In happier times, Zarnov, in the province of Lodz, Poland, was mostly Jewish and merited to be the resident of several renowned scholars. True to a centuries-old tradition, the town’s spiritual leaders were giants in the Jewish world, such as the Radoshitzer Rav, Rabbi Naftoli.

When a group of descendants of Zarnov’s townsfolk visited the town a few years ago, they were shocked at the sight that met their eyes. Ever since the town was destroyed during the Holocaust, the Jewish cemetery had been neglected. Its desecrated tombstones, now overgrown by wild weeds and thorns, lay scattered on all sides.

A group of US philanthropists turned to Oholei Tzadikim and Geder Avos after seeing an advertisement in a newspaper. With their generous support, the cemetery was restored and fenced in 2014.

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