The first Yahrzeit, or anniversary of the death of Blessed Tadeusz Jakubowicz.
On Wednesday, 5 November, we gathered at the New Cemetery at 55 Miodowa Street to mark the first anniversary of the death of Blessed Tadeusz Jakubowicz.
The anniversary of the passing of Tadeusz Jakubowicz (Yahrzeit in Hebrew) falls on the 17th day of the month of Cheshvan, according to the Jewish calendar. In Jewish tradition, it is believed that on this day the soul of the departed returns to the places most deeply connected to their life — the burial site, the family home, and the synagogue where they prayed. This year, the Yahrzeit coincided with a Saturday, so the commemoration was naturally held a few days earlier.
At the newly placed monument to Tadeusz Jakubowicz, the ceremony was led by Kuba Lewinger, Rosh Chevra Kadisha (Chairman of the Funeral Brotherhood), together with Rabbi Boaz Gadka and other participants, who recited Psalms 33, 16, 17, 72, 91, 104, and 130.
Afterwards, Chief Rabbi of Poland, Michael Schudrich, recited verses from Psalm 119, beginning with the Hebrew letters that form the name Tuvia ben Meir — the Hebrew name of Tadeusz.
Kuba Lewinger then read a special prayer for the deceased and recited the Kaddish, the memorial prayer he had said regularly throughout the first year following the funeral.
At the end of the ceremony, Jeremiah Reichberg from New York, grandson of a heartfelt friend, Rabbi Mandel Reichberg, sang the prayer El Male Rahamim, meaning God Full of Mercy.
Afterwards, we gathered at the Kupa Synagogue to raise a Lechaim in memory of the departed. Rabbi Boaz Gadka, the Community’s Rabbi, read a chapter from Mishneh Torah, Tractate Mikvaot, and Kuba Lewinger recited the final Kaddish.
Tadeusz Jakubowicz’s friends and acquaintances spoke about him, reminiscing and repeating that he was an upright man who brought different communities together and devoted his entire life to preserving and rebuilding Jewish heritage in Krakow and Poland. He cherished not only historical monuments, but also people. Among other things, he took care of kosher canteens not only in Krakow, but also in other communities, as well as providing assistance to the elderly, lonely and sick. Guests from outside Krakow emphasised that he was a leader who had an extraordinary influence on the entire Jewish community in Poland.
According to the Jewish calendar, the next Yahrzeit will fall on October 28, 2026.
