Gawryłkiewicz Antoni

Gawryłkiewicz, Antoni Sixteen Jewish men, women and children, mostly from the town of Ejszyszki, in the Nowogrodek district, found shelter on the nearby Korkuciany estate, which belonged to Kazimierz Korkuć *. They were: Moshe and Tzipora Sonenson, and their four children Yitzhak, Shalom, Gitla and Yaffa; the four members of the Kabacznik family – Meir, Shabtai, Miriam and Sara; the three members of the Sołomiański family – Chaya, Yakub, and Mula; Ita Simińska; Sonia Kowarska; and Yitzhak Lewin. During their stay on the Korkuciany estate, the refugees had several narrow escapes and were almost discovered by the Gestapo who, alerted by hostile villagers, frequently raided the area. On such occasions, 18-year-old Antoni Gawryłkiewicz, a local shepherd, made a point of warning the refugees. He also acted as a courier between them and the partisans operating in the area, and gave them food and clothes. One day, Gawryłkiewicz and Korkuć were arrested but, despite being brutally interrogated, did not betray their friends, and were released. At Gawryłkiewicz’s advice and with his active help, the refugees were moved to another hiding place in a nearby village. Despite the danger, Gawryłkiewicz continued to watch out for their safety until the area was liberated in July 1944. After the war, the survivors founnd new lives when they resettled in various countries. Gawryłkiewicz, who moved to an area within the new Polish borders, kept up ties with Yitzhak Sonenson, who immigrated to Israel. On July 4, 1999, Yad Vashem recognized Antoni Gawryłkiewicz as Righteous Among the Nations.