Karola, still a teenager at just seventeen, was trained as a sniper and was wounded in the 1947-1949 Israeli War of Independence.
At nineteen Westheimer moved to Paris, where she would begin her study in the field that would become her career, psychology. After completing her degree at the Sorbonne, she emigrated to the US in 1956, where, while working as a maid, Karola put herself through graduate school.
She earned a Master of Arts in sociology from The New School, in New York City, in the very last year of that decade.
Becoming A Household Name… as a Sexpert
Dr. Ruth’s career in front of the camera, and into the spotlight of American culture, began in 1980 when she hosted her call-in radio show (years before podcasts were even a thought) Sexually Speaking, which ran a full decade. Westheimer also launched a television show.
Soon after, her honest, unflinching advice about sex and relationships – as well as her small stature and charming smile – were known the world over. Her often-uttered tagline “Get Some” encouraged thousands of people to regard their sexuality and intimate relationships as something to discuss and celebrate.
Between 1984 and 1993, which would be a very busy period for her, Dr. Ruth hosted several series for various cable channels, made guest appearances on network television shows, starred in a movie, was interviewed for mainstream magazines, authored forty-five books, and appeared as a regular guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
