Gąska Aniela

Gąska, Aniela In the summer of 1942, during the large-scale Aktion in the Warsaw ghetto, Tadeusz Plucer-Sarna and his son, Henryk, turned to Aniela Gąska, who lived in Grochów, a Warsaw suburb, seeking to rent a room in her apartment. Gąska realized that they were Jews who had fled from the ghetto and, prompted by compassion and a sense of duty, took them in. Tadeusz, who at the time was about 65, stayed in Gąska’s apartment where he posed as Gąska’s father, while his son, Henryk, hid in the cellar. At fist the refugees paid rent, but even after their money ran out, Gąska let them stay, and even helped pay for their upkeep. Gąska found work for Tadeusz as a private music teacher, which helped supplement their meager income. Unfortunately, both survivors later died. The request to award Gąska the title of Righteous Among the Nations was submitted by Tusia Plucer-Sarna, Henryk’s widow in Israel, where Henryk had immigrated after the war. In his will, Henryk instructed his wife to trace Gąska, and if necessary help her. Tusia obeyed his instruction, and she and Gąska became friends, and kept up contact for many years. On December 22, 1992, Yad Vashem recognized Aniela Gaska as Righteous Among the Nations. File 5521