[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 81 (Thursday, May 17, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E677]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING MR. AARON ELSTER

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MIKE QUIGLEY

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 17, 2018

  Mr. QUIGLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy 
of an integral member of the Chicago community.
  On April 11th, we lost a dedicated leader of the Jewish faith. Mr. 
Aaron Elster, Vice President of the Illinois Holocaust Museum and a 
Holocaust Survivor passed away at the age of 86 on Holocaust 
Remembrance Day, Yom HaShoah.
  Mr. Elster worked tirelessly to ensure that the history of the 
Holocaust was not forgotten. He sought to provide all those he met with 
a greater understanding of what this tragedy meant for the victims, the 
survivors, their descendants, and the entire world--both then and now.
  He was open about his personal experiences, recollections, and 
lessons learned--deciding to share these dark times with others in 
order to inspire a deeper sense of compassion and civility, while 
illustrating the dangers of intolerance.
  During the holocaust, Aaron lived in the Sokolow Ghetto with his two 
sisters, mother, and father until the closing of the ghetto in 
September of 1942. He was able to escape the liquidation by hiding in 
surrounding farms until eventually seeking refuge in the attic of a 
Polish family's home, where he hid for two years until the end of the 
war. Only Aaron and his older sister, Irene, survived before eventually 
being smuggled out of Poland to DP Camps in Western Germany.
  Aaron and his sister arrived in the United States in June of 1947. He 
was educated in Chicago and then went on to serve in the U.S. Armed 
Forces in Korea. He was the co-author of ``I Still See Her Haunting 
Eyes,'' which chronicled the unfathomable atrocities and heartbreak he 
endured throughout one of the darkest times in our entire world 
history. Aaron spoke regularly to student groups and was especially 
dedicated to the Holocaust Museum's Brill Law Enforcement Action in 
Democracy Training, where he shared his childhood experiences with 
Chicago Law Enforcement Officers, helping them to understand their 
responsibilities while working to protect and serve our diverse 
community.
  I echo the sentiments made by the CEO of the Holocaust Museum, Susan 
Abrams, when she wrote the following in Mr. Elster's Obituary: ``Aaron 
was an incredible communicator, able to empathize with all walks of 
life--students, police officers, any group who visited the museum. 
Aarron spoke about his experience in the Holocaust with such emotion 
that you could not help but be moved and have a desire to act and make 
the world a better place.''
  Luckily, future generations will have the privilege of hearing Aaron 
Elster's story through his interactive hologram, which can be viewed at 
the Illinois Holocaust Museum's ``Take a Stand'' Center. He was one of 
fifteen survivors selected worldwide, a tremendous honor, of which he 
was incredibly--and justifiably--very proud.
  Mr. Elster is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, two sons, and three 
grandchildren. Today, I ask my fellow colleagues to join me in honoring 
and celebrating the rich life and many accomplishments of Mr. Aaron 
Elster.

                          ____________________