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Naftali (Nathan) Laks

נפתלי צבי בן דוד הכהן זכרונו לברכה

ט״ז תמוז תרפ״ב — י״ח חשון תשפ״ה
July 12th, 1922 — November 19th, 2024

Naftali (Nathan) Laks, born in 1922 in Poland, survived the Holocaust as a young man. After the war, he undertook the dangerous illegal Aliya trip to Israel, then under British rule and helped build the country. Unable to make a living in Israel, he emigrated to the United States, married, and lost his wife while his two children were under seven.

Altogether, Naftali's life was very difficult. Remarkably, he retained a generous, humane spirit throughout all his ordeals. He loved people and in turn, was admired and beloved by his family and the people who were privileged to meet him.

This website is compiled by the family and friends of Naftali Laks. We divided his biography into four parts: the years in Poland before WWII, the Holocaust, his time in Israel, and his life in America. We retained this division for the photo and the stories pages. The tributes section, contributed by members of his extended family and the many friends he accumulated over his extended life, highlight the impact of his intellect and his kindness.

While Naftali Laks's biography and the recordings are of historical interest, perhaps the most important message of the website lies in the stories and photos which bring out his gentle, loving nature, demonstrating the strength of the human spirit.

Jewish Terminology

Naftali's life was strongly grounded in the Jewish religion that was the bedrock of his family and his community back in Poland. It is impossible to write about Naftai's history without constant references to often obscure parts of Jewish religious practice. Where we can easily translate, we supply a few words. Otherwise, the reader may use Google or a good website to dig out the meanings of words and practices that were current parlance in Poland a hundred years ago and are in constant use in the American Orthodox community in which Naftali raised his family.

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