Rebecca Amato Levy
Rebecca Amato Levy, an oral historian, storyteller and matriarch in the Sephardic community, died Aug. 4 at the age of 89.
Well-known for her 1986 memoir, “I Remember Rhodes,” which detailed Sephardic life on the Mediterranean island before World War II, Levy was also featured in the documentaries “Island of Roses: The Jews of Rhodes in Los Angeles” and “Adio,” both directed by her grandson, Gregori Viens.
Levy fled Rhodes with her husband, Moshe Hasson, after Italian Fascists took control in 1939. She waited out the war in Morocco, where she gave birth to her daughter, Mati, in 1943, and lost her husband to pneumonia in 1944. After learning that most of her family had perished in the Holocaust, Levy relocated to Los Angeles in 1946, where she met and married Victor Levy.
For five decades, Levy was sought out by linguists, anthropologists and historians for her firsthand knowledge of the Ladino language and Rhodesli folklore and traditions. Levy’s passion for genealogy led Rhodesli descendants to approach her in hope of reconnecting with family in America and abroad.
Levy was honored with Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel’s Meri Cidos Award in 1994.
She is survived by her daughter, Mati (Leo) Franco; stepson, Dr. William (Rachel) Levy; stepdaughter, Marlene (James) Henerson; grandsons, Frederi (Carolyn Johnston) and Gregori Viens; and great-granddaughter, Magali Johnston-Viens.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Sephardic Temple Tifereth Israel’s Secret Fund or Food Bank, 10500 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90024; or Los Angeles Sephardic Home for the Aging, 7150 Tampa Ave., Reseda, CA 91335.
Myrtle Aronson Karp
Myrtle Aronson Karp, volunteer, fundraiser and community leader, died Aug. 2 at the age of 92.
Karp’s long list of Jewish community involvements include serving on the national board of Hadassah since 1950 and as the organization’s national vice president.
Born in New York in 1909, Karp spent her teen years caring for her father and brother following the death of her mother and sister. She later became involved with The Zionist Organization of America and other philanthropic organizations.
In 1965, Karp became the only Los Angeles woman in the history of United Jewish Fund Women’s Campaign to serve as national chair. She volunteered for many years at the Jewish Family Service’s Freda Mohr Senior Multi-Purpose Center and Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
A friend to the political and scientific communities of Israel, she visited the Jewish state 41 times.
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles Women’s Division awarded her its highest honor in 2000, the Leah Rabin Award for outstanding leadership.
Karp was the wife of the late Paramount Pictures studio head Jack Karp. She is survived by her son Dr. Robert Karp; grandchildren, Karen Orgell, Anthony Orgell, Gillian Karp and Andrew Karp; and three great-grandchildren; and brother, Dr. Gerald Aronson.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, c/o The Heart Families Volunteer Program. Hadassah Southern California has also set up a memorial fund. Donations may be sent to Hadassah Southern California Metro Area Resource Center, 455 S. Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 TAT: Myrtle Karp Memorial Fund.
