Rabbi Philip Lazowski, a Holocaust survivor who spent nearly three years hiding in the forests of Eastern Europe before building a decades-long rabbinical career in Greater Hartford died Thursday. He was 96.
His death drew tributes from Gov. Ned Lamont and Rep. John B. Larson, both tied to Lazowski and his son, Alan Lazowski, a prominent business figure who co-founded and leads Hartford-based LAZ Parking.
“Rabbi Lazowski was an incredible human being, whose life story could be a motion picture documentary,” Larson said. “He miraculously survived the Holocaust and came to this country, having gone through tremendous sacrifice and loss in his life, and still served as an inspiration for hope, faith, and forgiveness.”
Rabbi Lazowski was ordained in 1962 and earned a doctorate in Jewish Studies eight years later. He spent four decades as a rabbi in Hartford, first at Beth Sholom Synagogue and then — after Beth Sholom merged with Bloomfield’s Beth Hillel Synagogue in 1969 — at the merged congregation, where he remained until 2000.
He later served as Rabbi Emeritus of The Emanuel Synagogue. He also served as chaplain for the Hartford Police Department, Hartford Hospital’s Institute of Living, and the Connecticut State Senate, where Larson — then serving as president pro tempore — said Lazowski was the first rabbi to preside as chaplain.
His son Alan Lazowski co-founded LAZ Parking in 1981 while attending the University of Connecticut. The company has grown into a national parking management and mobility firm with more than 21,000 employees and over $3 billion in managed revenue. In a recent HBJ profile, Alan Lazowski listed his father’s books — “Faith and Destiny” and “Transforming Darkness into Light” — as his top reading recommendations.
“Rabbi Lazowski has an amazing life story and he was an inspiration to us all,” Lamont said. “His life’s work has made a positive impact in Connecticut, and we will truly miss his presence, wisdom and ability to inspire.”
Rabbi Lazowski is survived by his wife, Ruth; three sons, including Alan; and seven grandchildren.
