MERI SCHACHTER BODOFF

SCHACHTER BODOFF-- Meri, MD. Meri was born in Elizabeth, NJ the daughter of Milton and Elsa Meyrson Schachter, older sister of David Schachter, and then spent her childhood in Greenwich Village, graduating from the City and Country School and Elizabeth Irwin High School. She graduated from Adelphi College in 1961, having majored in English, and then took Pre-Med courses at Columbia University, the School of General Studies. She graduated from New York Medical College in 1969, and then followed her aunt Alexandra Symonds, her uncle Sherman Schachter, and her uncle Martin Symonds into the specialty of Psychiatry. In 1973 she went into private practice both in New York City and in Fair Lawn, NJ. In 1978 she married Lippman Bodoff, and together they moved to Glen Rock NJ where she continued the private practice in an office in their home. She specialized in Perinatal Psychiatry when it was a new specialty, and continued the specialty of combining Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy with the use of medication. In 1993 Jason Aronson published her book Psychotherapy and Medication: A Dynamic Integration. This was a collection of papers on what was at that time considered a radical notion! She was on the staff of The Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ from 1978 until 2018. Meri always loved dogs, books and with her husband donated a collection of 500 volumes of Jewish fiction and memoir to the Frisch School in Paramus, NJ. These activities were pursued despite her nearly lifelong struggle with her health. She was predeceased by her husband in November 2014, and is survived by her beloved stepchildren, Miriam(and Yossi) Ben Yashar, David (and Juyon) Bodoff stepgrandchildren, Chen and Adi, Liam and Noam, nieces Amy, Bonnie, Michele and Tova, nephews, Jeff, Stuie Tali and Dan, greatnieces Ariella and Daniella, Aliza, Temima, Chana and Yael, greatnephews Avi , Donny and Yoni. They will always remember the family Hannukah parties and July 4th barbecues. She was devoted to her patients, and they to her. She accomplished her deepest wish in life: to make a difference.