“As someone who was severely wounded in Israel's 1948 War of Independence, of course I stand with Israel today. But those wounds also help me to identify with all the dead and wounded on both sides.” - Dr. Ruth Westheimer, z"l, 1928-2024. Dr. Ruth, as she was known, the famed sex therapist and Holocaust survivor, passed away today. She turned the horrors she experienced in the Shoah into a lifelong drive to make the world a better place: "I lived, while one and a half million Jewish children died. So I have an obligation to repair the world." After surviving the Holocaust, Dr. Ruth moved to Israel and served in the Haganah, learning to throw grenades and getting injured in Israel's war for independence. She later began working at Planned Parenthood, and then became famous as the author of several books on sex and a radio host of a popular sex advice show. “I think people will say she had the guts — in Jewish tradition, it’s called chutzpah. She had the nerve to talk about things other people were too worried to talk about," Dr. Ruth once said of how she will be remembered. Dr. Ruth's legacy of frank discussion of sex and intimacy left an indelible mark on our culture. She will be missed by countless fans. May her memory be a blessing!
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