60 years later: Hgr"ch met a fellow yeshiva friend • Exclusive

60 years have passed since Hgr"ch Kanievsky and Naftali Lau - Lavi learned together at the Lumz'a Yeshiva in Petach Tikva.


Over the years, attempts have been made to bring the two together but it never took place. Last week, the two met.


At the end of World War II, Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau, Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv - Jaffa, and his older brother Naftali Lau - Lavi immigrated to Israel.


Naftali stayed at the home of the Rebbe the Beis Yisrael of Ger, who advised him to study at the Lumz'a Yeshiva in Petach Tikva.

Naftali did as he was told and upon arriving at the yeshiva, he was assigned to sleep in the same room together with Hgr"ch Kanievsky, Reb Moshe Soloveitchik zt"l and Yisrael Sorotzkin, uncle of Eliezer Sorotzkin who heads the Lev Leachim organization.


Naftali was in his early 20's and learned a lot from his roommates, and made up all that he had lost during the Holocaust.


After graduating from the yeshiva, he contacted other pursuits and became a diplomat, a journalist and an Israeli public figure.


When Gedolei Yisrael - including Harav Shach and the Pnei Menachem of Ger had to decide on security issues, he was called by them for advice.

In recent years, when Rabbi David Lau, Chief Rabbi of Modiin and the nephew of Naftali came to consult with Hgr"ch on religious issues related to his city Hgr"ch took an interest in his uncle. Hgr"ch expressed his desire to meet him, but because of his age and disability of Naftali, the meeting did not take place till now.


Last week, during the wedding of the son of Eliezer Sorotzkin, son in law of Hgri"m Lau, Rabbi David Lau was able to fulfill the request of Hgr'ch and hold the meeting between him and Naftali. As soon as the two met each other Hgr"ch raised a smile on his face.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!