Ellen Ruth Zilka

Ellen was the love of the life of her husband, Samuel Zilka, and the cherished mother and mother-in-law of Jeff and Ivy, Annette and Howard, and Diane and Karen, and the beloved grandmother to Nina, Hannah, Alexander and Grant, and their partners. A compassionate, intelligent, joy-bound woman, Ellen was driven by connecting with people and by a seemingly unquenchable thirst for knowledge.

Ellen, age 95, was born in Berlin. A survivor of the Holocaust, she escaped Germany through the Kindertransport, spending the Second World War in the Cotswolds of England. She emigrated to the U.S. in 1946, brought over by her family who had escaped before the start of the war.

After attending Radcliffe College and graduating Simmons University, Ellen earned her Master of Library Science from Columbia University. Following a rewarding decades-long career as a children’s librarian with the Queensboro Public Library, Ellen devoted her time to the pursuit of knowledge. An avid reader, she also joining numerous organizations, including The Kindertransport Organization. She remained active in her Jewish congregations and the National Council of Jewish Women. In her later years, Ellen lectured at synagogues, colleges, high schools and community groups about her Kindertransport experience. In partnership with Sam, she passionately pursued the fine arts, theater, opera and symphonic music, and together they traveled continents. May she rest in peace and may her memory be for a blessing.

Donations in honor of Ellen may be made to the Kindertransport Association, https://kindertransport.org/

A funeral service for Ellen will be held Friday, February 9, 2024 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM at Sinai Chapels, 114-03 Queens Blvd, Forest Hills, NY 11375. Following the funeral service will be a committal service from 11:15 AM to 12:00 PM at Maimonides Cemetery, 90 Elmont Road, Elmont, NY 11003.