Born Bury, April 21, 1902. Died Ra’anana, November 1, 2008, aged 106.
February 5, 2009 14:45A dedicated volunteer, Esta Azouz continued her community work in Israel when she went on aliyah in 1988 aged 86.
Born Esta Schleifer, she was the first Jewish girl born to the only Jewish family in Bury, Lancashire. She lived in Bury until 1920, when she married Raphael Azouz and moved to London.
Her voluntary work began in 1935 when she founded the first Sephardi Ladies’ Guild in England at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Holland Park, West London. After more than 30 years as chairperson, she became its life president.
In 1944 she joined the friendship committee of Youth Aliyah and, in 1949, the newly-formed Anti-Tuberculosis League of Israel.
In 1950 she introduced an Israel aid committee to her synagogue, and from 1954-72 chaired the London Synagogues Ladies’ Guilds to support the Anti-TB League of Israel. She organised regular fundraising activities to build and equip the Netanya Chest Clinic which opened in 1966.
She left England after her husband’s death in 1988, to be near her three grandchildren and their families in Israel. She had already suffered huge family loss.
Her mother died when she was six. Her only son, Mark, a fighter pilot with the RAF, was killed in action in 1944 aged 22. Her only daughter, Celia, died of cancer at 39, leaving a young son and two daughters, who later settled in Israel.
From her apartment in Ra’anana, north of Tel Aviv, Esta became involved at 90 with Esra, the English Speaking Residents’ Association, and helped establish a lively creative knitting circle. Three years later she conceived the idea of creating a sewing centre on a caravan site in Be’erotayim, central Israel, to teach dressmaking to Ethiopian women, to make clothes for their families.
She donated the sewing machines, collected materials from factories, shops and individual donors, and paid for the sewing teacher. Twice a week she travelled to Be’erotayim to run the centre.
Her home was decorated with awards and certificates for her philanthropic and volunteer work, including an award of merit from the Mayor of Ra’anana.
She published her memoir, Count Your Blessings, in 1995. When pressed for the secret of her longevity, she said “a sense of humour”.