Philantropist. A founder of the Betty Bacharach Rehabilitation Hospital, Longport, later Pamona. Bacharach was established in 1924 in response to the polio epidemic that was devastating America’s children. In the early years of the 20th century, poliomyelitis was annually claiming thousands of children. Those who survived the disease were left with neurological problems that ravaged their bodies leaving many wheelchair bound or in orthopedic braces.

Two Atlantic City business and public leaders, Mayor Harry Bacharach and his brother, Congressman Isaac Bacharach, donated a three-story brick and frame building to the Atlantic City Lodge of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks. The Bacharach brothers expressed that the home was to be used as a Center "to treat and rehabilitate crippled and afflicted children". They named the center, "The Betty Bacharach Home," as a perpetual memorial for their beloved mother.

From its opening in 1924, "The Home", as it became known to all, treated all children regardless of race, heritage or affluence. The Home could house up to one hundred children and operated as a rehabilitation center and hospital to treat the daily suffering of infantile paralysis. The Betty Bacharach Home was located in the shore resort of Longport, and the ocean salt breezes were then believed to play a major role in the recovery process. Regardless of the ocean air’s therapeutic powers, it was a place filled with sunshine, where play was the daily prescription.

At first the standard treatment for polio was splinting and keeping the affected limbs immobile. Bacharach’s staff pioneered and gained national recognition for the use of the Sister Kenny method of treatment. The Kenny Method consisted of physical therapy, developing and maintaining a range of motion for the afflicted areas, to achieve strength, mobility, independence and self-esteem.

The Home also gained national attention because of its close proximity to the entertainment and resort life of Atlantic City. Movie stars and entertainers often made it a stop on their schedule to entertain and cheer the children. Photos in local archives are replete with the smiling faces of children and the entertainment giants of the 30s, 40s, and 50s. In the mid 50s the Salk and Sabin vaccines were introduced and soon the polio virus was eradicated.

Lodge: Belcher #180
Residence: Atlantic City