Leora Einleger: Granddaughter of Dr. Ruth, on Resilience and Connection

A deeply personal conversation with Leora Einleger, granddaughter of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, groundbreaking sex therapist and Holocaust survivor is featured on this episode of TO BE CONTINUED...Reflections on Growing Up with Holocaust Survivors. The conversation reveals how Dr. Ruth’s experiences of profound loss fueled a lifelong commitment to joy, human connection, and combating loneliness and antisemitism, offering a powerful meditation on how trauma can be transformed into meaning, and how legacy lives on through the choices and voices of future generations. This episode is generously sponsored by Karen and George Goldberg, in honor of their children and three grandchildren, who are all descendants of Karen's mom, Ilona Medwied, a Holocaust survivor and the inspiration for this podcast; and also in honor of George's dad, Staff Sergeant Frederick Goldberg of the US Army Air Force, who flew 35 missions as a B-17 side gunner, fighting the Nazis. TRANSCRIPT: I once ran into her in the gift shop at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. She was very easy to spot—a diminutive woman who spoke with a German accent anyone would recognize. I introduced myself. She introduced herself. We exchanged pleasantries. It was all lovely. Then, a few years later, I was in the lobby of the Beverly Hills Hotel, and I saw her again. I reintroduced myself. Whether or not she really remembered me, she acted as if she did. Then she asked me a few questions about how I was doing. For some reason, I told her that I had become newly single again—and then her eyes sparkled. I could tell that she would have given me advice if only I had asked for it. I am talking about the late Dr. Ruth Westheimer. Welcome to our podcast, To Be Continued… Reflections on Growing Up with Holocaust Survivors, where we explore the intersections of memory, identity, and resilience. Our goal is to lift up the experiences of children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors and to ask: How do those memories shape you? How did resilience create you as the person you are today? What is the legacy that you will leave to those who come after you? Before we begin, this episode is generously sponsored by Karen and George Goldberg, in honor of their children and three grandchildren, all descendants of Karen’s mother, Ilona Medwied, a Holocaust survivor and the inspiration for this podcast. Also in honor of George’s father, Staff Sergeant Frederick Goldberg of the U.S. Army Air Force, who flew 35 missions as a B-17 side gunner fighting the Nazis. I’m your host, Rabbi Jeff Salkin. Because this episode is released in early April—close to Yom HaShoah—its relevance is particularly poignant. Before Dr. Ruth became a cultural icon, she was Karola Ruth Siegel, a Jewish child in Nazi Germany who escaped on the Kindertransport, a rescue effort that saved thousands of Jewish children from Nazi Europe. She lost her parents in the Holocaust and grew up as an orphan in Switzerland. Ruth would go on to become an Israeli soldier. She would come to the United States, earn a doctorate, and eventually become one of the world’s most recognizable and authoritative voices speaking openly about sex, relationships, and human intimacy. Today’s guest is Leora Einleger, the proud granddaughter of Dr. Ruth K. Westheimer—may her memory be a blessing—whom she calls Omi, a self-described orphan of the Holocaust. Leora had a rare blessing: she had Omi in her life for 28 years. Omi’s story of survival, resilience, and joy profoundly shaped Leora’s career and personal pursuits. She is a New York attorney specializing in commercial litigation and white-collar defense and investigations. In Omi’s memory, she maintains an active pro bono practice focused on reproductive rights and combating antisemitism. Leora represents the third generation—carrying forward both the memory of loss and the extraordinary resilience that followed. Before we go further, this is Women’s History Month. When we think of history-making women, Dr. Ruth is near the top of my list—not only because she carried grief, displacement, and survival, but because she refused to let loss define her. She used her life to help others live more fully and honestly. Leora, welcome. It’s great to have you with us. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: Thanks so much for having me. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: Let’s start simply—what was it like growing up with Dr. Ruth? Leora: It was the best experience ever. I had the best grandmother in the world. She was way cooler than I’ll ever be—went out more than I did, had more friends than I did—and she was truly one of my closest friends. I was lucky to grow up near her. I saw her at least once a week, and when I got older, we spoke almost every day. People always ask if she talked to me about sex—not really. She kept her home life and work life separate. But what stood out was seeing people stop her on the street. There were two types: people who wanted photos, and she’d say, “Today I’m just Leora’s Omi.” And then there were often gay men, usually middle-aged, who would tell her that her advocacy during the AIDS crisis saved their lives. That really stayed with me growing up—and I think not enough people know about that part of her work. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: How old were you when you first understood her Holocaust story? Leora: Pretty young. I noticed she didn’t have family like other people. That made me start asking questions. She was born in Frankfurt and had a happy childhood until she was about ten and a half, when the Nazis took her father away. She was sent on a Kindertransport to Switzerland. She didn’t want to go, but she somehow understood it was necessary. She lived in an orphanage there for seven years, often treated like a second-class citizen. After the war, she moved to what was then Palestine, fought in the Haganah, later lived in Paris, and eventually came to New York. What always struck me was that at ten and a half, she had to leave her family forever. They told her they would see her again—but they were all murdered. I remember being ten and a half myself and realizing, “I made it past that age. I still have my family.” That awareness shaped me deeply. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: Why did she go to Israel after the war instead of the U.S.? Leora: Zionism was central to her identity. After everything she experienced, she believed deeply that Jews needed a homeland. She wasn’t treated well in Switzerland, even though it saved her life. Israel represented rebuilding—community, family, belonging. Her life became about creating what had been taken from her. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: She didn’t consider herself a Holocaust “survivor.” Why? Leora: She was very intentional about that. She felt the term belonged to those who were in camps. She saw herself as lucky—saved by others—and didn’t want to center herself in that narrative. It reflects her humility. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: She was known for her joy and positivity. Where did that come from? Leora: I think it was her way of surviving. She chose not to dwell in grief, even though she absolutely carried it. I never saw her cry. She filled everything with humor, energy, and appreciation. Even small things—like mashed potatoes—became the best thing she’d ever had. That joy drew people to her. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: How did her story shape your family? Leora: Education was everything to her—because she was denied it. She prioritized it for my mom, for me, for all of us. I became a lawyer, my cousin is becoming a doctor—it meant so much to her. She also instilled this incredible appreciation for life, and an energy—no laziness, no wasting time. Always learning, always moving. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: How did that shape your own path? Leora: I think about what she would do all the time. At one point in law school, I panicked and thought I should switch careers. I called her, and she immediately said, “No—you’ll make the biggest impact through law.” That clarity stuck with me. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: What would she say about the rise in antisemitism today? Leora: She was already warning about Holocaust denial years ago. For her, the answer was education—always. Bearing witness, learning, teaching. That’s why things like visiting Auschwitz or studying history mattered so much to her. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: Does she still feel present in your life? Leora: Every day. I have a sign on my desk that says “It Can Be Done”—it was on her desk too. She believed in action, urgency, making things happen. Rabbi Jeff Salkin: So let me ask the final question. If your grandmother could give one message to your generation and the generations to come, about resilience, joy, what do you think it would be? Leora: I think it would be the importance of finding joy in daily life—no matter how small. And I think it would be that family can be made from nothing. You can create your own family, biologically or not. When things are taken away from you, it's not the end. And something can always come out of nothing. Rabbi Salkin: It's a powerful message and what a blessing you had.  We're all blessed to have our grandparents and yours gave you a unique blessing, which I can tell has a way of reverberating every day on a daily basis.  Leora: Absolutely. We'd like to thank our new friend, Leora Einleger for joining us today. This episode is a production of the 2G-3G Project, produced and edited by Eli Hershko and co-directed by our podcast founder, Sheryl Hoffman. And once again, I'm your host, Rabbi Jeff Salkin. And you can find the To Be Continued… on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, Audible, wherever you get your podcasts. And if you believe that these 2G and 3G voices are important, you can support us in several different ways. First, hit the follow button, this way you won't miss an episode. Second, please help us spread the word. Please share an episode with friends and family and on your social media pages. And third, would you please consider supporting this podcast. We are fiscally sponsored by Jewish Creativity International, a 501(c)3 nonprofit. We rely on donors for their generosity and their vision, to help us keep producing our show. Please contact us at [email protected] [email protected]. Until next month, thank you for your support, thank you for listening.