Jelena Salom

Jelena Salom, née Jelena Kacer, was born on June 1, 1929 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. The family moved from Belgrade to the small village of Priboj in the Sandjak region of Yugoslavia at the beginning of World War II to escape the German occupation of Belgrade.

After the war, her family moved back to Belgrade where she completed high school and dental school. She practiced dentistry in Yugoslavia until 1965 when she achieved her dream of escaping Yugoslavia. She came to the United States to visit her brother in Miami and, when there, sought asylum, then received U.S. permanent resident status, and ultimately U.S. citizenship.

Once she received permanent residence in the late 1960s, Jelena moved to New York City where she lived to the end of her life.

While in New York, Jelena initially worked in medical research. Shortly after her arrival in New York City, Jelena met her husband, Emanual Salom. Soon after, Jelena left her work in medical research and joined Emanual’s company for which they worked together until they both retired.

Jelena and Emanual’s relationship and marriage was full of love and care for each other, and, as Jelena put it, the marriage was “very successful.”

Jelena is leaving behind a large family in the United States, including her brother’s four children and the spouses and children, and numerous relatives in Belgrade. In addition to family, she will be missed by many friends.

A Funeral Service will be held at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 West 76th Street, New York, NY 10023, US, on March 24, 2026, at 11:30 am.

A live stream will be available at https://www.legacycelebrated.com/jelena-salom/.

A Committal Service will be held at Mt. Moriah Cemetery, 685 Fairview Ave, Fairview, NJ 07022, US, on March 24, 2026, at approximately 1:30 pm.