Rav Lau - A True Survivor, A Real Hero
Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Israel's sixth Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi.
He was born in 1937 in the city of Piotrkow Trybunalski, Poland. During the war, he spent time in multiple horrible ghettos and concentration camps, including the infamous Treblinka Extermination Camp and the Buchenwald Concentration Camp. At the age of 8, Rabbi Lau was the youngest person freed from the Buchenwald concentration camp, after surviving a horrific reality that many did not. His award-winning book, Out of the Depths, speaks about his journey through WWII, giving hope and inspiration to all around him.
After the war, Rabbi Lau came to Israel and settled in Kiryat Motzkin. After completing his rabbinical courses, Rabbi Lau became the Chief Rabbi of Natanya in 1978, and then the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi in Tel Aviv - Jaffe in 1988. In 1993, Rabbi Lau was appointed the Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of all of Israel, a role he held for 10 years! His accomplishments in the world of religious life as a spiritual leader are endless.
Rabbi Lau is a very influential public figure in Israel and is loved and adored by all, from children and soldiers to politicians and other national and international figures. We think his Ordre national de la Legion D'honneur Award, Israel Prize, Israeli President's Medal, and many other awards and accolades speak for themselves!
When we think of Holocaust survivors, Rabbi Lau's image is one of the first that comes to mind. He is a true sign of hope and heroism, and a symbol of personal and national strength. He is one of Israel's greatest ambassadors to the world, and we are proud to call him one of our own!
