Holocaust Biography
Date Published: December 10, 2024
Publisher: Book Publishers USA
This narrative gives us a detailed chronicle of the turbulent life of Rebbe Aryeh Leibish Gottesman Zt”l. Beginning from his childhood years, with the next chapters bringing alive the years of pain he endured in the most horrendous period of the holocaust. Following the highly interesting period detailing his formative years in America, that gives us a glimpse of the post-trauma that a war survivor lived with. His scars and pain and loss that accompanied him for the next seventy years
When he was still but a child and a young bochur, little Leibish fought ferociously against life’s odds to learn Torah in times that antisemitism was common in the little town in Czech where he lived. After suffering all the horrors of Auschwitz, Dachau, and more, when he lost both his parents and family, except for one surviving brother. R’ Leibish threw upon himself again with happiness and fortitude to accept the yoke of learning Torah. First in the city of Serdaheli and then in the famed Nitra Yeshiva in America, where he became one of the most notable and close students of the renowned Torah giant and distinguished war activist Hagaon Hatzaddik Rebbe Michoel Ber Weissmandel ZT”L. He stood out in the front line of Talmudei Chachomim of the first generation after the war.
The next step in life was when with his diligence and persistence he grew to be a major Gaon that illuminated the path for many many students and breathed a life of Torah up to his final moment.
5 quotes from your Book
1) My mother was 6 years old, her father R' Amrom Gestetner was enroute to Auschwitz when he wrote a letter to his children, some excerpts of the letter.
"When saying Tehillim, you should shed tears so that Hashem should have mercy on us, together with all our fellow Jews, that we should go through this period quickly towards happiness.
Do not worry, for Hashem will surely help us. Pour out your hearts when you Daven. Though in all other times, you should be in high good spirits, for Hashem who is only good, does not do any bad to us. He only wants our reward in the world to come should be even greater." (page 140,141)
2) “My grandfather R’ Amrom Gestetner was then beaten viciously by the German soldiers. All the while, his face bore a smile,” remembered R’ Ezriel.
“I was a child then. I asked my father, ‘Tateh [Daddy], Why is Zaideh [Zaidy] laughing? He answered me that Zaideh is happy that he is going to be killed for the sake of Hashem’s holy name.” (page 143)
3) A quote from father's mother Sura when they were rounded up for Auschwitz.
Another point is that it is an important factor in this story. In Hungary, a suitable title would be added before everyone’s name. Our grandmother was Known as “the Shochetneni” (resembling her husband’s vocation).
Having these two points in mind, we can conjure the picture of our grandmother being forced to the train station with her family. She was on her own, without her husband, who had brutally been taken away. Suddenly, the family maid ran up to her, shouting: “Shochetneni, you have such beautiful daughters. It is a shame that they should be killed. Please leave them behind, and I will raise them…”. It was a moment’s decision, but our grandmother answered firmly: “Hashem gave me these children. If I cannot raise them as he would want me to, I am willingly giving them back to Hashem!” (page 180)
4) Our father was still too young and did not have the experience to know how to reply. But the faith he had absorbed in his parent’s home, he answered briefly: “Hashem will take both of us out of this terrible place and these awful times. Both of us, if we will stay here or if we will be transported to a different place, I am sure that Hashem will make sure that no bad should befall us.” (page 258)
5) In his memoirs that he wrote half a year after the war had finished, Sprunger describes how he answered: “Do you think I have become crazy? It is only that I allow my thoughts and my heart to speak, and I calm down listening to this conversation....” He told our father what he was imagining, but our father was committed not to be pulled into this sort of conversation. He answered Mr. Sprunger and emphatically declared, “I fully believe that Hashem will help us, and we will be freed from here. The day will come when we will be able to speak openly and tell the world all that we have suffered. We will continue and describe how we were released from darkness to light.’ (page 267)
About the Author
My name is Emil Gottesman and I am 67 years old, married and blessed with a family of children and grandchildren. Owner of a medium size US Customs House Broker and Freight Forwarder company. In my community, I'm known by my Hebrew name Amrom Gottesman.
Born to my Parents R’ Leibish and Rickel Gottesman, both Holocaust survivors, raised and still live my life, with strong values of family, religion, and faith
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