Grodin Memorial Library

Michael Alan Grodin (December 26, 1951–March 1, 2023), a beloved professor, mentor, and friend at the Boston University School of Public Health, brought a deep commitment to compassion, empathy and moral responsibility to his work.  Over his 35 years at BU, Dr. Grodin served as Professor of Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights; Professor of Family Medicine and Psychiatry at the School of Medicine; and Director of the Project on Medicine and the Holocaust at the Elie Wiesel Center for Judaic Studies- always balancing science and spirituality, understanding that both essentially contribute to health and well-being.  This set of books is part of his personal library, installed here at BU Hillel for the use of our students – who share his deep love and passion for learning.

Michael Grodin was a lifelong learner, and this collection of books were some of his greatest resources. Of particular interest to Grodin, who earned his medical degree at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, were the struggles faced by physicians in the Jewish ghettos and concentration camps of Eastern Europe during World War II. You’ll notice many books in this collection that tell these stories, outlining different aspects of medical treatment in the Holocaust.

His interests merged East and West, old and new, and led him to become a tai chi and qigong instructor who often blended movement with meditation. He co-authored several studies on the effectiveness of using tai chi in the treatment of PTSD as part of a body of scholarly work that included more than 500 invited regional, national and international lectures, and more than 200 scholarly papers and journal articles. A number of these books promote wellness in a variety of ways.

Through all of his years at BU, Grodin maintained a delicate balance between science and spirituality, understanding that both were often critical to the mental and emotional well-being of his patients. This library exemplifies that balance, and through the books on these shelves we honor his memory.

In Memoriam

Michael Grodin