We are deeply saddened by the passing of Holocaust Survivor Aaron Elster, who died on April 11, 2018. He was a wonderful speaker and person, always ready to share his experiences with the Polish participants of the Polish Jewish Exchange Program run by Forum in cooperation with the AJC. We extend our heartfelt condolences to Aaron Elster’s family, friends, and co-workers.
Aaron Elster was a child Survivor of the Holocaust. He escaped the liquidation of the Sokołów Podlaski Ghetto and found refuge in the attic of a Polish family, where he hid for two years until the war’s end. He came to the U.S. in 1947, was educated in Chicago and served in the armed forces in Korea. He was an active member of the community and served as Vice President at Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center. He was the co-author of “I Still See Her Haunting Eyes,” which chronicles his Holocaust experiences. Aaron Elster continued to speak extensively about his experiences and lessons of the Holocaust. In 2015, he reflected on the purpose of tirelessly sharing his testimony: “When I speak to children every day at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, I ask that they take away two ideas from my story. First, you must believe in yourself … Second, I want children to learn that prejudice and indifference will only lead to hatred and violence that will impact innocent lives, including their own. As the decision makers of tomorrow, our children must engage in the creation of new stories that speak to a more hopeful world that doesn’t echo our past.”
