A moving encounter took place in the sukkah of Rabbi Baruch Wieder, dean of Yeshivat HaKotel in Jerusalem, who hosted 99-year-old Auschwitz survivor Dov Landau.
During the gathering, Rabbi Wieder reflected on Landau’s remarkable life journey, marveling at his presence in Jerusalem eight decades after surviving the Nazi death camp.
“This Jew is nearly 100 years old, an Auschwitz survivor," Rabbi Wieder told those present, concluding with a poignant observation: “So we see eternity."
Landau, who spoke about his life story last year as part of a “Zikaron BaSalon" Holocaust remembrance event, survived multiple death camps and a death march as a teenager before finally being liberated from Buchenwald.
After immigrating to Israel, Landau joined the Haganah, fought in the battle for Gush Etzion, and was subsequently taken captive by Jordanian forces.
Although he lost his entire family in the Holocaust, Landau went on to rebuild his life in Israel, raising a large family and devoting much of his life to bearing witness for future generations.
For 25 years, he accompanied youth delegations on educational trips to Poland, returning to the sites of his youth to share his story of survival and resilience.