A major breakthrough in efforts to preserve kivrei avos in Poland was achieved last week when the mayor of Radzymin pledged to fence and protect the city’s historic beis hakvaros, much of which was destroyed during the Holocaust and later converted into a public road and park.

The commitment came during a meeting led by Harav Yisrael Menachem Alter, son of the Gerrer Rebbe, together with a distinguished delegation that included Bnei Brak Mayor Chanoch Zeibert, Housing Ministry Director-General Yehuda Morgenstern, Sfas Emes Yeshiva Rosh Yeshiva Harav Moshe Chaim Denderowitz, and longtime preservation activist Harav Shlomo Kopolowitz.

At the center of the beis hakvaros stands the restored ohel of Harav Shlomo Yehoshua Dovid of Radzymin zt”l, the beloved son of the famed Harav Yaakov Aryeh of Radzymin zt”l. While the ohel has been preserved over the years, the surrounding area of the beis hakvaros remained unprotected despite repeated efforts to safeguard the site.

During the meeting, Radzymin Mayor Krzysztof Chacinski agreed to move forward with plans to fence the entire beis hakvaros, preserving the dignity of the kevarim located there.

Harav Denderowitz spoke about the centuries-old Jewish commitment to honoring and protecting kivrei avos, while Mayor Zeibert noted that Bnei Brak is home to a street named after the Radzyminer Rebbe.

In a special gesture, Harav Shlomo Kopolowitz presented the mayor with a personal letter from Israeli President Isaac Herzog urging the preservation of the beis hakvaros and inviting the mayor to visit Israel as an official guest of the President’s Residence.

According to participants, the mayor was deeply moved by the letter and pledged to do everything possible to advance the project quickly. A working meeting between municipal officials and representatives of the delegation was scheduled immediately following the discussions to begin addressing the necessary bureaucratic steps.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)