Oldest Holocaust Survivor in Israel, Who Restored Jewish Cemeteries, Dies at 107

Yehuda Aaron Weidbaski, recognized as Israel's oldest Holocaust survivor and a dedicated preserver of Jewish heritage in Poland, passed away at the age of 107. Weidbaski, a survivor of Auschwitz and forced labor camps, dedicated decades to locating and restoring Jewish cemeteries and graves across Poland.

Born in 1919 in Turek, Poland, into a religious Zionist family, Weidbaski's life was irrevocably altered by the Nazi occupation. His family was confined to the Łódź Ghetto, and in August 1944, they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Weidbaski was the sole survivor from his immediate family, with his parents, older brother Gabriel, younger brother Chaim Moshe, and sister Yocheved all perishing during the Holocaust. He and his brother Joshua survived the initial selection and were later transferred to a labor camp in Friedland, where he worked in a factory producing parts for German aircraft.

After liberation by the Red Army in May 1945, Weidbaski returned to Łódź, married, and had a son, Abraham. In 1950, the family immigrated to Israel, settling in Tel Aviv, where their daughter Leah was born.

A pivotal moment occurred in 1978 when Weidbaski returned to Poland and visited his grandmother's grave in the Łódź cemetery. Witnessing the neglected state of the site, he embarked on an extensive documentation project. He mapped the section containing victims of the Łódź Ghetto and, over the years, helped identify and erect headstones for over 3,000 graves. He repeatedly traveled to Poland, becoming a central contact for families seeking information about relatives or lost property.

In recognition of his lifelong commitment to remembrance, Weidbaski was honored with lighting a memorial torch at the official Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony at Yad Vashem in 2012.