Escaping from Nazi Germany to Switzerland at 10 years old, Dr. Ruth Westheimer made her way through Israel and France before coming to the United States, where she would become famous as a radio “sexpert” and advocate for sexual literacy.
Before sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s talk in Statler Auditorium yesterday evening, the diminutive sex sage, ex-sniper and Jewish grandmother sat down with The Sun for an interview as she signed copies of her books in the Statler Hotel lounge.
THE SUN: As if it’s hard enough for many people to believe that a Jewish grandmother is a sex therapist, you were also a sniper in the Israeli War of Independence.
DR RUTH: I was. I’m not now.
THE SUN: Of course.
DR RUTH: But I’ve never killed anybody. I for some strange reason can put five bullets into the red circle, and I know – knew – how to throw hand grenades, and it was like the underground of what is now the Israel Defense Forces.
THE SUN: The Haganah.
DR RUTH: The Haganah. And it wasn’t an act of heroism. All of us were in some group or another to defend the country in 1948.
THE SUN: And you were injured.
DR RUTH: And I was injured by a