she was born in frankfurt, germany to isaac breuer, a noted german rabbi, as ursula (sara) breuer. in 1933, at the age of fourteen, she left germany with her family for palestine. she remained there with her father, to whom she was very close, until his death in jerusalem in 1946, at the age of 63. shortly thereafter, she emigrated to the united states, where she found a teaching position at a jewish girls' school in paterson, new jersey.