Upcoming Closures!
The Newton Food Pantry will be closed on Wednesday, April 29 and Thursday, April 30.
“Don’t stop remembering.”
These were among the last words Norman Salsitz heard from his mother, Ester, in their home country of Poland. Remember their family, remember their stories, remember their values. Ester and her husband, Isak, were murdered in 1942 during the Holocaust, and Norman spent the rest of his life working to honor his mother’s wish.
Norman would go on to write five books about his and his family’s experiences throughout World War II. He survived and avoided capture during the Holocaust thanks in part to the compassion of others who secretly provided him food. Norman passed away in Boston in 2006, but his daughter, Esther Dezube of Newton, has carried on his legacy and charge.
Esther has been a generous donor to the Newton Food Pantry since 2020 and believes anyone who can give has a duty to help those less fortunate.
“We can’t have another generation of productive people if people are starving,” says Esther, a private practice attorney. “Children shouldn’t be starving. People shouldn’t be starving. No one can do anything if they are food insecure. Donating is an integral part of giving back.”
Norman was a philanthropist himself, supporting a range of causes. He was particularly dedicated to Jewish organizations both in the United States and Israel, and was among the organizers of the Heritage Museum in New York City and the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. Forever shaped by their harrowing experiences surviving the Holocaust, he and Esther’s mother, Amalie — they met in Krakow, Poland, during the war and immigrated to the United States in 1947 — spent much of their lives trying to heal the world in whatever ways they could.
Their example and values continue to live on in Esther. In addition to supporting the Newton Food Pantry, she and her husband, Dr. Bruce Dezube, are also longtime donors to the Tufts School of Medicine, among other organizations.
“During the (COVID) pandemic, so many people were struggling,” says Esther. “My kids had been grown, graduate school had been paid for, and I was in a position to help out….I just think food security is so important. If you have the ability to help others, I believe you should do whatever you can.”