Esther Herskovic

1922 - 2019

We lost our beloved mother, grandmother, and great grandmother Esther Herskovic on April 3, 2019. Esther Tessler was born on February 28,1922 in Veliky Bockov, Czechoslovakia, the second of five children to Abraham and Regina Tessler. Esther lived her first sixteen years in Czechoslovakia until she moved to Hungary in 1938 to train as a dental technician, living with her Aunt Ilonka (blessed memory) and Ilonka's husband, a practicing dentist. Esther managed to evade transport until April, 1944, when Adolf Eichmann ordered the deportation of remaining Jews to Auschwitz-Birkenau. As the war was winding down, Esther managed to escape along with one sister and her aunt via the assistance of Flemish partisans. She was liberated on May 1, 1945 in Eisenrach, Germany. Esther and her sister Irene sailed on a transport ship to New York City in April, 1947. Her aunt and three sisters all survived the Holocaust. Esther married Henry Herskovic in January, 1949. They and their two sons lived first in New York City, moved in 1955 to Cleveland, Ohio, and relocated to Sacramento, California in 1962. Esther and family belonged to the Mosaic Law Congregation for over half a century. Esther was a strong supporter of Israel and loved her many nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family. Esther was a founding member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and her life story was recorded by the Shoah project.. Esther always referred to herself as a survivor, through the Holocaust and her bouts of cancer. Her most recent residences were at Oakmont Gardens in Santa Rosa and The Reutlinger Community in Danville, CA. Esther is survived by sons Arnold (Karen) of Santa Rosa, CA and Steven (Cindy, mother of Jordan Edwards) of Elk Grove, CA, grandsons, Michael (Santa Barbara, CA) and Jeremy (Kelley) of Petaluma, CA and great grandchildren, Henry and Grace. She was preceded in death by her parents and only brother (Auschwitz), and her three sisters, Bella, Rose, and Irene of blessed memory. Services will be held at Home of Peace Jewish Cemetery, 6200 Stockton Blvd., Sacramento on Sunday, April 7 at 10am. Donations in Esther's memory may be made to the US Holocaust Memorial Museum or your synagogue.