A powerful new short film released for Holocaust Remembrance Day recounts the remarkable life of the Rebbe of Klausenburg, known also as the Sanz Rebbe, who survived the horrors of Auschwitz, made a vow to save Jewish lives, and later fulfilled it by founding Laniado Hospital in Netanya.
If I survive, I will help others live
“I arrived in Auschwitz on a Friday,” the Rebbe’s recorded voice narrates in the video. “They rushed us off the trains and beat us with clubs. We were herded straight into the camp.” It was the eve of Shavuot when the Rebbe arrived at Auschwitz. His wife and young children were sent immediately to the gas chambers. Most of his family was murdered. Yet he clung to his faith, even refusing to eat non-kosher food in the camps.
Following the war, the Rebbe devoted himself to helping other survivors—providing food, housing, and even matchmaking services. He became a father figure to many orphaned children, blessing them on Yom Kippur as a father would bless his own.
An Oath on the March of Death
During one of the Nazi death marches, after walking 120 kilometers, the Rebbe saw an opportunity to escape. He leapt into a river, was shot and injured in the hand, but managed to flee. At that moment, he made a vow: “If God saves me, I will dedicate my life to helping Jewish patients live.”
Years later, the Rebbe immigrated to Israel and settled in the then-fledgling neighborhood of Kiryat Sanz in Netanya. Keeping his promise, he founded Laniado Hospital, today a renowned medical institution serving Israelis of all backgrounds.
“I see saving a fellow Jew as my life’s mission,” he told his followers.
