Lechki Szczepan & Katarzyna ; Son: Ignacy ; Daughter: Piotrowska Maria (Lechki); Daughter: Mazek Ludwika (Lechki); Daughter: Zaborowska Stefania (Lechki); Daughter: Anna

Lechki, Szczepan Lechki, Katarzyna Piotrowska, Maria (Lechki) Lechki, Ludwika Zaborowska, Stefania (Lechki) Lechki, Anna Lechki, Ignacy Jonas and Anna Zukerberg and their daughter, Zofia (b. 1939), lived in Podbuż, Poland. They were a wealthy family, and for a while after the Nazi occupation they were able to stave off disaster by bribing Nazi officials to warn them before an Action (mass execution) was to take place, so they could hide; sometimes they were even allowed to remain in their home. In 1942, however, their resources ran out, and the Zukerbergs were forced to leave town, joined by Anna’s sister Sabina Tepper. They went out to wander the neighboring villages, and their journey was grim and difficult. Ukrainian bandits roamed the area, and the local inhabitants were so terrified that they would not help, even by giving them a little bit of food. The despairing family hid in a farm building whose owner they did not know. When the owner, Szczepan Lechki, came out to his summer kitchen that day, he heard noises that frightened him, which turned out to be Jonas Zukerberg, coming out to beg him for shelter for his starved and exhausted family for just one day. Szczepan stepped back inside and asked his family (his wife and their five children) for their opinion. One of his daughters referred to a story she had read, teaching that God rewarded good deeds. The family was very devout, and they decided to help. The Jewish family was invited to join the Lechkis for dinner. Instead of hosting them for one night, as Jonas had asked, the Lechkis allowed them to stay for twenty-two months, until the liberation. They were hidden in terrible conditions: the hideout was built within the granary and was too low to stand up in; they were given food once a day; and they had a waste bucket that was emptied once daily as well. Yet the family felt loved and cared for by the Lechkis. The house stood close to a road, the neighbors were hostile and prone to informing, and raids were a distinct possibility. Preparations were made to prevent the Zukerbergs from being discovered. Every time danger came, they ran off to hide in the forest, agreeing upon a meeting place where the Lechkis would bring food and information. Yet the danger did not spare the Lechkis entirely. Their close relative was killed on her way to feed nineteen Jews hidden in the forest. Her husband, whose involvement she had managed to hide, was left to care for their five children alone. Following this news, Jonas despaired enough to ask Szczepan for a gun so that he could kill his family and rid the Lechkis of the danger. Szczepan refused this request, and the cooperation between the families continued until the end of the war. When the liberation day came, Jonas could not believe it. Szczepan Lechki helped the Zukerbergs return to Podbuż, and from there they moved on to Gliwice, where there was already a community of survivors forming. Meanwhile, someone reported Szczepan to the Soviets for allegedly collaborating with the Nazis. He was arrested and about to be executed, but upon hearing of this, Jonas went to the prison where Szczepan was held to protest his arrest. He appeared there daily, pleading for the man’s freedom and telling the story of his family’s rescue, until they let Szczepan go. After this, afraid to remain in Ukrainian territory, the Lechkis moved to Poland. On January 20, 2015, Yad Vashem recognized Szczepan and Katarzyna Lechki, and their children, Maria (Lechki) Piotrowska, Ludwika Lechki, Stefania (Lechki) Zaborowska, Anna Lechki, and Ignacy Lechki, as Righteous Among the Nations.