Jewish Priest Establishes Communal Grave
Gregor Pavlovsky only discovered the tragic fate of his parents decades after the war. Despite the fact that he is a Catholic priest he still wants a connection to his people.
- Eli Shlezinger
- י' אייר התשע"ו
ל
Before the Nazi invasion 4000 Jews lived in Izbica a small village in Eastern Poland. Miraculously two brothers survived the carnage the Nazi's brought upon the village; 14 year old Chaim and his younger brother 8 year old Yakov Tzvi.
Chaim was the first to flee, and after him his little brother also successfully escaped. The young boy wandered alone in the forest until a kindly Polish woman had pity on him and brought him home. She raised him as her own.
In time Yakov Tzvi became Gregor Pavlovsky- a Christian Priest. It isn't clear if his origins were hidden form him- or is he had forgotten that he was born a Jew- but before her death his adopted mother told him," You must know and remember that you are a Jew."
He didn't know how to integrate this information into his life, and so upon the advice of Pope John Paul II he decided to fill the opening that had become available in Yaffo's Chatholic Church. He would then be able to live his life as he was used to- while living in the Jewish Land.
Gregor managed to trace his older brother who he found had established a Torah true family in Chaifa. Chaim was very excited to receive the unexpected call from his long lost brother and gathered his entire family for the reunion in the airport.
Chaim was not prepared for the shock of seeing his younger brother dressed as a Catholic priest, and the much awaited reunion went sour. He forbade his family from maintaining contact with his younger brother.
Meanwhile Gregor's Jewish identity gave him no rest- and he came to the conclusion that he would like to be buried in the communal grave that he had established for the slaughtered Jews of Izbica- his birthplace.
He went back to Poland and built himself a plot near the communal grave of Izbica's Jews above which he erected a large matzeivah with his story engraved upon it.
Harav Beni Klemenzon, Rosh Yeshiva Otniel tells the story
Chaim was the first to flee, and after him his little brother also successfully escaped. The young boy wandered alone in the forest until a kindly Polish woman had pity on him and brought him home. She raised him as her own.
In time Yakov Tzvi became Gregor Pavlovsky- a Christian Priest. It isn't clear if his origins were hidden form him- or is he had forgotten that he was born a Jew- but before her death his adopted mother told him," You must know and remember that you are a Jew."
He didn't know how to integrate this information into his life, and so upon the advice of Pope John Paul II he decided to fill the opening that had become available in Yaffo's Chatholic Church. He would then be able to live his life as he was used to- while living in the Jewish Land.
Gregor managed to trace his older brother who he found had established a Torah true family in Chaifa. Chaim was very excited to receive the unexpected call from his long lost brother and gathered his entire family for the reunion in the airport.
Chaim was not prepared for the shock of seeing his younger brother dressed as a Catholic priest, and the much awaited reunion went sour. He forbade his family from maintaining contact with his younger brother.
Meanwhile Gregor's Jewish identity gave him no rest- and he came to the conclusion that he would like to be buried in the communal grave that he had established for the slaughtered Jews of Izbica- his birthplace.
He went back to Poland and built himself a plot near the communal grave of Izbica's Jews above which he erected a large matzeivah with his story engraved upon it.
Harav Beni Klemenzon, Rosh Yeshiva Otniel tells the story
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