Kostańska Halina (Henszel)

File 4716 Kostańska-Henszel, Halina In 1939, shortly after Łódź was occupied by the Germans, Frieda and Ignacy Perkal fled eastward. After settling in the town of Zdołbunów, in the Volhynia district, they found jobs, and made friends with a fellow worker, Halina Henszel. During the liquidation of the Zdołbunów ghetto, Ignacy found a hiding place, while Henszel provided Frieda with documents, which enabled her to volunteer for work in Germany, where she was liberated by the Allied Forces. Throughout her stay in Germany, Frieda kept up a regular correspondence with Henszel. Henszel’s heroism was inspired by a true friendship that triumphed over adversity – a friendship that continued even after Frieda immigrated to Israel after the war. On September 12, 1990, Yad Vashem recognized Halina Kostańska (née: Henszel) as a Righteous Among the Nations.