It is with profound sadness and our deepest regrets that we announce the passing of our family patriarch Itzhak Pilc z’l on January 16, 2026, at the age of 99. He joins his beloved wife Dwora z’l, his parents, and his 10 older siblings.

 

Itzhak, affectionately known as Saba, is survived by three children, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. He will be deeply missed by his children Jackey (Lorne), Miriam (Rick), and Zev (Alyssa), as well as his cherished grandchildren Adina, Maya, Shira, Noah, Tevy (Faigy), Shayna (Arie), and his great-grandchildren Toby and Benny.

 

Itzhak was born on Purim in 1926 and celebrated his English birthday on April 5th. He was born in Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland, the youngest of 11 children. He was 13 years old when war broke out, and soon after, part of Dabrowa Gornicza became a ghetto. Itzhak selflessly risked his life to sneak in and out of the ghetto in search of food for his family.

 

By 1943, most of Itzhak’s family had already been deported to Auschwitz. In 1944, Itzhak and several other family members were hidden in the home of a righteous Polish couple before they were captured and deported to Auschwitz. Itzhak’s courage and quick thinking allowed him to survive until the end of the Holocaust, when he found his brother Kalman and they both escaped from the death march. They were liberated in Germany in May 1945, where they reunited with three other surviving siblings. His six other siblings, their families, and his parents all perished in the Holocaust.

 

Itzhak made it to Israel in 1949, where he fought for the newly established Jewish state’s right to exist. He married Dwora z’l in 1955 and they welcomed their first child Zev in 1958. In 1961, the family immigrated to Toronto, and in 1962 they welcomed a daughter, Miriam. In 1970, their family was completed with the arrival of Jackey.

 

Itzhak became a partner in Stroli’s Strictly Kosher Foods and with his involvement, it later grew into one of the largest and most renowned kosher meat stores, providing kosher meat and prepared food to the Toronto Jewish community and beyond. Itzhak recorded his Holocaust story for the Spielberg Shoah Foundation and shared his stories of courage and defiance with his children and grandchildren. In 2010, he was formally recognized by the Premier of Ontario for his profound courage, strength, and determination as a Holocaust survivor.

 

He was an active member of Beth Tikvah Synagogue from the early days of its establishment and was beloved by his shul community until the end of his life. Itzhak was also a member of the Zaglembier Society of Toronto and spent his final years at Baycrest, where he was also an active community member. He will be greatly missed by his entire community.

 

Saba’s family would like to thank his devoted caregivers, Myra and Cherry, for their kindness, compassion, and the dignity they displayed throughout his care, as well as all the fourth floor north RPNs and PSWs at Baycrest LTC.

Donations can be made in Itzhak’s name to Beth Tikvah Synagogue and the Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto. Meal train sign up can be found here.