By Sruly Meyer – COLlive
Yosef Lapko, a real estate developer and business consultant in Tucson, Arizona, has been on a mission to document his family’s history, unearthing hidden stories and connecting multiple generations.
Through this exploration, the importance of preserving and sharing the stories of Holocaust survivors became profoundly evident.
His investigation is centered on the life of his grandfather, Reuven (Roman) Zlotin, who was born in Russia in 1931 and experienced the horrors of World War II.
In 1942, at the tender age of 11, Zlotin and his mother fled their hometown of Briansk, near Moscow, seeking refuge during the war. Leaving behind his father and older brother Zalman Zlotin who chose to stay behind, Reuven Zlotin embarked on a perilous journey to find safety in the East.
Sadly, the fate of his father and brother remained unknown, and the war ravaged their hometown, leaving Zlotin with little information except for the heartbreaking speculation that they had perished.
After the war, Zlotin joined the Red Army, eventually rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He played a vital role in establishing submarine stations for supply purposes in Kamchatka. Later, he relocated to Kaluga, where he became the town’s chief engineer.
In 1992, following his children and grandchildren who had already made Aliyah the year before, Zlotin immigrated to the Holy Land of Israel, starting anew after years of hardship.
Since arriving there, Zlotin spoke about his experiences with friends and family. It is was spurred his grandson, Lapko, to start documenting the family history in 2011. His journey led him to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, where he made a profound discovery.
During a visit, Lapko heard his grandfather’s brother’s name Zalman included in the names of the Holocaust victims that are played through loudspeakers to remember those who perished.
It confirmed the tragic reality that Zlotin’s brother had met his untimely fate, never having the chance to build his own family.
Motivated by this newfound understanding, Lapko dedicated countless hours to researching and collecting information. He made further visits to Yad Vashem and collaborated with a distant relative to uncover astonishing details about his grandfather’s brother.
Through their efforts, they learned that he had joined the army, fought for six more months, and eventually succumbed to his injuries in a hospital. Contrary to earlier assumptions, the long-lost older brother was buried near St. Petersburg, Russia.
Lapko contacted Rabbi Yehuda Ceitlin of Chabad Tucson, who connected him with Rabbi Chaim Shaul Brook, Director of the Jewish institutions in St. Petersburg. Once the gravesite was located, Lapko flew to Israel and traveled together with his grandfather to Russia.
Despite being 92 years old, Zlotin was determined to make the journey and prepared himself physically to be strong enough for the trip.
Upon arriving at the burial site, Zlotin and Lapko were met with a minyan that Rabbi Brook had coordinated. Zlotin was able to recite the Kaddish prayer, with Lapko singing Keil Malei, the Jewish prayer for the deceased. Zlotin bent down and emotionally touched his long-lost brother’s gravesite.
“My grandfather didn’t want to leave,” Lapko recalled. “It had been 81 years since he last saw his brother, and he needed more time.”
Lapko is planning on producing a documentary film about his grandfather’s extraordinary life and the discovery of the burial site.
“Everybody has a story,” he said. “I’m so grateful to spend so much time with my grandfather, and I hope it encourages others to invest in documenting and preserving family histories and making the connection between generations.”
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Powerful. Kudos to you!