Phoebe Yates Levy Pember

Name: __________________ Date: _______________

All About Phoebe Yates Levy Pember

Phoebe Yates Levy Pember was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1823. During the Civil War, Phoebe served in Chimborazo Military Hospital, which claimed to be the largest hospital in the world. Over 76,000 soldiers had been treated in that hospital by the end of the Civil War. Phoebe dedicated her life to helping those soldiers.

Life in the hospital was very difficult for soldiers. They did not have medicine to make their injuries less painful, and there was never enough food to go around. The hospitals were not always clean, and most people were miserable to be there. Phoebe tried to make life better for the wounded and sick soldiers. When she was not helping doctors to care for the soldiers’ wounds, she would play cards, read stories, and write letters for soldiers. She even held hands with dying soldiers so they would not be scared or lonely.

In Chimborazo, Phoebe dedicated herself to caring for the sick. The act of kindness was an example of bikur cholim, or caring for the sick, which is another way to fulfill one’s responsibility to make the world a better place. Phoebe was a hero to the soldiers that she helped because she showed them that someone cared about them. It is very important that we follow in her footsteps.