After 70 years: the rescuer and survivor died together

In Jerusalem died this week, the late Rabbi Meir Birnbaum, one of the remains of American Orthodox soldiers, who served as an officer in the army during World War II, fought against the Nazis and was among the liberators of the Jews from the Nazi yoke, especially in the Buchenwald camp.

When war broke out, Rabbi Birnbaum, was a young man of twenty, a resident of Brooklyn. He received a draft to the U.S. Army, and - despite his fears and understandable desire not to enlist, he was eventually recruited to the army and was sent to the fields of battle.

On the eve of his induction he spoke with Rabbi Yitzchak Hutner zt"l, who he was close to. "Each and every day say at least twenty times chapter צ"א of the Psalms – 'yoshev beseter elyon', and May it be His will that you will return home safe and sound," encouraged Rav Hutner. Nevertheless Birnbaum prepared a will in which a ordered that if, G-d forbid, he will not return from the war - to transfer his money to the yeshiva of Hgr"y.

In the army Birnbaum was forced to deal with many difficulties arising for being observant in a non Jewish atmosphere. But commanders identified the high potential in him, and insisted on sending him to a crash course in officers at the Officers School. He then commanded several units and participated in five systems, one of which was the famous invasion of Allied forces in Normandy.

Towards the end of the war his unit arrived to Germany and he was one of the first soldiers who entered the camp chain bearing the general name "Buchenwald". He embarked on a series of thrilling and chilling experiences; some of them are documented in pictures taken by him and his life story book he published, Lieutenant Birnbaum.

Shortly after entering the camp he revealed the horror before his eyes, and he realized the monstrous dimensions only then. Once, as he sat in his tent and made a military report, a soldier approached him and told him that two young Germans want to talk to him. "Take the German's to the forest and make sure there are less two anti- Semites in the world!" Birnbaum responded angrily, without batting an eyelid.

A minute later the soldier returned. "They ask if you know they are Jews," he said. He was shocked by the words of the soldier. With quick judgment and a rash statement he almost led to the assassination of two of his Jewish brothers!

He got up and stormed out of the tent to meet the two young men. "You spoke to me in German!" The soldier who initially thought them German defended himself. "What language did you want us to talk to you, in Yiddish?! You're not Jewish, so we talked to you in German!" They replied.

Meir sent the soldier away and began to talk with them. These two boys were chassidish, Leibel and Yosel Bornstein. They were looking for a Jew among the soldiers, and when they found that one of the Commanders is a Jew, they wanted to meet him.

Meir burst into excited tears and asked for forgiveness, for that a moment ago he wanted to kill them. One wish was in their hearts: to put on tefillin. He offered them his tefillin, but they did not know how to place them. When war broke out, they were under the age of bar mitzvah, and had never seen tefillin. With great excitement he helped put on tefillin. Then he gave them a meal of cookies and sardines.

Above this stage, the amazing incident which took place in the camp was published, between Rabbi Birnbaum and editor of Dos Yiddishe Vort, Rabbi Yosef Fridenson, who passed away last Shabbos, when Birnbaum saved the life of the young Fridenson who was lying on his deathbed in Buchenwald. Suddenly a savior and survivor passed away in one week.

When he went to Jerusalem, Rabbi Birnbaum became a popular lecturer and even served as a driver of Mir Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Beinish Finkel zt"l, when they drove every morning to Vatikin prayer at the Western Wall.

He was 94 years old at his passing, leaving behind children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren walking in the blessed and proud legacy of their late father. May his memory be blessed.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!