Ester Tepper

1932 - 2017

April 6, 1932 - May 20, 2017 Ester Tepper, née Wilhelm, of Beverly Hills, formerly of Givatayim, Israel and Radomsko, Poland, passed away peacefully on the evening of May 20, 2017. Ester was a passionately loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. A survivor of the Holocaust, Ester was unwaveringly generous with her own story and that of her family. She was determined to share and to educate so that generations to come may never forget. As recently as one month ago, Ester spoke before a crowd of 150 people at a shabbat dinner benefitting the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces and the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, two organizations she enthusiastically supported. She lived to inspire others with the strength that can come from emerging out of one of the darkest moments in human history. One of only five relatives to survive the Holocaust, Ester endured the adversity of the Radomsko Ghetto and was later placed into various safe houses, where she was hidden through the heroic underground efforts of her father, Zelig Wilhelm. This included working in an Austrian labor camp and living under a Catholic alias. At the time of liberation, Ester had just turned 13. After several years in refugee camps in Germany, Ester migrated to Israel and met her husband Nisan Tepper in the Israeli army in December 1951. Together they formed an everlasting and inspiring bond. After building a family together in Givatayim, they came to the United States with their four children in July 1976 in pursuit of strong education and business opportunities. Ester and Nisan successfully grew both real estate and other business ventures throughout the years. Ester initially became involved with the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and subsequently with the LAMOTH, where her family continues to serve on the board. Ester also sponsored the publication of a collective memoir about the Radomsko ghetto, called "Children of Dust and Heaven." Ester is survived by her devoted husband, Nisan; her adoring children, Danny Tepper, Bati Prince, Gil Tepper and Yaniv Tepper; her dedicated daughters and son-in-law, Miri Tepper, Dana Wieger, Nina Tepper and Brian Prince; her 12 beloved grandchildren, Lemor, Oren, Adi, Tal, Galit, Orie, Dean, Allegra, Jeremy, Aiden, Talia and Mayan; and her newest pride and joy, her great-granddaughter, Mila of Tel Aviv, Israel. Ester leaves behind a bounty of friends around the world, who loved her for her vibrant spirit and unparalleled zest for life. Services will take place Tuesday, 2:00 p.m. at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her memory to the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust.