Yaakov W: My Mother Sacrificed Her Life with Me So I Can Learn Torah
November 8, 2025
AI Summary
5 min read"My Mother Sacrificed Her Life with Me So I Can Learn Torah"
Yaakov W was born in Czestochowa, Poland in 1988, the only child of a mother who was herself the daughter of two Holocaust survivors. His grandparents had lost their first spouses and children during the war, survived the Hassag labor camp making munitions for the Nazis, and were liberated by the Russians in January 1945. They married, had a daughter—Yaakov's mother—and whatever they could keep of Jewish practice under communism, they tried to pass on. By the time Yaakov was born, there were no Jewish schools, no rabbis, no kosher facilities in Czestochowa. His mother became the head of the city's Jewish community in 1974 and held that role for 43 years until her death in 2017. She was his only source of Jewish education.
Discovering Jewish Identity in a Hostile Environment
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What you'll learn
- 1 Timestamped Navigation Outline
- 2 (01:42) **Growing Up as the Only Jewish Child in Czestochowa, Poland** - Yaakov describes his childhood in a city with no Jewish schools or rabbis, learning about his Jewish identity from his mother, a daughter of Holocaust survivors.
- 3 (06:59) **The Internal Conflict: Secrecy vs. Identity** - Yaakov describes the tension between wanting to know his Jewishness and being told to keep it a secret due to anti-Semitism.
- 4 (08:48) **The Bris at Age 12: A Defining Moment of Choice** - Yaakov recounts traveling to Warsaw for a circumcision, a procedure he actively chose despite obstacles and discouragement.
- 5 (16:08) **Moving to Warsaw and Choosing to Be Visibly Jewish** - Yaakov describes moving to Warsaw to attend the Lauder School and his decision to wear a kippah publicly.
- 6 (21:06) **The Conversation That Changed Everything: Leaving for America** - Yaakov recounts how he asked his mother's permission to leave Poland and study in a yeshiva in America.
- 7 (25:56) **From Second Grade at 15 to Graduating High School in 4 Years** - Yaakov describes arriving in America and the humbling experience of starting at a second-grade level to learn Torah basics.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
Inspiration for the Nation is the weekly Jewish podcast from Living Lchaim, hosted by Yaakov Langer.
Born in post-communist Poland with no access to Jewish life, Yakov Wasilewicz’s journey from isolation to inspiration is nothing short of miraculous. From a secret childhood identity to a self-chosen bris at 12 and Torah study in America, his story celebrates courage, faith, and maternal sacrifice. His story is a moving testament to how one man’s determination and music keep the light of heritage burning.
Yaakov W's email: [email protected]
His song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w-Zd3nconU
His music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/17cO7IzGVAlf74bMTR6Rrj
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✬ IN MEMORY OF ✬
This episode is in memory of: • Miram Sarah bas Yaakov Moshe • Shimon Dovid ben Yaakov Shloima
This episode is for the speedy recovery of: • Yosef Chaim ben Devorah Chaya Golda
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Lchaim.
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