Legionow, Poland… Winter 1942 – Irena Hamerska’s closest friend, Leokadia, had smuggled a Jewish baby named Shifra out of the ghetto. Leokadia took Shifra to her apartment where Irena would come to watch her. Both women treated Shifra like their younger sister.

In order to take care of Shifra and make sure that no one knew she was in the apartment, Irena and Leokadia worked different shifts at their jobs. They hid Shifra in the small apartment until liberation in 1945. After the war, Shifra’s father returned to Legionow to look for his daughter. Shifra’s mother had been killed by the Germans. When he finally found Shifra, she refused to go with him. Shifra wanted to stay with Irena and Leokadia.

As much as Irena and Leokadia tried to convince Shifra to go with her dad, she refused to leave them. It was decided that everyone would live together for several months so Shifra could become accustomed to her dad once again. In 1946 Shifra and her father left for Israel.

Irena Hamerska passed away in 2015.