Oldest Holocaust Survivor in Israel, Yehuda Aaron Vidavsky, Dies at 107

Yehuda Aaron Vidavsky, believed to be the oldest Holocaust survivor living in Israel, passed away at the age of 107 just before Rosh Hashanah. His long life encompassed experiences in the Łódź Ghetto and Auschwitz-Birkenau, the loss of most of his family, post-war years in Poland, immigration to Israel, and decades dedicated to preserving Jewish memory.

Born in July 1919 in Turek, Poland, Vidavsky's family moved to Łódź before World War II. He managed to house 15 relatives when the ghetto was established. In August 1944, he and his brother Joshua were among the last to be deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where their parents and most siblings were killed upon arrival. The brothers were later sent to the Friedland labor camp, where Vidavsky devised a system to hide aircraft parts, helping prisoners avoid collective punishment for failing to meet production quotas.

After the war, Vidavsky returned to Łódź, married fellow Holocaust survivor Dabrish Wassercug, and participated in underground activities, aiding the Irgun (Etzel) organization in smuggling weapons to Mandatory Palestine. In 1950, he and his family immigrated to Israel, settling in Tel Aviv, where he built a new life, raised a large family, and ran a business.

Vidavsky maintained a strong connection to his past, beginning regular trips to Poland in 1978. Initially searching for his grandmother's grave, his personal quest evolved into a mission to preserve Jewish heritage. He contributed to the restoration of the Jewish cemetery in Łódź, repaired thousands of tombstones, and located and restored the tombs of Hasidic leaders. His efforts helped identify and preserve over 3,000 forgotten Jewish graves.

In 2012, Vidavsky lit a memorial torch at the Yad Vashem state ceremony on Holocaust Remembrance Day, symbolizing his journey from surviving the destruction of his world to dedicating his later years to memorializing its lost inhabitants.