Born in Jerusalem; Lived in Winnipeg, Canada during the junior-high and high school years, and again from 1966 to 1970 (completing B.A.Honours in Sociology and Master of City Planning at the University of Manitoba). Back in Israel since 1970, completing Ph.D. in planning at the Technion and LL.B. in law at Tel Aviv University. After our return to Israel we resided in Haifa for over 25 years and in 1996 moved to the Netanya region be closer to my husband’s work and to our two married children and their families.
Married to Doron Alterman (a civil engineer in construction management), born and raised in Jerusalem. He is a graduate of the University of Manitoba in civil engineering and of North Carolina State University in construction management. Doron has taught construction management at the Technion as an adjunct.
Mother of Edan Alterman (in Google also check Idan – a frequent misspelling) – a famous Israeli comedian, TV and, theater actor. See for example, Israeli TV’s longest-running sit-com “Life if not All”. He has also taken part in several movies, including Time of Favor directed by Joseph Cedar, Mr. Baum and Electric Blanket Called Moshe, both directed by Asi Dayan, and Layla Lavan (white night) directed by Arnon Zadok. Edan is also director of the award-winning mini-film “Security Groove” and of the full-length documentary Short. View Edan’s work: on YouTube – correctly spelled Edan Alterman; incorrectly spelled Idan Alterman; or best – name spelled in Hebrew. View some recent musical performances: Billy Joel – she is always woman to me (translation into Hebrew by Edan Alterman) in a live performance with band; The Kinks – Lola – the kinks translation to a humorous (nicely outrageus) song – on national TV. Edan and Maya have a daughter and a son.
Mother of Neora Alterman, who is pursuing a PhD at Oxford University, Medical Science Division, Department of Population Health. She holds a M.Sc. from the Department of Human Genetics, Tel Aviv University – School of Medical Science – supervised by Prof. Yosef Shiloh. In-between her degrees she practiced and taught as a Doula, and developed her quest to enhance knowledge of human birth environment – the topic of her PhD research. Neora and Gad have two daughters.
My younger (and only) sister, Dr. Tzila Shamir-Leichter, was a brilliant mathematician and faculty member at the Ariel University Center. Life did not smile her way. She passed away in 2014 from juvenile diabetes. During her last 4.5 years she lived with Doron and me (and a care-taker). Her special personality enabled her to suffer through this debilitating disease with pride and even humor.
We were privileged to have two long-living parents. Our father Sinai Leichter died Dec. 2004, at 91. He was a historian and folklore researcher, initiator and editor of the much-acclaimed 7- volume Anthology of Yiddish Songs – the authoritative, tri-lingual collection (with music notes) published by the Hebrew University Magnes Press. Our mother Nessia Leichter (Tirkel) died two months before reaching 99. She was a Hebrew teacher and painter, who discovered the wonders of the computer and internet when she was 88, switching from canvass to painting with the computer. Both parents continued to live in their un-renovated modest apartment in Beit HaKerem, Jerusalem.