Spivak Family Papers and Art

Charles David Spivak was born in Russia in 1861 and died in Denver in 1927. Spivak became a revolutionary Socialist in his youth and had to flee Russia to avoid being arrested by the Russian secret police. He arrived in New York City in 1882 and took various jobs until he learned English. He worked as a day laborer in New York, a factory worker in Maine, and as typesetter on the "Jewish Messenger." In 1890 he graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia with honors, and by 1895 he was Chief of Staff of the Philadelphia Polyclinics in Gastro-Internal diseases. In 1893 Charles Spivak married Jennie Charsky and they had three children: David, Deena, and Ruth. Jennie Charsky was born in Russia in 1871 and briefly studied law at Cornell before graduating from the University of Denver. Because of Jennie's poor health, which was probably caused by incipient tuberculosis, the Spivaks moved to Denver in 1896. Dr. Spivak served as a Professor at the University of Denver from 1896 through 1901 in the Medical School. Jennie was a Russian language instructor at the University from 1903 until 1913. Charles Spivak was a co-founder of the Jewish Consumptives' Relief Society (JCRS) and was the executive secretary from 1904 until 1927. Jennie Spivak was listed as one of the three formal incorporaters of the JCRS. Charles Spivak was involved in every aspect of the JCRS and was affectionately known as "Papa Spivak." In addition to writing articles for the JCRS publication, "The Sanatorium," he co-authored a well known Yiddish dictionary with Yiddish poet, Yehoash. In 1898 Spivak became founding editor and publisher of the journal Medical Libraries, and wrote for the "Denver Jewish News" from 1915 to 1918. Charles and Jennie Spivak's son Haim David Spivak was born November 19, 1893 in Philadelphia and died in Denver November 23, 1932. He studied at the University of Denver, the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois and the Art Students League, New York. He was one of three co-founders of the Denver Artists Guild, now the Colorado Artists Guild.