The Osinski Family

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Story of Rescue - The Osinski Family

They lived in Opole Sabinka, near Siedlce. The parents were teachers. The father belonged to the socialist party, he had sympathy for the Jews.

“People insulted us - he recalls - that we were Jewish servants”.

In March of 1941 Lola Zalcman came to them. She had run away from the ghetto in Siedlce, she was injured. They hid her on the veranda. Later, Romek Głazowski and Witek Ledel showed up, so they made them a hideout behind the shop that mother ran. There were more and more people who needed shelter.

“Father talked to Mr. Kąkol, who had a barn in Opole Nowe. It stood in a field. There were about 18 people who hid in it. I remember among them were: Lejbko Wiśnia, Motel and Glika Wajnberg, Bunia and Fejga Rowiński, Szejndla Lewita, Edzia Szosenfogiel, Zosia Wajman, Regina Gilgun, Herszko Cygielsztejn, Rafał (Fule) Kisieliński with his brother and his son. Kąkol would look after them and father would arrange the money for their upkeep with ‘Żegota’."

One day Lola Zalcman came running: “All of them from the barn had been killed.” Only she and Ledel survived. Later on Regina Gilgun and Fule Kisieliński, with his brother, were also found. His son died. Lola heard – she knew German well – that the murderers had spoken a strange German. They were wearing civilian clothing.

“Lola and Ledel were killed a few days later. Father and Fule figured out who had killed them all. Before leaving Poland, Fule came to us and said: ‘We have to take those tormentors in to the authorities.’ And father said: ‘We can’t bring back the dead.’ And Fule finally agreed.”

Bibliography

  • Marek T. Frankowski, Jerzy Staszewski, Musimy Żydów zniszczyć…, „Tygodnik Siedlecki”, nr 36
  • Stolarska Małgorzata, Interview with Wiesław Osiński , 15.05.2008
  • Biczysko Julia, Interview with Wiesław Osiński, 1.01.2008
  • Gutman Israel red. nacz., Księga Sprawiedliwych wśród Narodów Świata, Ratujący Żydów podczas Holocaustu