Rabbi Lau was born in 1937 in Piotrkow, Poland, scion of a well-known European rabbinic family, Rabbi Lau survived the Holocaust, in which his parents and his entire family, with the exception of a brother and half-brother, were murdered. At age eight, he was liberated from Buchenwald concentration camp by the U.S. Army, the youngest surviving prisoner. After the war, he immigrated to Palestine on a ship of orphaned refugee children.

His autobiography, "Do Not Raise Your Hand Against the Boy," published to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Buchenwald, became a bestseller in Israel. Recently, Israel's Cabinet has named him the new chairman of the council of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial.
Rabbi Lau was ordained a rabbi in 1961. He served as chief rabbi in Netanya (1978-1985) and Tel Aviv (1985-1993), and at that time developed his reputation as a popular orator.  He was elected as Israel’s Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi in 1993 and served for 10 years until 2003. In 2005, he was again elected Chief Rabbi of Tel Aviv, his current position.

Rabbi Lau is the recipient of the prestigious Israel Prize, the country's highest civilian honor..