Out of the Depths~An Amazing Story!

Great Synagogue

The Great Synagogue in Jerusalem is more than just a tourist attraction. Most months, on Rosh Hodesh Motzei Shabbat, they hold lectures which include well known people from across the globe.

On Sunday, 08 January 2012, there was a special lecture and book launch. The book in question had already been released in Hebrew, but now the English translation was finally available.

The speaker was to be Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, former Chief Rabbi of Israel, currently Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv and Chairman of Yad Vashem.  The book, titled Out of The Depths, is his personal account of the Shoah, the loss of his family, and how he and his brother Napthali, managed to survive and find their way to Israel at the end of the war. 

Rabbi Lau is the 38th generation in an unbroken family chain of rabbis that goes back almost 1,000 years. When Rabbi Lau arrived in Israel he had never been to school and had yet to learn to read or write. His brother, nonetheless, kept the promise he made to their father, and insured that the family dynasty would carry on via the youngest surviving member of the family.

I expected a large crowd, however, when I arrived it was a mob scene! Fortunately I had arranged to meet a few friends and we were able to save seats near the front of the podium. People were snapping up copies of the book and crowding around a table where the rabbi was going to be signing. A little confession here~I have a thing for books, and whenever possible, I try to meet the authors and have them sign their book for me. One never knows, an original signed copy (even of an obscure book) could one day be a collectors item.  More importantly, I have had the privilege of meeting many wonderful people and reading a host of fascinating stories!

They were handing out numbers to those who wanted their books signed~that is until they ran out! The rabbi was late arriving, because he was paying a shiva call (which for us takes priority over a book launch), but he dutifully signed a number of books before moving on to give the lecture. Unlike most places in Israel, the Great Synagogue is meticulous about starting on time and this lecture was indeed on time! Immediately  upon finishing, Rabbi Lau was back in the foyer signing books as people mobbed the small table he was sitting at. Not once did he rush, or show the slightest bit of impatience~and we were told he had to leave early in the morning for a trip!

Rabbi Lau Signing a Book

Rabbi Lau is a good speaker, but this night he was beyond good. He spoke from the heart, and we could feel his pain, and see through his eyes, the horrors he experienced as a small child.  

The rabbi spoke of when the Nazis separated the women and children from the men at the railway cars. He described with great emotion how, the women and children were being herded into different cars from the men. He vividly recalled the second his mother realized what was happening~that the men would be useful as laborers, but women and children would be a burden, and that their cars would be going "somewhere else". 

In that instant, she grabbed him and threw him away from her over to where his older brother was standing, and screamed at him to "take care of Lulek".(*Lulek was the name he was called as a child). His voice and eyes still showed the pain of a small child who thought his mother was "throwing him away". I was sitting amongst a large group of women (all mothers) and I can tell you that the tears were flowing freely. 

An Emotional Story

On a personal note, I met the Rabbi (in a manner of speaking) as I am positive he would have no  such recollection. When I was in the midst of the red tape part of making aliyah with all the stress of locating original documents, having them verified, and verified over and over again, and other such trivia,  an acquaintance took me to a Torah Scroll dedication. 

As the crowd was dancing down the street with the scrolls, the rabbi was preparing to leave (it was very late). My friend literally dragged me over the chairs to cut off the rabbi's exit, and blurted out how I was struggling to make aliyah. I was embarrassed because he looked very tired~but he stopped, and told me a short story, then gave me a berakhah. At that time, I had no idea who he actually was, but his berakhah for me was fulfilled. Now, I also have my signed copy of his book, and a recording of his lecture!