Elka Kolski (z”l)

Born on October 23, 1915 in Łódź, Poland

Elka Kolski (z”l) was born the only daughter in a religious family of 6 boys. As young person in Łódź, Poland, Elka went to operas, Shakespeare plays spoken in Yiddish, and dance halls. Her family were tailors, and her maternal uncles owned department stores. Elka had a children’s clothing store in an open-air mall.

Elka was forced to live in the Łódź ghetto after the Nazis occupied Poland. She then survived Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and Salvedel camps. Elka was liberated from Salvedel by the United States Army. All but one of Elka’s brothers were murdered in the Holocaust. Her younger brother had escaped to Russia and survived.

After liberation, Elka met her husband, Manny, who she is pictured with above. They had their first daughter in Germany before coming to the United States together in 1949 and settling in Pittsburgh.

Elka passed away in 2005.