At the end of June, Dr. Ralph Marcus, president of Rheumatology Associates of North Jersey will be retiring from his practice of 49 years. Over the course of these years, Dr. Marcus and wife, Judy, have witnessed major changes in the greater Teaneck community. They themselves have been key players in many of these positive changes. Dr. Marcus, a rheumatologist specializing in arthritis and other muscle, joint and bone diseases, was the first doctor at Holy Name Hospital to proudly don a kippah. He shared how the nurses called him “Father.” Dr. Marcus carries the distinction of being the first board-certified rheumatologist to practice at Holy Name and Hackensack Hospitals, where he served as head of the departments for 20 years. He has also served as a clinical associate professor of medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Newark. In the 1970s Dr. Marcus established a private practice within Teaneck, as he wanted to assure the community that there were capable doctors available locally outside of Manhattan. His office was initially located on Cedar Lane, then Palisade Avenue and for the past 20 years on Queen Anne Road. Currently his practice includes eight doctors.
As for the Marcus family’s involvement in the Teaneck Jewish community, their impact was significant. Dr. Marcus has been a member of Congregation Bnai Yeshurun for the past 49 years. For 40 years he has served as the Baal Tekia for the Old Main Minyan on the Yomim Noraim. Thirty years ago he helped establish the Chevra Kadisha at Bnai Yeshurun. He was also one of the original founders of the daily Daf Yomi group at Bnai Yeshurun, which has continued until today. Currently, he still participates in a Daf Yomi group in Yerushalayim and is proud to share that his sons and even a granddaughter are daily participants.
Judy Marcus taught elementary school at RYNJ for 14 years, after which she supervised clinical research at her husband’s practice. The Marcuses are the proud parents and grandparents of a highly accomplished and learned family residing between the U.S. and Israel.
The Marcus family officially made aliyah six years ago and reside in Rechavia. When in Israel over the past six years, Dr. Marcus practiced at a local medical kupah as well as in a private practice, which he will continue upon residing permanently in Jerusalem. The Marcuses daven at the Beit Knesset Hanassi, where they have made close American and British friends and enjoy the Divrei Torah of Rabbi Berel Wein. Looking toward their imminent full aliyah, the Marcuses are looking forward to attending the many exciting shiurim, classes and programs available daily in Yerushalayim.
When asked to share his thoughts about his experiences watching the growth of the Teaneck community over almost half a century, Dr. Marcus commented, “First I would like to thank my patients over these many years for entrusting their care to me. It will be difficult for me to leave them, but I am confident that they will continue to receive excellent care in our practice. In terms of the Teaneck community, I have witnessed a definite spiraling of economic advancement. At the same time, I have witnessed a tremendous and continuing growth in Torah learning on every level and for every segment of the population. The schools from elementary through high school are of the highest educational caliber and the shuls and learning programs around town offer top-level learning opportunities led by a new generation of highly educated and many home-grown Torah scholars. I am proud to have been a pioneer in this vibrant community.”
By Pearl Markovitz
