Olga Betesh, 95, a retired store owner on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, died on Tuesday, March 16, at Lankenau Hospital.

She was born on New York’s Lower East Side to immigrant parents from Aleppo, Syria. Her father was a rabbi. As a child, she moved with her family to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, in the heart of New York’s Syrian Jewish community. She spoke fluent Arabic throughout her life, and always considered herself a Syrian Jew as well as a patriotic American.

She worked as a saleswoman on Fifth Avenue until her marriage to Isaac Betesh, a recent immigrant from Syria, in 1949. With credit from a community leader, I. Shalom, they opened the St. Charles Linen Shop on the Boardwalk under a kosher hotel. She was an equal partner in running the store, and even after she taught her husband English, she did all work that required writing.

She was a Sisterhood officer in the Sephardic synagogue, Shaarei Zion. Later, she was a member of Community Synagogue in Atlantic City. She lived independently until December 2009.

Surviving are two sons, Joel and Victor, nine grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. Contributions may be sent to AMIT, c/o Eve Kovsky, 224 Monroe St., Phila., PA 19147.