Sep 13 2012 3:51 pm

A starving man who was saved in the Ghetto by a loaf of bread handed to him by another man on the street, was able to repay his personal debt of gratitude over 70 years later, orchestrated by the Yad Hashem, and an article posted on TLS.

The story begins two years ago, when the Rav of the Lakewood Courtyard, Rabbi Eliezer Ralbag, notified TLS of the passing of R’ Avrohom (Abe) Lawron (short for Lawronovich), who was Niftar at the age of 97. R’ Avrohom Ben R’ Meir, who resided at the Lakewood Courtyard, was a survivor of several Nazi Concentration Camps, where he lost his entire family. He never married. As a Zchus for his Neshama, Rabbi Ralbag requested that all who can, to Learn some Mishnayos in his memory.

Fast forward to January, 2012, when we received the following email:

“Good morning, We currently have an account for a Mr. Abe Lawron, whom we are unable to get in touch with. I found this name in an article on your website, saying he passed away in 2010. If you have a contact that could help us obtain a name for the executor of his estate, could you please provide this information so that we may contact them about disbursement of funds? Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.”

At first, it appeared to be another spam email. But after taking a second look at the email, it did in fact appear legitamate.

So we searched our archives, and indeed found that we posted an article about Mr. Lawron, and that he had passed away in 2010. It appeared that Rabbi Ralbag had been involved with Mr. Lawron, so we had a clue.

We reached out to Rabbi Ralbag, who said that he had in fact set up a trust account for Mr. Lawron, which he distributes exclusively for Tzedaka and learning L’iluy Nishmaso. Those funds are still used to pay Kollel Yungerleit in several night Kollelim he set up, that are Learning in Mr. Lawron’s Zchus.

So a few days later, we responded to the bank with the information we had regarding Mr. Lawron along with the contact number for Rabbi Ralbag, who would see to it that any funds belonging to Mr. Lawron are properly distributed.

A few days later, Rabbi Ralbag contacted us with a new twist to the story.

After speaking with the bank, it turned out that the funds the bank had were in an account allocated for an individual in Israel, named Emanuel S., should he still be living. If he wasn’t, the funds would then go a separate trust fund allocated to Tzedakah.

So Rabbli Ralbag began searching for this Emanuel S., and with the assistance of a Holocaust memorial organization, he was able to locate the man, still living in Israel.

Rabbi Ralbag immediately phoned the family to inform them of the funds coming to them. But why? was the key question.

After a brief conversation, the family member on the other end of the line said he believes his sister – who had traveled to the Unites States about 15 years prior – may have the answer.

A few days later, the man from Israel called back with the answer.

His sister related, that about 15 years ago she went to visit Mr. Abe Lawron in his home in Pennsylvania, because she remembered that her father had lived in the same town as him back in Lithuania, in a city named Shavil.

During the visit, Mr. Lawron related that during the war years in the Ghetto of Shavil, her father had spotted Mr. Lawron crouched over in the street from severe hunger and at the brink of death due to his starvation. Her father had a loaf of bread with him, which he immediately handed over to him. The bread saved his life, and Mr. Lawron survived the war. Mr. Lawron continued, that for saving his life, he would be opening an account designated for her family with some of his remaining funds, which would go to her family after he dies.

But in January 2012, about 18 months after his passing, the Pennsilvania bank wanted to close the account. And being they had no information on his status, the funds would be going to the U.S. Government.

But after searching for Mr. Lawron’s name online, the only results the bank found, were that of The Lakewood Scoop, which stated that Mr. Lawron had passed away.

Several weeks ago, the family from Israel received notice that they will be receiving the funds coming to them, left over by Mr. Lawron. And shortly afterward, the family opened their mailbox to find a check of $29,000. Mr. Lawron’s personal debt of Hakoras Hatov dating back over 70 years, was finally paid back.

“When one does Chesed Shel Emes, Hashem has numerous ways to pay back,” says Rabbi Ralbag. “Sometimes one receives the Hakaros Hatov instantaneously, and other times it might take over 70 years in a round about way, but nothing gets forgotten – even one loaf of bread can cause descendants many years later to reap the benefits.”

Today, the 26th of Elul, is Mr. Lawron’s Yahrtzeit.

Last night, a Yahrtzeit Seudah was held for him at the Lakewood Courtyard Shul, where Siyumim on numerous Masechtas were held by different night kollelim and Yungeleit who Daven in the Shul.

May the Neshama of R’ Avrohom ben Meir Z’L have an Aliya.