Warsaw, Poland… 1942 – The Germans invaded Poland on September 1, 1939, and quickly took control of Warsaw, home to 375,000 Jews, including Solomon Tejblum and his parents, Helen and Haim. Haim obtained forged papers for his family and tried to arrange for their escape into Hungary or Romania.  During this effort, Haim was arrested, sent to a concentration camp, and never heard from again. In December 1942, the Tejblums made contact with members of the underground group, Zegota, which was set up to help Jews in hiding. One of the families that Zegota relied on to harbor Jews was the Kwiecinskis.  Janina Kwiecinska, and her three daughters were already hiding several Jews when they agreed to take six-year-old Solomon and his mother. During the August 1944 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the Kwiecinski’s apartment was destroyed, and the Germans forced the civilian population to evacuate the city. Janina and her daughters fled with Solomon and Helen into the woods and evaded arrest. They went from village to village, continuing to care for Solomon and Helen. After a few weeks, the group came upon a farmer who was willing to hide them indefinitely. The farm was liberated on January 18, 1945. In 2004 the JFR reunited Janina’s daughter, Hanna Kwiecinska Morawiecka and Solomon Tejblum (known as Andre Nowacki). They had not seen each other since 1945.

To read more about Janina and Hanna Kwiecinski click here.