Ruth Schwartz (later Dayan) was born in Haifa in 1917, one of two daughters born to Tzvi and Rachel (née Klimkar) Schwartz, Jewish immigrants of the Second Aliyah.
She was married to Moshe Dayan from 1935 to 1971, when they divorced.
During their marriage, they lived in Nahalal, and later Tzahala.
Ruth's sister, Reuma, married Ezer Weizman, the Israeli air force general, Defense minister and President.
Dayan has three children: Yael Dayan, a former Knesset member and Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv; Ehud (Udi) Dayan, a writer; and Asaf "Assi" Dayan, an actor and filmmaker.
In 2010, Dayan collaborated on her life story with biographer Anthony David.

Dayan created a sensation with her tell-all book Or Did I Dream the Dream?
The Story of Ruth Dayan, coauthored with Helga Dudman in 1973, which became a best-seller.
Dayan said her husband "had such bad taste in women".
Ruth Schwartz (later Dayan) was born in Haifa in 1917, one of two daughters born to Tzvi and Rachel (née Klimkar) Schwartz, Jewish immigrants of the Second Aliyah. She was married to Moshe Dayan from 1935 to 1971, when they divorced. During their marriage, they lived in Nahalal, and later Tzahala. Ruth's sister, Reuma, married Ezer Weizman, the Israeli air force general, Defense minister and President. Dayan has three children: Yael Dayan, a former Knesset member and Deputy Mayor of Tel Aviv; Ehud (Udi) Dayan, a writer; and Asaf "Assi" Dayan, an actor and filmmaker. In 2010, Dayan collaborated on her life story with biographer Anthony David. 
Dayan created a sensation with her tell-all book Or Did I Dream the Dream? The Story of Ruth Dayan, coauthored with Helga Dudman in 1973, which became a best-seller. Dayan said her husband "had such bad taste in women".
Ruth Dayan