We do not know why Yerucham Bacharach is documented as a son of Bilaystok. Perhaps its because during the last years before Second World War he lived and created in Bialystok and also because his most important works were written there.
Truth is that Yerucham Bacharach is a man of Zabludow, based on his first writings and his biography.
As a child Yerucham experienced the taste of nature in Zabludow and its many woods. In the summer he enjoyed bathing in the lakes around, from the wide plateaus and its smells, and in the winter he enjoyed ice and snow skating, and from the winter silence that inspires loneliness and dreaming.
Everyone in town knew his father, Yedidiah the Shokhet, who was the third Shokhet in town. He had six children- three boys and three girls, and Yerucham was the eldest. His sisters were sitting at home; his brother's Artchik and Motkeh traded with wood. Yerucham was appreciated in town as an educated man whose knowledge was wide ranged.
The Shokhet (ritual slaughterer), a peaceful god fearing Jew gave his children a strict very religious upbringing. From childhood Yerucham had a strong desire to study. He loved reading and studied a lot. At a young age he passed his matriculation exams and began to teach Hebrew at school. Later he established a Hebrew school together with the Hebrew expert Yoseph Bloch. This school existed for a long time. At some time he was appointed the principal of a big Hebrew school in Zatilna Street, where they also taught subjects in Yiddish.
Yerucham's many students from Zabludow are scattered all over the world. Some of them are well-known writers, teachers and artists. They all remember the teacher Yerucham, a fast, active and constantly busy man. His students liked him because he always gave them the right answer and the good word of encouragement.
Reading his historical researches convinces that this is a first rate historian. Worth mentioning is his basic work: "the rambam, his system and major beliefs." This is a philosophical historical research on the rambam and his ideas. His work does not cover the Rambam's multi faceted personality but it shows main points of his scientific approach and it reveals the future historian's great talent.
A few years before the outbreak of Second World War Yerucham stayed in bialistock. There he devoted his time for a Zionist activity and historical research.
Yerucham Bacharach was a very strict researcher. He fully understood the responsibility in fulfilling the scientific mission and knew how to use his spiritual skills in such a manner that his research will be valuable and that it will serve many generations. But, in the middle of it all the cruel nazi enemy interfered and cut the golden thread of his work, a golden thread in which he embroider the history of the Jewish people in the little and important town of Zabludow. Yerucham was able to save his lists, hide them in tin cans and bury them in the ghetto of bialistock. An interesting detail- the materials saved deal with Zabludow's historical importance. It looks like Yerucham felt the days are numbered and thus found the time to unite himself until the last moment with his beloved town- in his imagination, in his soul, and in every part of his being, because Jewish traditional life was preserved in this town.
May the few biographical details of this teacher and historian be as a flower on his unknown grave. The Jewish world and scientists had high hopes and expectations from him but he was brutally taken in the middle of his fruitful work.
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