Speech by Prof. Władysław Bartoszewski, the Secretary of State for International Dialogue in Chancellery of the Chairman of Ministers Council

Transcription

1 CEREMONY OF PRESENTIING THE RIIGHTEOUS AMONG THE NATIIONS AWARDS COMMEMORATIION OF THE 70tth ANNIIVERSARY OF THE CREATIION OF THE POLIISH COUNCIIL TO AID JEWS ŻEGOTA WARSAW, DECEMBER 4th 2012

2 Welcoming the Guests Ewa Rudnik, the Director of the Righteous Department, Embassy of Israel to Poland Marek Zając, the Secretary of the International Auschwitz Council Speech by Prof. Władysław Bartoszewski, the Secretary of State for International Dialogue in Chancellery of the Chairman of Ministers Council Speech by H.E. Zvi Rav-Ner, the Ambassador of Israel Presentation on Righteous Among the Nations and the Polish Council to Aid Jews Żegota by the Museum of the History of Polish Jews Presenting the Righteous Among the Nations Medals and Certificates of Honour Helena Godlewska Presentation of the decoration into the hands of the Heroine s son, Leon Godlewski of Gdańsk Michał and Maria Golba Speech by the Survivors children, Rami Safri and Nechama Lind from Israel Presentation of the decoration into the hands of the the Heroes' grandson, Stefan Spała of Słupsk Antoni and Leokadia Jastrząb Presentation of the decoration into the hands of the Heroes' daughter, Liliana Wierzbińska of Marki Stanisława Olewnik On behalf of the Heroine s son, Jan Olewnik, Mayor of Grodzisk Mazowiecki Grzegorz Benedykciński will collect the medal Aniela Woroniecka neé Czartoryska and Róża Chmielewska Presentation of the decoration into the hands of Aniela Woroniecka s nephews: Adam Czartoryski from Denmark, Gustaw Czartoryski of Puszczykowo, Juliusz Czartoryski and Tytus Czartoryski of Morzęcin Mały, and Zygmunt Czartoryski of Opole Musical performance by Ola Bilińska Conclusion of the ceremony and taking group pictures Refreshments

3 Whosoever saves a single life, saves an entire universe Since 1963 a special commission of Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority in Jerusalem, headed by the Israel's Supreme Court, has been awarding Righteous Among the Nations medals and certificates of honour אומות העולם),חסיד read: Chasid umot ha-olam). This decoration pays tribute to the Heroes who were putting their lives in danger in order to rescue their Jewish friends, neighbours, acquaintances, sometimes perfect strangers, all of them doomed to extermination. Persons recognized as Righteous are awarded a specially minted medal bearing their name and a certificate of honour. The names and surnames of Righteous are also engraved on stone plates in the Garden of the Righteous in Jerusalem. The planting of olive trees for the Heroes has ceased few years ago for there is hardly no area left. The certificates of honour and medals are being presented during ceremonies taking place in Israel or in the Israeli diplomatic missions. The Embassy of Israel to Poland organizes a dozen or so of such ceremonies each year, mainly in Warsaw. In 2011, in 12 ceremonies, 65 Poles were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, and 11 honorary citizenships of the State of Israel were conferred upon them. All coverages of the ceremonies held in Poland are published on the website of the Embassy: ( the photos are available in the public virtual gallery at ( Yad Vashem has honoured over Heroes from all over the world, among them over Poles, to name few Polish Righteous: Zofia Kossak- Szczucka, Irena Sendlerowa, Mieczysław Fogg, Igor Newerly, Henryk Sławik and Władysław Bartoszewski. Names of the Righteous from Poland on the Wall of Honour in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem

4 The Polish Council to Aid Jews On December , the Polish Council to Aid Jews, the codename Żegota, was established at the Government in Exile Branch for Poland (Delegatura Rządu na Kraj). The tasks of 'Żegota' consisted in organizing and providing systematic support for persecuted Jews on the territory of the occupied Poland. The creation of an organization attached to the government, the operation of which was exclusively aimed at helping Jews, was unique in the occupied Europe. Among the missions of 'Żegota' were: seeking out apartments and hiding places, safely escorting and placing the fugitives in those places, issuing forged documents, providing financial and medical help for those in hiding, taking care of children and giving protection against blackmailers. The Council established its local branches in Cracow and Lviv. Its operation was possible thanks to the input and work of many, often anonymous and ordinary people, people of different age and of different social and material status. They managed to cooperate regardless of religious or outlook differences. Julian Grobelny, known by the pseudonym 'Trojan', was appointed the Head of Żegota. Leon Feiner, known by the pseudonym 'Mikołaj', and Tadeusz Rek, known by the pseudonym 'Różycki', became his Deputies. Other senior positions were held by: Ferdynand Arczyński 'Marek' (Treasurer), Adolf Abraham Berman 'Borowski' (Secretary-General). Witold (Jan) Bieńkowski, served as a liaison officer between 'Żegota' and the Polish Government in Exile, he was helped by Władysław Bartoszewski, 'Ludwik'. In 1963, Maria Kann and Władysław Bartoszewski planted a tree for 'Żegota' in the Yad Vashem Avenue of the Righteous, which later has become the Garden of the Righteous. Władysław Bartoszewski is the only living co-founder of 'Żegota'. Planting a tree in honour of Żegota in Yad Vashem, October 28 th 1963; Archive of Władysław Bartoszewski

5 Helena Godlewska A tiny, gaunt Jewish girl, Masha Borenstein, got to the family of Helena and Leon Godlewski of Warsaw in the summer of She was smuggled out of the Warsaw ghetto in a rucksack by the Godlewskis daughter Elżbieta Andersz. From then on, the girl, called Misia, became a full member of the family. With the help of a priest friend, Edward Tyszka, they arranged her a forged baptism certificate for the name Irena Maria Godlewska. In 1943, Helena Godlewska's husband was arrested for his activity in the Home Army, and he was killed in the KL Auschwitz-Birkenau. Henceforth, the woman had to deal with raising her four children on her own. Despite their difficult financial situation, she did not leave little Misia and took great care of her until the end of the occupation. In 1956, Masha Borenstein / Miriam Adika immigrated to Israel, where she started her own family. Helena Godlewska ( ) in the 1950s Misia Borenstein, ca. 1947

6 Michał and Maria Golba During the German occupation, Michał and Maria Golba were hiding three Jewish refugees: Hanna Kurz (Reiss-Lind) and Tonia Szulkind with her son Natan on their farm in Zdzieci, a small village near Połaniec in the Świętokrzyskie voivodeship. Although they could barely provide for themselves and their two sons, they did not refuse to help those who were in need, and who were also perfect strangers. The passage from Tonia Szulkind's (Seiden) memoirs reads: We were hiding at Maria and Michał's place for over a year. All that time, they were great. They took care of all our needs, without any payment. Never did they show any sign of fear or impatience. The Golba family took every effort so that their neighbours would not find out about their secret. All of them safely lived through the end of the occupation in August After the war, the Survivors emigrated from Poland, yet they have never forgotten their rescuers. Tonia Szulkind with her son Natan Hanna Reiss-Lind

7 Antoni and Leokadia Jastrząb Antoni Jastrząb and Joel Grinkraut knew each other well before the war. They both were tailors and lived in Zawiercie. When a ghetto was established in their home town, and all the Jewish population of Zawiercie was resettled into the ghetto, Leokadia and Antoni Jastrząb convinced Priwa Grinkraut, their friend's wife, to get out to the Aryan side. They were hiding her in their house for six weeks. At that time, they arranged forged documents for her, issued for the name Zofia Jabłońska, whereas Leokadia and Antoni's children thought Priwa some catholic prayers. Then, thanks to some contacts in the employment office, Antoni Jastrząb fixed Priwa up with a job for a German farmer in the Sudetes. The whole time he remained in contact with her, and helped to deliver the correspondence between Priwa and Joel. The latter survived the war with the help of a German air force officer, Willi Garbrecht. Leokadia Jastrząb ( ) Antoni Jastrząb ( ) Between 1942 and 1944, Willi Garbrecht saved several dozens of Jewish inhabitants of Zawiercie from deportation to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp by hiring them in the Luftwaffe plant. The ceremony of awarding the title of Righteous Among the Nations to Willi Garbrecht took place in the Embassy of Israel in Berlin in The son of Joel and Priwa Grinkraut, Prof. Abraham Gonen was present at the ceremony.

8 Stanisława Olewnik During the war Stanisława Olewnik lived in Krzemień near Maków Mazowiecki. She was a farm labourer and a single mother of two little sons. Regardless of the great danger, she agreed to provide help for 5 members of the Mławski family, who escaped from the Maków ghetto. In the autumn of 1943, during the German raid, the Mławskis, who were hiding in the woods, were arrested. After cruel torture, one Jewish girl admitted that Stanisława Olewnik was hiding her in her house, and then equipped the girl with her own documents, so as to facilitate the girl's survival on the Aryan side. The rescuer and the rescued were imprisoned in the Gestapo torture cell in the castle of Pułtusk. Next, they were transported to the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. We can read in the survived documents that Stanisława Olewnik, Ruchla Mławska and her daughters perished there in 1944.

9 Aniela Maria Elżbieta Woroniecka Duchess Aniela Woroniecka, neé Czartoryska, was involved in providing help to persecuted Jews from the very beginning of the war. She shared food and clothing, provided medical help, and - which was against the wishes of her family - she provided Jewish refugees with a temporary shelter in a special hiding place in her house at the corner of Nowogrodzka and Krucza Streets in Warsaw. To ensure their safety, she searched for other hiding places in various spots in Warsaw and outside the town. Many people owe her their lives. Dr. Edward Reicher and his family are among them. The Survivor wrote in his memoirs: Aniela Woroniecka was an angel in a human body. This woman was not even a bit demanding. She leaded her life sacrificing herself for others. She needed nothing for herself. She was the kindest human being I have ever met in my life. ** Aniela Woroniecka ( ) with her brother Adam, ca ** Edward Reicher, Country of Ash: A Jewish Doctor in Poland, , London 1989.

10 Róża Chmielewska On the basis of the memoirs written by Dr. Edward Reicher, Yad Vashem decided to award the title of Righteous Among the Nations to Róża Chmielewska, as well. For two months she provided shelter for Edward Reicher in her tiny apartment in Krucza Street in Warsaw. She was well aware of the risk. Nevertheless, she offered help to a desperate man, with distinctly Semitic facial features, who was roaming alone through the town shortly before the curfew. Little is known about the heroine. What is know is that she was a prostitute, and whenever a customer was visiting her, Reicher had to stay in a special hiding place. She was also providing financial help to Reicher's wife, who could stay on the Aryan side thanks to her 'good looks'. Because of suspicious neighbours, Reicher had to change his hiding place, and then he found a temporary shelter at Duchess Aniela Woroniecka s. Róża Chmielewska's later fate is unknown. Edward Reicher, probably photographed on the Aryan side; Yad Vashem Photo Archive

11 The procedure of awarding the title of Righteous Among the Nations The Survivors, as well as their relatives, are primarily entitled to nominate for awarding the honorary title of Righteous Among the Nations to those who helped the Jews during World War II. Based on their testimonies the committee of historians will decide upon awarding the title of Righteous. In particular cases, Rescuers and their relatives, as well as witnesses of those deeds could also make their requests. However such requests are only of auxiliary character. Upon prior contacting by phone or , applications shall be sent to the Embassy of Israel to Poland or directly to Yad Vashem in Israel. Instytut Yad Vashem, Righteous Among the Nations Department P.O. Box 3477, Jerusalem, Israel tel / , fax 00972/ righteous.nations@yadvashem.org.il Departament Sprawiedliwych wśród Narodów Świata Ambasada Izraela w Polsce / Embassy of Israel to Poland] ul. Krzywickiego 24, Warszawa, Poland tel. 22/ , fax 22/ education@warsaw.mfa.gov.il The application should include the following: - an accurate account of the story of rescuing persons of Jewish descent made in accordance with the Yad Vashem guidelines, - signed witnesses' testimonies of the described events - a list of persons who could witness the events - any other documentation of the events (for instance correspondence between survivors and rescuers), - full contact details of the applicant (address, phone number, fax, ). While examining the application, the Yad Vashem Commission of historians shall take into the consideration the following criteria: - the scope and kind of aid given, - financial profits obtained while aiding or lack of financial profits, - the level of danger and risk faced while providing help, - motivation of Rescuers, such as friendship, altruism, religion, beliefs (if possible to be established), - availability of the documents presented by the Survivors, - other important facts and information, as well as documents confirming the authenticity of the events presented. The Righteous may apply to have honorary citizenship of the State of Israel conferred. To this end, please apply by mail to Yad Vashem, preferably by the Department of the Righteous of the Embassy of Israel. More information on