Risa Igelfeld was born on November 1, 1917 in Vienna, Austria. When she was still an infant, her mother died from the Spanish Flu. From a young age, Risa was drawn to singing and performances. She lived near the Opera House and spent all her pocket money going to the shows. 

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When the Nazis invaded in 1938, she witnessed storefronts being destroyed and men rounded up to be deported to the concentration camps. One day she was stopped by several Nazi soldiers who demanded she report to their headquarters to clean it. One of the soldiers took her aside and warned her that their intentions were more dire and that they intended to assault her. She never showed up.

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Risa went to college in Vienna where she studied French and English. Her professor fled to England soon after 1938, but saved a visa for Risa as she was his only Jewish student and he felt compelled save her. She escaped at the age of 21, and the professor helped find her a job as a housekeeper. She later learned that her father and step-mother also survived and would reunited with them years later. 

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In 1948, when Risa was 31, she married Gershon Igelfeld and together they had two children, David and Ruthie. They moved and settled in Los Angeles.