Aaron Elster

Aaron Elster is a child Survivor of the Holocaust. He lived in the Sokolow Ghetto with his two sisters, mother, and father until the liquidation of the ghetto in September, 1942. He escaped the liquidation and hid in various surrounding farms. Eventually, Aaron found refuge in the attic of a Polish family, where he hid for two years until the war's end. After the war, Aaron lived in several orphanages throughout Poland, and eventually was smuggled out of Poland to various DP camps in West Germany.

Aaron Elster and his sister came to the United States in June of 1947. He was educated in Chicago and served in the armed forces in Korea. Aaron is married and has 2 sons and 2 grandchildren. He is an active member of the community, serving as Vice President at Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center and Co-Chairman of the Museum’s Speakers' Bureau. Additionally, he serves as Chairman of the Speakers’ Bureau for the Hidden Children Association. He is the co-author of I Still See Her Haunting Eyes, which chronicles his Holocaust experiences. Aaron continues to speak extensively on the local and state level about his experiences and lessons of the Holocaust.