More Righteous Honoured in Warsaw
The ceremony took place at the Royal Theatre - in the Royal Łazienki Old Orangery in Warsaw. Israeli Ambassador to Poland, Anna Azari, presented medals and certificates to representatives of six families who, during the Holocaust, had extended help to persecuted Jews. "Presenting these honours is our Embassy's holy mission", said the Ambassador.
As well as the families of those posthumously honoured, others who participated in the event included representatives of the Polish Association of the Righteous and the Children of the Holocaust Association, members of parliament - among them being Deputy Speaker of the Sejm Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, the Minister of Families, Labour and Social Policy Elżbieta Rafalska, the Foreign Affairs Ministry Secretary of State Jan Dziedziczak, the National Defence Ministry Secretary of State Michał Dworczyk - representatives of state institutions and Warsaw school students.
"We are united in gratitude to those who showed decency during bad times and when values were threatened", said co-organiser of the ceremony Minister Jan Józef Kasprzyk, acting head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression. Other speakers included Prof. Zbigniew Wawer, Director of the Royal Łazienki Museum who recalled historie stories of aid to Jewso which took place not far from Łazienki, at the Ujazdowski Hospital.
Ten people were posthumously honoured during the ceremony which also included artistic performances.
Marta Nowińska accepted an honour on behalf of her mother Florentyna Danuta Krzeszewska and her grandmother Florentyna Józefa Krzeszewska. During the War, these women helped Stefan A. Reicher-Carter who, in a letter to guests at the ceremony, wrote that "the Krzeszewski family shined like a light in the darkness that had descended upon Europe".
Roman and Aniela Lipski, parents of the Righteous Zofia Celińska, were also honoured for the help they gave Zofia Lewinów and her relatives, the Kohan family. Their grandson Jan Tomasz Lipski accepted the honour on their behalf.
Together with Ambassador Anna Azari, Prof. Avi Rivkind honoured Zofia Modzelewska. Prof. Rivkind is the son of survivor Lea Rivkind, who was Zofia's high school friend in Grodno. The medal and certificate were accepted by Zofia's daughter, Salomea Jelinowska who said, "For mum, the most important thing was always to respect, help and be kind towards others. She passed that attitude onto us, her children. I am happy that her attitude has been recognised and honoured".
Dr. Tadeusz Stępniewski was a medical doctor in Warsaw. During the War, he became active in the Council to Aid Jews "Żegota”. He helped Jews, treated the sick and performed procedures to hide the results of circumcision. Dr Stępniewski's medal and certificate were accepted by his daughter, Ewa Morycińska-Dzius.
Bogumił Tomczak accepted the medal and certificate on behalf of his mother, Natalia Tomczak. Before the War, she had worked as a nanny in the homeof the Jewish Engel family. During the occupation, she aided her employers and their son.
For over two year, the Topolewski family and Antonina Hofman hid Miriam Kirszenbaum in their home in Bieżuń. In a letter to guests at the ceremony, Miriam's son expressed his thanks for the help priovided. The award was accepted by Sławomir Topolewski, on behalf of the Topolewski family and Antonina.
The ceremony was organised by the Israeli Embassy in Poland, together with the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression, in partnership with the Royal Łazienki Museum.
