what was then the nation's leading cause of death.[4] Consequently, many people with tuberculosis spent their last dollars coming to Colorado. By the 1890s, it was estimated that one out of every three residents of the state was there for respiratory reasons. However, no facilities existed to provide treatment or shelter to these victims. In Denver, victims of tuberculosis were literally dying in the streets as boarding houses often banned "lungers", as they were called.[5]

Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society[edit]

When the Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS) opened its doors in September 1904, it had only seven patients housed in white wooden "Tucker" tents. Over the next fifty years, the JCRS served over 10,000 patients; more than half of those patients were from New York City.[2] While National Jewish Health was founded earlier to also treat tuberculosis, and both were nondenominational, JCRS was established to serve the Denver West Side Jewish community with an Orthodox kitchen.

The campus was also home to the first synagogue in Jefferson County, Colorado. Completed in 1926, the Isaac Solomon Synagogue was the third synagogue on the JCRS campus and was actively used from 1926 until the 1950s.[6] Since 1980, the campus has been on the National Register of Historic Places,[7] though the original application does have several factual errors, such as confusing the 1926 synagogue with its 1911 predecessor.[8]

Among the founders of JCRS was Dr. Charles David Spivak, who led the organization from 1904, until his death in 1927.[9] Spivak was a political refugee from Russia (modern-day Ukraine) who attended medical school in Philadelphia before moving to Denver, Colorado.[9] He was the first editor of the Denver Jewish News[10] and the father of artist H. David Spivak.

In its history as a sanatorium, the JCRS hospital also became known as a center of Yiddish poetry and many of the patients were or became well-known literary figures, including Yehoash,[11] Lune Mattes,[12] H. Leivick,[11] and Shea Tenenbaum.[12]

The American Medical Center at Denver[edit]

In 1954, JCRS repurposed itself as the American Medical Center at Denver dedicated to cancer research and treatment. Over the next few years, approximately 20 acres (8.1 ha) of the original 148 acres (60 ha) JCRS campus along West Colfax Avenue between Kendall and Pierce Streets were developed into the JCRS Shopping Center,[13][14] which opened in 1957 with anchor stores including J.C. Penney, Joslins, and Woolworth. Originally rented as revenue for the hospital, AMC later sold the shopping center. Casa Bonita opened in the former Joslins location in 1974.[15] At about the same time, AMC also began renting the New York Building to Jefferson County and later sold the building to the county.[2]

Following AMC's merge into the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design purchased the JCRS campus's buildings, including 24 acres (9.7 ha) surrounding the buildings.[2] The JCRS Shopping Center was renamed to Lamar Station Plaza in 2014.[3]

People[edit]

Hospital staff and supporters

Patients (In chronological order)

Exhibitions and events[edit]

  • The University of Denver has a permanent online exhibit "Chasing the Cure" in which the Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society features prominently.[17]
  • In 2019, the Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society was featured in the "Lakewood: A 20th Century Journey" exhibition as part of Lakewood's 50th Anniversary celebration[18]
  • In 2022, The Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design hosted the descendants of Dr. Charles D. Spivak. Professor Thomas Keefe presented a lecture on the Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society, the Spivak family, and H. David Spivak in particular.[19][20]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System – (#80000905)". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d Keefe, Thomas (March 2020). This Day in RMCAD and the Historic JCRS | AMC Campus. Sanatorium Press. ISBN 9798628833568.
  3. ^ a b Briggs, Austin (8 October 2014). "Changes underway for strip mall housing Lakewood's Casa Bonita". Denver Post. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  4. ^ Lewis, Shanna (10 February 2015). "How tuberculosis fueled Colorado's growth". Colorado Public Radio.
  5. ^ Krainz, Thomas (2005). Delivering Aid: Implementing Progressive Era Welfare in the American West. UNM Press. p. 90. ISBN 9780826330253.
  6. ^ "JCRS Isaac Solomon Historic Synagogue Foundation".
  7. ^ "National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Jewish Consuptives' Relief Society". National Park Service. Retrieved May 21, 2022. With accompanying pictures
  8. ^ National Register of Historic Places. (1980). United States Department of the Interior National Park Service. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/73a2d84a-bf40-4999-ad97-adfc5494e3fb/index.htm
  9. ^ a b Abrams, Jeanne (31 May 2009). Dr. Charles David Spivak: A Jewish Immigrant and the American Tuberculosis Movement. University Press of Colorado. ISBN 9780870819414.
  10. ^ Uchill, Ida Libert (1957). Pioneers, Peddlers, and Tsadikim: The Story of the Jews in Colorado. Sage Press. ISBN 9780960446803.
  11. ^ a b Gilman, Ernest B. (2014). Yiddish Poetry and the Tuberculosis Sanatorium: 1900-1970. Syracuse University Press. ISBN 9780815653066.
  12. ^ a b Yudkoff, Sunny S. (2018). Tubercular Capital: Illness and the Conditions of Modern Jewish Writing. Stanford University Press. ISBN 9781503607330.
  13. ^ "CC Welcomes Shopping Center". Jeffco Transcript. 18 February 1954. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  14. ^ Flynn, Kevin (23 October 2007). "TB sanitarium spurred growth on West Colfax - JCRS became hub for several health facilities". Rocky Mountain News.
  15. ^ Svaldi, Aldo (23 October 2021). "A refreshed Casa Bonita could accelerate redevelopment along West Colfax corridor". Denver Post. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
  16. ^ "May Arno, "Musician, Author, Teacher, Actress"". 28 February 2022.
  17. ^ University of Denver. Chasing the Cure. University Libraries Online Exhibits. https://exhibits.library.du.edu/librariespresents/exhibits/show/chasing-the-cure
  18. ^ Bocko, Karyn (13 June 2019). "New exhibition "Lakewood: A 20th Century Journey" at the Lakewood Heritage Center". Denver Post.
  19. ^ Mark, Steve (10 August 2022). "Descendants of Dr. Charles Spivak gather for reunion". Intermountain Jewish News.
  20. ^ Wooley, Bob (15 August 2022). "Lakewood celebration honors Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society founder's family". Jeffco Transcript'.

External links[edit]

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