Estelle Nadel

She was born Enia Feld on December 3, 1934 in Borek, Poland, a small town near Krakow. Her name was changed to Estelle when she immigrated to the United States after surviving the Holocaust as a young girl.

Estelle grew up in a thatched house in rural Poland. She survived the Holocaust with the help of neighbors who hid her and two of her brothers, Steven (then Shia) and Mel (then Menashe). She lost her mother Chaya, her father Reuben, her sister Sonjia, and one of her brothers (Moishe) in the Holocaust. She came to the United States uneducated when she was 12 years old. She wrote a book about her survival called The Girl Who Sang that will come out in January.

She made a remarkable life for herself, her husband, and her children here in the United States. She died in comfort and had the richest of relationships. She was a Mother to everyone. She listened, she cared for, she advised, and more than anything she empathized. She wanted to know all of the details – the parts that people were too ashamed to share, that people were too fearful to know about themselves, or that would seem too boastful to say to someone else. She knew that happiness depended on completely understanding yourself and she helped people completely understand themselves by completely understanding them. She shared in joy and sadness as though it was her own. She was the most optimistic person – joy was infinite. Sadness was finite.

She was the lead soloist in the Temple choirs she sang in until her voice declined in old age. She never wanted to be recognized as a soloist (but had the most beautiful, powerful, yet soothing soprano voice) – she wanted to help people connect with God through prayer and to make them feel joy with song.

Estelle/Enia leaves behind her lifelong husband of 71 years Fred Nadel; her sons and daughters-in-law Ron Nadel, Hester Nadel, David Nadel, Darren Nadel, and Michele Nadel; grandchildren Talia Nadel (and her husband Josh Goodman), Hanna Nadel, Tzvi Nadel, and Liora Nadel; and step-Grandchild Shaina Goodman, as well as so many others who called her or thought of her as their mom. No one was really an “in-law” or a “step” though. Everyone was just family.

Her funeral will be held on December 1, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. at Mountain View Cemetery in Boulder, Colorado. 3016 Kalmia Ave. Boulder, CO 80301.

When she emigrated from Poland, she was sponsored by HIAS. The family would welcome donations to HIAS that might allow others to have what life here allowed her to have and to give to others.