A Rabbi's Grandfather

Holocaust survivor celebrates
80th anniversary of bar mitzvah.

W

hen Wolf Gruca
became a bar
mitzvah in
Czenstachowa, Poland, in
1933, little did he know that
a terrible war would descend
upon the world, leading to the
murder of 6 million Jews —
including Gruca's parents, five
siblings and scores of his rela-
tives — and the suffering of
millions of others.
In the midst of the
Holocaust, Gruca was sent
from the Czenstachowa ghetto
to work in the Hasag-Pelzer
factory, then to Buchenwald
concentration camp, its sub-
camp Dora and finally to the
slave camp Osterode am Harz.
Back then, he never could
have imagined that on Shabbat
Margie Starr of Troy with her father, Wolf
morning, Feb. 9, 2013, he
Gruca
would celebrate the 80th
anniversary of his bar mitzvah
and his special friend of five years,
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
Rachel Yager. It was not, however,
in Southfield surrounded by his
until after his grandson Aaron Starr
children, grandchildren and great-
became a rabbi that Gruca began to
grandchildren.
share many details of his life during
"After going through these experi-
the Holocaust.
ences in my lifetime, I would never
In a letter to his family written
believe that my pride and happiness
in 2005, Gruca explains, "I went
would come back," said Gruca of
through a lot during those years. I
Southfield. "My kids now have their
remember a lot from my younger
own children and grandchildren. I
years. I know I will not be here
am a proud grandfather and great-
forever. I would like my children,
grandfather!"
grandchildren and great-grandchil-
Immediately after the war, Gruca
dren to know a little about my life."
met his wife, Regina, another survi-
Rabbi Starr attributes part of his
vor, in a displaced persons camp in
decision to become a rabbi to being
Germany. There Regina gave birth
the grandchild of Holocaust survi-
to their first child, Joseph. Soon the
vors.
Speaking of his grandfather, Starr
three refugees left for the United
States and settled in Detroit.
says, "I feel a deep sense of gratitude
to him for surviving and transmit-
Gruca, who attributed his abil-
ting his legacy, and feel as if I inher-
ity to survive the war to his parents
training him in toolmaking, bounced ited from him a personal sense of
from one job to another until he was
obligation to continue Jewish life, to
hired by Chrysler. He spent more
encourage others to lead meaningful
than 30 years at Chrysler, where he
lives and to do everything I can to
was known by his adopted American
bring justice to the world?'
name "Walter?'
In celebrating his birthday and
the anniversary of his bar mitzvah,
In Detroit, Wolf and Regina had
two more children, daughters Margie Gruca offered the same Torah bless-
and Sue. They raised their children
ings he did 80 years before, flanked
to value education, Judaism and the
by Congregation Shaarey Zedek's
importance of life. Regina passed
Rabbi Joseph Krakoff and Gruca's
away in 2000, after 53 years of mar-
own grandson, Rabbi Starr. In turn,
riage.
they blessed him, asking God to
continue to grant him long life and
But life goes on, and Wolf now
counts among his blessings four
good health, surrounded by those he
grandchildren, four great-grandsons
loves.

❑

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February 21 • 2013

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