The Jewish actress best known for her role as Dorothy Zbornak on the classic TV sitcom The Golden Girls, Bea Arthur, passed away 15 years ago on April 25, 2009. Arthur was born Bernice Frankel to a Jewish family in Brooklyn in 1922. During WWII, Arthur was one of the first women to enlist in the US Marine Corps Women’s Reserve. She married fellow Marine Robert Alan Aurthur, but the couple divorced after three years, and the actress kept his last name with a slight change in spelling. In 1964, she starred on Broadway as Yente the matchmaker in Fiddler on the Roof, a role often credited with launching her career. Arthur had memorable roles on All in the Family, Maude, and, of course, The Golden Girls. Her unique humor and delivery are greatly missed; thank you for being a friend. May her memory be a blessing.
Photo: The Golden Girls
