Born in Piotrków, Poland in 1937, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau was deported to a slave labor camp in Częstochowa, and from there to the Buchenwald concentration camp.
At only 8 years old, little “Lolek” had already experienced and witnessed more suffering and depravity than any human being should ever have to endure. Yet today, Rabbi Lau is a beacon of light and hope. He reminds us that we can never forget the Holocaust and that we must stand up to all those who wish to deny and distort reality. Humanity is at its best when we stand together, so let us stand together in friendship.
“Love your fellow human being as yourself. This is what our Torah tells us. Be united; do not seek differences that pit one against the other. Do not hate. Do not take revenge. This will only lead to more bloodshed. Aspire to love and to rebuild the universe. Seek to create a world where Jews and non-Jews can live together in friendship and peace.”
– Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Chairman of the Yad Vashem Council and former Chief Rabbi of Israel
This portrait photo was taken by Martin Schoeller as part of the exhibition “Survivors: Faces of Life after the Holocaust.”
Source: American Society for Yad Vashem
