May 14, 2021

Ester Solomon

Ester Solomon's parents were from Romania and met in Israel, where they married and where Ester was born. Coming from an ultra-orthodox but cosmopolitan family, her relatives left Europe one by one for Israel, with an aunt on her father's side eventually moving to Brazil. When Ester was five, her family followed, settling in Sao Paulo, where her parents ran a manufacturing business for women's blouses; her mother was an expert in sewing. Ester attended a religious Jewish school, made lifelong friends, and took part in Jewish youth movements and a conservative congregation.

Ester studied at a secretarial school founded by Americans in Brazil, then went to New York to study at the Fashion Institute of Technology before returning to study marketing and later fashion design. She worked in the field for many years, designing purses, boots, and shoes for major companies. She married and raised three children. When her first husband was invited to lead a company in Orlando, Florida, the family relocated to the United States. After a divorce, Ester chose to remain in the U.S., returning to Orlando with her middle daughter and her son. Her oldest daughter and, eventually, her son remained in Brazil.

In Orlando, Ester met her husband Ted, whom she married about 18 or 19 years ago. The couple later moved to Dallas for Ted's work, and Ester's brother joined them. In Dallas, Ester quickly became involved with Hadassah and joined a synagogue, later moving to a congregation she and Ted loved. She continues to cook Brazilian food, speak Portuguese with her daughter, and carry on her Jewish traditions. Ted is active in a Jewish men's fraternal organization and serves on his congregation's board, while Ester volunteers at their synagogue. She expressed gratitude for the warm welcome she received from the Dallas Jewish community.

In Brazil, Ester was part of a Jewish community she described as numbering about 120,000 people, with extensive institutions including a large Jewish country club, a renowned Jewish hospital, synagogues, and schools. She served as secretary for the first Chabad that opened there, working with them for about eight years and helping arrange housing and support for rabbis sent throughout Brazil.

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