Esther S. Vanderberg

Esther Steinbach Van Derg Berg was born in 1938, in Kibbutz Givat Brenner, outside of Tel Aviv, Israel, to a community of people determined to survive. She was a participant in this survival from the very start, when she and other schoolchildren hid fighters from the British in different homes around the kibbutz. Ten years old when Israel became a state, she saw her small part in the movement deliver on its promise. A school trip to Italy in her teens opened the world to her. Her service in the Israeli Defense Force complete, and desire to see the world still within her, she became a stewardess (now known as a flight attendant) for El Al Airlines.

Leaders and decision makers of the young nation flew on her planes every day, and her access to them cemented the idea that those in power can and should be reachable by the people.

She met a pilot in Tel Aviv years later. They married, and she joined him in Vietnam while he flew missions for the army in the Vietnam War, renting an apartment in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) so they could spend time together when their work schedules allowed. Settling in Washington state after the war, they raised two daughters, Diana and Shira. Esther became a citizen of the United States the day President Nixon resigned from office, a fact she would recount proudly throughout her life.

She and her family first lived in Seattle, and then in Arlington, where she managed a tree farm with her husband, living off grid, and engaging in all civic matters in her community. She served as a precinct committee officer for nearly a decade, was a member of the League of Women Voters and Democratic party, speaking truth to power at every opportunity. Esther was a devoted hostess who welcomed friends from all over the world to share delicious food and conversation, creating a sense of home for many. After divorce and a near life-ending stroke, she re-settled in New Orleans, living near her daughter, Diana, and her family. Thus began a rich third chapter of life, filled with a rediscovery of Judaism as faith and not simply ritual. New and rich friendships blossomed, and new political landscapes were discovered, analyzed, and debated with all who would participate!

Esther is preceded in death by her parents, Yehuda Steinbach and Shoshana Van Der Berg. She is survived by her sisters, Dina Karmon (Amatzya) and Rachel Paz (Emanuel). She leaves behind two daughters, Dr. Diana McDermott (Scott), and Shira McDonald (Jared), two brilliant grandchildren, and six wonderful nieces and nephews. She died of age-related health issues on May 12, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana. She wished to be cremated and returned to the forest in Washington where she foraged mushrooms every year.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to No Kid Hungry. https://www.nokidhungry.org/

A memorial service will be at a later date.