Shliach Travels to Celebrate Holocaust Survivor’s 100th Birthday

Rabbi Moshe was born on the 5th of Nissan, 5685 (1925) in Hungary. At the age of 19, he was taken by the Nazis, went through Auschwitz and harsh labor camps, but survived with unwavering faith. After liberation, he immigrated to the Land of Israel and settled in Safed, where he ran a religious school. In his old age, he moved to Merom Canaan, where he befriended the Chabad Shliach, Rabbi Avraham Chaim Zilber.

Ten years ago, when Rabbi Moshe reached the age of 90, Rabbi Zilber held a birthday celebration for him in the synagogue and promised: “With God’s help, I will come to celebrate with you on your hundredth birthday as well – no matter where you are.”

And the promise was kept. Just before Pesach Rabbi Moshe turned one hundred years old. Rabbi Zilber, true to his word, traveled to Jerusalem, where Rabbi Moshe was staying in a nursing home, and brought him a birthday cake and a set of Shmurah Matzah – a symbolic gift for a Jew whose devotion to the commandments knew no bounds.

In the following excerpt, Rabbi Moshe recounts moving memories of his rabbi, the Admor Rabbi Chaim Meislish, the rabbi of the town of Uhel. Even within the hellish camps, he refused to give up matzah for Passover. He collected his own bread rations and those of dozens of other Jews to bake matzah inside the camp. In an unbelievable turn of events, he received personal approval for this from Himmler, may his name be blotted out, and thus Jews managed to eat matzah throughout the days of the holiday – an amazing testament to the power of faith and boundless devotion.

This is a powerful and moving story that echoes the strength of the human spirit and the power of faith even in the darkest moments. Rabbi Moshe’s story is a living testament to heroism and self-sacrifice, not only for his physical survival in the horrors of the Holocaust but primarily for maintaining the image of humanity and faith within him.

The deep friendship and loyalty of Rabbi Zilber to Rabbi Moshe, as expressed in his coming to celebrate his hundredth birthday with him, is particularly touching. It emphasizes the importance of human connection and compassion, and the profound appreciation for the Holocaust generation.

The story of Rabbi Moshe’s rabbi, the Admor Rabbi Chaim Meislish, is a chapter in itself of immense devotion to the commandments and faith. His depiction as someone willing to risk his own life and the lives of others to observe the Passover commandments within a concentration camp is unbelievable. The fact that he managed to obtain personal approval from Himmler himself for baking matzah defies logic and only intensifies the feeling of miracle and spiritual heroism.

This story is a painful yet inspiring reminder of what Holocaust survivors endured. It underscores the importance of remembering the Holocaust not only as a tragic historical event but also as a source of lessons about the power of faith, loyalty, and devotion, even in the most impossible circumstances. Such stories reinforce our need to continue to remember and to draw strength from the eternal human spirit.