Sali Szlam, 84: World War II Holocaust Survivor

By Rick Badie

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In 1942, a young Sali Szlam was herded from her home along with thousands of other Romanian Jews.  German soldiers marched them through the woods for several weeks. Eventually, they were packed on a train like sardines, then shipped to a ghetto in Transnistria, near the Ukraine border.

There, her father died. Miraculously, she, her mother and her sister survived.  A video of Mrs. Szlam's life is on file at the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum on Spring Street. Her story and that of other Romanian Jews are part of the Stephen Spielberg Jewish Film Archive.

In 1968, due to rising anti-Semitism in Poland, Mrs. Szlam and her family migrated elsewhere.  By then, Mrs. Szlam was married with two children. Her daughter, Melita, moved to Israel. The rest of the family settled in Rome, Italy, but had their eyes set on America.

In 1970, with the aid of  organizations like the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, they relocated to Atlanta. They rented an apartment near Piedmont Road, learned English and sought employment.

Through the years, Mrs. Szlam expressed gratitude for the Jewish organizations that helped the family settle in America. She also was grateful for surviving the Holocaust. She showed it through action, not words.

"The empathy, caring for others, being involved in the community -- it came from her heart," said a son, Aleksander Szlam of Alpharetta. "Nothing else.  She was always doing things for other people. I grew up with this and understood the calling."

In June, Mrs. Szlam was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. It spread quickly. She died Sunday at her home from complications of the disease. She was 84. A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. today at Crest Lawn Cemetery. Dressler's Jewish Funeral Care is in charge of arrangements.

The Szlams didn't know English when they arrived in Atlanta in 1970. They soon learned and got jobs. She worked in a department store for a while, then was hired as a bookkeeper for Sun Life Financial, an insurance company. She worked there until her retirement about 20 years ago.

In retirement, Mrs. Szlam devoted herself to others.  She volunteered three days a week at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. And she was active at Congregation Beth Jacob in Atlanta.

"We all volunteered," said sister-in-law  Sabina Szlam of Atlanta. "We are fortunate we all survived, and have families. I think [Mrs. Szlam] would say we are fortunate to have our lives, given what happened during the war. We are all survivors."

In April,  Leopold and Sali Szlam were honored as Holocaust Survivors by the Jewish National Fund.  The couple met in Poland after the war.  He was 99 when he died in January.

"Both are recognized as survivors of the second world war and the Holocaust," her son said. "We don't complain. We are fortunate to be in America. This is the greatest country in the world."

Additional survivors include a daughter, Melita Nejman of Dunwoody; a sister, Donia Gilzenrat of Atlanta; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.