Bajkowska Zofia (Puchalska)

File 2125 Bajkowska (née: Bałacka), Zofia One night, in November 1943, Chana (Anna) Axelrad (née: Szwadron; later known by her secundo voto as: Reichman) arrived at the home of Bajkowska (née: Bałacka) Zofia, who lived in the town of Skwarzawa near Złoczów, located in Eastern Galicia. Chana had escaped from the nearby ghetto after the murder of her husband and all the other members of her family. Before the war, Chana had lived with her husband in the village of Skwarzawa, where she had become acquainted with Bajkowska Zofia, who managed the farm of an elderly, childless couple who had adopted her. Zofia, who was then a young girl, took in Chana without hesitation, bathed and fed her and arranged a hiding-place for her in the attic. She acted in a spirit of pure friendship, undeterred by the ever-present danger and without the knowledge of her foster parents, and she received no material compensation. Chana remained with Zofia until April 1944. Shortly afterwards, the two women moved to relatives of Zofia’s who lived in the city of Rzeszów; where Chana taught Zofia how to sew. After Chana immigrated to Israel, she kept a close contact with Zofia, until (Chana’s death) her death in 1982. On the 6th of July 1981, Yad Vashem recognized Bajkowska (née: Bałacka) Zofia, as a Righteous Among the Nations.