JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A historic breakthrough in preserving the graves of the righteous in Poland was achieved last week during a special meeting held with the mayor of Radzymin, who declared that he would work to rebuild the fence around the entire area of the Jewish cemetery in the city. Over the years, the site had been transformed into a road and a public garden, and, tragically, the area had been desecrated by the feet of passersby.

At the center of the cemetery stands the restored ohel of the holy Rabbi Shlomo Yehoshua David of Radzymin, of blessed memory, the beloved son of the holy Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh of Radzymin, known as a miracle worker. Rabbi Yaakov Aryeh lived and was active in the city, while his final resting place is in Warsaw.

During the Holocaust, the Nazis, may their names be erased, completely destroyed the cemetery and desecrated the remains of the Jews buried there. In 1985, as restoration efforts for Jewish holy sites throughout Poland began, the grandson of the Gerer Rebbe worked to locate the gravesite of his ancestor, the holy Rabbi Shlomo Yehoshua David. The approximate area where testimony indicated he had been buried was fenced off, and based on discovered signs believed to be connected to the location of the original ohel, a new and proper ohel was constructed.

The steady stream of Jews who came to pray at the site, together with the efforts of activists, ensured that the restored ohel itself was well maintained. However, the surrounding area, which had served as the cemetery, was not preserved. The land was turned into a road and a garden for local residents, while those working on the issue repeatedly attempted to advance plans to fence off the area, without success.

A dramatic turning point came last week when the son of the Gerer Rebbe, Rabbi Yisrael Menachem Alter, arrived at the head of a distinguished delegation for a special meeting with the mayor, Mr. Krzysztof Chaciński. During the meeting, they reached a historic agreement under which the local municipality would work to advance the fencing of the entire area where Jewish graves had been located.

The delegation included Rabbi Moshe Chaim Denderovitz, head of Yeshivat Sfat Emet; Bnei Brak Mayor Chanokh Zeibert; Housing Ministry Director-General Yehuda Morgenstern; and activist Rabbi Shlomo Kopolovitz, who has extensive experience in preserving and restoring the holy sites of Radzymin.

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Denderovitz, who spoke in English, emotionally described how throughout the generations Jews have worked to preserve the sanctity of the graves of their ancestors, dating back to the days of the biblical patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. The mayor was deeply moved as Rabbi Denderovitz spoke passionately about Jewish self-sacrifice in preserving these sites and the blessing such efforts bring to the city. Bnei Brak Mayor Chanokh Zeibert told him that the only city in the world where the name of Radzymin is commemorated is Bnei Brak, which has a street named after the holy Radzymin Rebbe.

Rabbi Shlomo Kopolovitz surprised Mayor Chaciński, with whom he has maintained a longstanding relationship on these matters, by presenting him with a personal letter from Israel’s President Isaac Herzog. In the letter, the president requested that efforts be made to preserve the Jewish cemetery in the city and invited the mayor to visit Israel as his personal guest at the President’s Residence.

The mayor was deeply moved by the personal gesture and promised to do everything possible to quickly advance the delegation’s request. A professional working meeting between municipal officials and Rabbi Kopolovitz was scheduled on the spot in order to address the matter quickly and effectively. The hope is that the bureaucratic obstacles can be overcome swiftly, for the honor of those resting in the earth of Radzymin.