I was thrilled to be hired as the photographer for Faces of Orthodoxy Season 6 Atlanta (backed by the Orthodox Union). They profiled 6 movers and shakers, to tell their dynamic stories, and show the world that Orthodox people are relatable, rather than exotic or strange as seen in the media.
Week five: Dr. Joseph Tate
“I’m named after my father, Yosef Leib, who was killed on D-Day while my mother was pregnant with me. He was from Eastern Europe & my mother was from India. They met in England during the war. My father’s dream was for me to be brought up in America, so my mother moved to Boston. I went to public school & Hebrew school through 7th grade. I probably had ADHD, but when my mother took me for an evaluation, the psychiatrist said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with him, he’s just bored.’ I went back to England to attend an upper-class Jewish boarding school. After returning to America, I got a chemical engineering degree at @northeastern & then went to work as a computer engineer. I helped invent & patent a part used in every car battery & got my MBA. But I didn’t feel fulfilled. I investigated many alternatives, & finally, much to my surprise, I chose to become a physician.
Once I got married, my wife and I decided to take on more Jewish practices. I made kiddush on Shabbos & we had a kosher home, but we didn’t keep Shabbos fully. Against what seemed like all odds, I got into medical school when I was 30 at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. I learned Dutch in a panic because that’s what my professors spoke. But there was nothing in Leuven for a Jewish family, so we moved to Antwerp. Two years later I transferred to the University of Antwerp.
We became best friends with our next-door neighbors who were religious, many of whom were Ger & Belz chassidim. They guided us along as we became more observant. As it turns out, we weren’t in Antwerp, of all places, for medical school; we were there to find our Judaism! And when Hashem knew we were on the road, He rewarded us. I transferred to @yale where I received my MD. Yale, of course, opened doors for residency. I matched at @emorydeptofmed & joined the Atlanta Beth Jacob community in 1980.
I’ve been in the Emory system for over 23 years & get to teach residents. Teaching is the best way to improve myself clinically. But I never thought I’d deliver babies in the Orthodox community. Today, there are 2nd generation kids I’ve delivered in the shul. I’ve delivered over 800 babies in the community.”
“@bethjacobatl was the first time I ever really belonged to a synagogue. We always understood the importance of giving back to the community. We were one of the builders of @tdsaofficial & I’ve been the president of the Eruv for over 30 years. The eruv is an urban boundary that allows carrying on Shabbos. Georgia Power helped us maintain it over the years. When we needed to switch over to a new method, I went out every Sunday rewiring 15 utility poles a day. I also counsel brides from all over the world leading up to their weddings. I get tremendous fulfillment being in service to my community & Creator.
I delivered my first “community baby” when I was still a resident. At one point, I had delivered 80% of the kids at Beth Jacob. On Simchas Torah, I’d pledge a donation for every kid I delivered who showed up to shul. Once it got to over 180 kids, I got sponsored by the community to raise even more for charity, and all the children come under a giant tallis prayer shawl with me while I give the blessing.
My wife & I have 6 children who were born all over – Boston, Antwerp, New Haven & Atlanta. We have 17 grandchildren & 2 great-grandchildren. Having a large family is the greatest blessing for an only child.
I maintain an inherent belief that women are created with the ability to have babies. This is how they are designed by G-d. Of course, we utilize modern science, but it’s not the be-all and end-all. I don’t think the current 35-50% C-section rate is right. I don’t believe in doing major surgery on a patient if we don’t have to. A large portion of my patients had previous C-sections. Most of them prove me correct and can give birth again without a cesarean. Before long, my name got out there as a proponent of VBAC. I was even featured on a @pbs Religion & Ethics Newsweekly series about how my Orthodox life impacts my delivery of babies. I truly believe that women can have babies if we allow them the chance.”
BTS photots and video by Yelena Hertzberg, best person ever to have on set with you.