Ciemięga Stefania ; Sister: Hupalo Franciszka

Ciemięga, Stefania Hupalo, Franciszka Aliza Bratszpiz was thirteen years old when she escaped on her own from the Lwow ghetto, after her parents perished during one of the Aktionen perpetrated by the Germans with the help of the local Ukrainians. After wandering for many days and nights, Bratszpiz reached the home of Stefania Ciemięga, whose address she had been given by relatives. Ciemięga, a widow, lived in a large, secluded house on the outskirts of the village of Stare Siolo near Lwow, together with her baby son and her sister, Franciszka Hupalo. Although Aliza introduced herself as a homeless Polish orphan, Ciemięga immediately realized she was Jewish and offered her shelter in a room with a concealed entrance. Much to her surprise, Aliza found that the room was already inhabited by Mark Redner, and his wife Bronia, and their children Aleksander and Emilie, who had already been there for several months. In addition to them, Mark’s relative Beno (Ber) Redner also found shelter in this room. The two sisters, guided by humanitarian motives, which overrode considerations of personal safety, looked after the six Jewish refugees, and paid for their upkeep. Although German officers sometimes stayed overnight in their spacious home, Ciemięga and Hupalo continued to look after the refugees with true devotion, until the Red Army liberated the area in July 1944. After the war, Bratszpiz immigrated to Israel, while all the other survivors immigrated to the United States. All the survivors kept up a correspondence with their saviors, Ciemięga and Hupalo. On February 13, 1968, Yad Vashem recognized Stefania Ciemięga and her sister, Franciszka Hupalo, as Righteous Among the Nations.