A Birthday Present from a JRI-Poland Town Leader in Australia
Max Wald, in Melbourne, Australia, is the JRI-Poland volunteer town leader for several towns including Biala Podlaska, the town where his father was born. His late father had a long-time friend, named Berysz Aurbach, who just celebrated his 105th birthday in August! To honor the occasion, Max tracked down Berysz’s birth record (recorded in Biala Podlaska) and presented it to him as part of his birthday celebration.
Berysz Aurbach is a Warsaw Ghetto survivor with an amazing attitude and a special lineage to match. He and his family are very proud of their family connection to the Rav HaGaon, the Gerer Rebbe. The current Gerer Rebbe is Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh Alter (born in Lodz in 1939), who is the 8th in the line of a very well-known line (dynasty) of rabbis. Ger is a name for today’s Gora Kalwaria, Poland. According to Berysz’ family, the third Gerer Rebbe, Avraham Mordechai Alter, known as the “Imrei Emes” was married to a woman from Biala Podlaska, a fact that all Biala Podlasker’s remember and celebrate. Berysz himself is an ardent follower of the Gerer rebbes and gave a drash (commentary or sermon) based upon the teachings of the Sfat Emet on the occasion of his own 105th birthday.
JRI-Poland is proud to have played a small role in the celebration of Berysz’ special birthday, and even prouder to share how Berysz spent his birthday, honoring his ancestors and his strong ties to Judaism and the Gerer Rebbe. Mazel Tov to Berysz and until 120!
