Report of the President's Commission on the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

Subsequent Home Life

After returning to his family, the unit remained disordered. His father stayed apart from the children at least until 1936 and possibly later. Family members described Fannie as never a housekeeper, careless with money, selfish, and indifferent to the children. Dr. Hyman I. Rubenstein recalled she ran an “irregular household” and appeared “a rather disturbed person of poor personal appearance.” Around 1913, Fannie developed a delusion that a fishbone was lodged in her throat; for years Hyman took her to a clinic monthly where doctors found no organic cause. She resumed clinic visits in 1927, had a thyroidectomy in 1930, but claimed no relief. She was committed to Elgin State Hospital on July 16, 1937, paroled October 17, 1937, then readmitted January 14, 1938, after the family reported her uncooperative, discordant, noisy, and obscene behavior. She was paroled again May 27, 1938, and discharged “improved” August 25, 1938. She then lived with daughter Marion, whose separation from the family ended most difficulties. Her husband eventually rejoined her; alien registration forms from late 1940 showed both at Marion’s address. Fannie died at Michael Reese Hospital on April 11, 1944, from heart trouble complicated by pneumonia. Joseph died in Chicago on December 24, 1958, at age 87.

Education

Chicago Board of Education records show Jack attended Smyth Grammar School from October 24, 1916, through 1920-21, completing kindergarten through 4B and repeating the third grade. He finished fourth grade at Clarke School in 1921-22 and completed sixth grade at Schley School in 1924-25. Gaps in 1922-23 and 1923-24 likely relate to his time with the Institute for Juvenile Research and Jewish Home Finding Society. He probably completed eighth grade in 1927 at age 16. Although Ruby claimed at least one year of high school, the Chicago Board of Education found no records of his attendance, and the Commission deemed it unlikely his education extended beyond eighth grade given the absence of records and his apathetic attitude. As of June 1922, Ruby had no religious education outside public school. His parents observed Orthodox Jewish dietary and festival laws and sent the boys to Hebrew school until the 1921 breakup, though instability and economic pressures undermined these efforts.