More Polish Righteous Honoured in Warsaw

Józefa and Andrzej Siek of Krzeszów were honoured posthumously for saving Feliks Urman who, at the end of 1942, turned to them for help. For almost two years, the Sieks hid him in the attic of their barn. The medal and certificate were accepted by the couple’s daughter, Bolesława Szabat, who during the War was a teenager and remembers well those wartime events. Also taking part in the ceremony was, Dorothy Denburg, the daughter of Feliks Urman who, together with her family, had travelled from the United States to attend the event

The title of Righteous was also bestowed upon Maria Winnicka who helped many Jews, among them being mathematics professor, Zygmunt Szczawińsk. She took into her home on ul.Bracka Jewish children she found wandering the streets – she washed them, fed them and found them places of safety. She also tried to rescue the small son of her friend Franciszka Tusk-Scheinwechsler who was in an advanced stage of pregnancy. At Franciszka’s request, Maria went to the ghetto at night and tried to extract him from a transport to Treblinka. Maria’s children, Ewa Winnicka and Jakub Winnicki were presented with the medal and certificate from the Israeli Ambassador.

The United States Ambassador, Stephen Mull, also took part in the ceremony.