Esther Goldfarb

February 10, 2024 ~ 1 Adar I 5784
Esther J. Goldfarb, 99, passed away in Indianapolis, IN, on February 10, 2024, with her eldest son at her side.
Esther was the eldest of three children, growing up with her sister and brother in Celadz, Poland. She would talk about how much, as a teen, she enjoyed going to Krakow to visit with older cousins who would show her the city's sights.
Esther frequently said that she had "many miracles from G-d" and among the first was that when the Nazi roundup began in her town, her cousin was visiting and the two of them were sent to the same labor camp where they were able to help each other survive. Most of the rest of her family perished. As the war was ending, she and her cousin endured a forced (death) march through Czechoslovakia. There was a brief stop in a town, and Esther and her cousin made a bold run for freedom. A local man and his brother took them in, hiding them through the duration of the war. After the war, Esther went to a displaced persons camp in Austria, where she met and married her husband, Melvin.
Another miracle brought the young couple to the United States when one of Melvin's uncles, who was living in the US, spotted an ad that Melvin had placed looking for family. The uncle, realizing that Melvin was his sister's son and that he had survived, asked his son to sponsor them to the US. They settled in Alice, TX, Melvin working in his cousin's hardware store, and Esther learning English with the help of TV and movies. A few years later, Esther learned that her sister had survived the war and was living in Louisville, so the young family left Texas with the assurance that they would always have a home in Texas. Melvin owned a business in Old Louisville; he and Esther were proud members of Anshei Sfard synagogue for over 60 years.
Esther said that she "thanked G-d every day" for the many blessings in her life, especially her three sons and her grandchildren. Her kind ways endeared her to the neighbors she would talk with on her daily walks, her friends from her exercise and lunch groups at the JCC, and about everyone she met.
In 2014, Esther and Melvin moved into an independent living apartment at Marquette Senior Community in Indianapolis, where established residents invited them to join lunch or dinner conversations and where they were able to enjoy the community's events, meal outings, day trips, and parties. Following Melvin's death in 2018, Esther continued living in the apartment until two years ago when she opted to try one of Marquette's assisted living apartments, which allowed her to continue to see her friends and keep up her legendary walks.
Esther was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin, and a granddaughter. Left to cherish her memory are her sons: Charles (Nancy), David (Judy), and Perry (Luana) Goldfarb, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, nephews, a niece, and cousins.
Memorial contributions may be made to:
Funeral services were private. May her memory be a blessing.
Anshei Sfard Cemetery
Section D, Grave 80