Erika Sauerhoff was born in Paris, France. When the Nazis occupied France, Mrs. Sauerhoff was a young child, but was hidden with a Christian family, and survived the Holocaust. In her adulthood, she, together with her beloved husband, Joseph Sauerhoff z”l, became Torah observant Jews and leaders in the Jewish community, first in Staten Island, and then in our own Elizabeth/Hillside community.

“Grandma Erika,” as so many young people in our community affectionately refer to her, is the proud mother and grandmother of 4, soon to be 5, JEC graduates: Alysia (Bruriah ‘90), and the children of Alysia & Ira Heller, Yehuda (JEC ‘12), Aharon (JEC ‘19), Moshe (JEC ‘19), and Yosef (JEC ‘23).

Mrs. Sauerhoff can always be seen at every school program, production and sporting event sitting in the front and having nachas from all of her children and the school, institution and community that she helped build and call home for some many years.

Now, as JEC’s “Grandmother of the year,” she takes great pride in all of the students in our entire JEC family.