In 1940, he studied at a private art school, and then attended a course in graphics at the Vinohrady Synagogue [arz; cs; de; pl], led by Petr Kien.
While in Terezín he also met his future wife, figure skater Ellen Danby, who was raised in the Netherlands.
After World War II, Burka and Danby settled in Amsterdam, where he studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (Dutch: Rijksakademie beeldende van Kunsten), under Lütke and Westerman.
He founded his own graphic arts studio, and together with Alain Fleming, was a co-founder of a Canadian group of designers.
His works are exhibited in a number of Canadian, American, and European museums and are part of important private collections.