Rome, Italy, Jan 4, 2012 / 15:02 pm
Jerzy Kluger, the lifelong Jewish friend of Pope John Paul II, died at the age of 90 on Jan. 2 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for several years.
Although born in the southern Polish city of Krakow, Kluger grew up in the nearby town of Wadowice, where his father was a lawyer and prominent leader of the local Jewish community.
Wadowice was also the hometown of the future Pope John Paul II, Karol Wojtyla.
The two boys lived across from each other on the town’s main square. They became great childhood friends and would always refer to each other by their nicknames. Jerzy was “Jurek” and Karol was “Lolek.”