Ida Esther Unger

Ida Unger passed away peacefully on February 15, 2024 surrounded by family after a lengthy battle with cancer.

Born in Boyle Heights to Rose and Henry Unger, Holocaust survivors from Germany and Poland, Ida inherited their intellect, resilience and curiosity which consistently informed her life.

Ida's Yeshiva days and her membership in the Orthodox Zionist youth group Rambam, which organized her first trip to Israel, instilled her lifelong love and enthusiasm in Judaism.

Armed with a UCLA Masters Degree in Education and a Secondary Credential in reading and English, she headed straight to the inner city. At Manual Arts High School and later Mid City Alternative, Ida shared her expertise and love of learning with her students. Ida's creative lesson plans, satirical writing for Spooflight, and purposeful sparring with the school administration cemented her reputation as an advocate for all students especially for those at risk.

In 1984 she married Paul Rother, a union that celebrated "a perfect SAT score" and they welcomed their son, Harley Isaac four years later. That summer she volunteered at the Olympic Village meeting and supporting elite athletes from all over the world.

Ida's activism and advocacy saw no bounds and she became a recruiting director for the Great Peace March and an unstoppable organizer for the Alliance for Survival which provided education on nuclear weapons, the arms race and violence.

While most of us were facing the steep learning curve of digital word processing, Ida was polishing off resumes at her home business, Desktop Resumes. At the cutting edge, Ida helped hundreds find the perfect job.

Ida's practice of Iyengar yoga became her deep passion though, and her loyal followers demanded she build her own yoga studio which she did, The Yoga Garden in Santa Monica.

Her second marriage to Steve Moos in 2007 expanded her family as she welcomed Steve's children Ethan and Georgia into her embrace, a role she cherished. Ida enthusiastically publicized Steve's talents inviting friends, family and local music lovers to his numerous gigs around town.

Ida continued to teach yoga at various Iyengar venues in Los Angeles, but was recognized by Governor Jerry Brown for a program she started at the women's state prison in Chino, California. Her program helped improve the mental, physical and spiritual health of incarcerated women and is still going strong today.

Ida incorporated her love of yoga with her love of Judaism by teaching workshops and retreats which combined the two disciplines.

She would say she was connecting her Jewish 'roots' with her yogic 'wings'. During a trip to Pune, India, Ida got the blessing of BKS Iyengar, and his permission to make a poster combining the power of the Hebrew alphabet with yoga asanas. Getting an audience with Iyengar was unusual; getting his blessing was extraordinary.

Ida Unger lived a life of service, purpose and compassion. She loved music, books, theatre, nature, and travel. Ida treasured education, Judaism, yoga, her family and her friends.

Ida Unger will be deeply missed by her loving son, Harley Isaac Rother, her doting husband Steve Moos, his precious brood Ethan and Georgia Moos, her dear brother and his wife Len and Cathy Unger and numerous adoring nieces and nephews.