Ahuva Wernick Obituary
Ahuva Wernick, Pico-Robertson Fixture, Dies at 66
Ahuva Wernick, beloved by many as the unofficial “mayor of Pico-Robertson,” died May 9 at the age of 66. More than 500 people attended her funeral at Beth Jacob Congregation, where she was a member.
She was born in Chicago in 1939 and moved to Los Angeles in 1947, where her parents, Abraham and Ida Linderman, were pioneers in establishing the Orthodox community.
Wernick kept up that tradition, supporting organizations such as Beth Jacob, Hillel Hebrew Academy, Amit Women, Shaarei Tzedek Hospital and later on the Etta Israel Center for special-needs children.
A colorful character who held court on her Crest Drive porch, Wernick was a source of information and assistance to community members and leaders. Her home was open, and she often ended up feeding or even housing young people who needed a second family.
She ran a successful party planning business, using her fearless creativity to enhance celebrations. She hosted a Simchat Torah celebration in her home that became a Pico-Robertson fixture, attracting hundreds of people. Her home also became a satellite lounge for the Orthodox Union’s National Council of Synagogue Youth and B’nei Akiva youth group, as teens en masse hung out at her house.
Wernick supported off-beat causes, such as a fund to supply Israeli orphans with clothing for dates, or a campaign to purchase a female giraffe for the lone male at the Biblical Zoo in Jerusalem.