Semsch Stefania (Hryniewicz)

Semsch, Stefania File 5554 One day in May 1943, Markus Goldberg and his wife Roza appeared unexpectedly at the home of Stefania Semsch in Angelowka (Zloczów county, Tarnopol district, Eastern Galicia). The two Jewish refugees, who had fled from the ghetto in the neighboring town of Busk, were total strangers to Semsch. They asked for, and were given, food, but Semsch hesitated to let them stay in her home. She lived near the main road and occasionally was forced to host Germans who combed the area for partisans. However, taking pity on the refugees, she allowed the refugees to hide in a bunker in her yard for one week, at the most. The week stretched into more than a year, as the Goldbergs remained in her home until the liberation in July 1944. Throughout that time, Semsch met their needs and eased their anxieties and boredom by providing them with newspapers. The two months preceding the liberation were the most difficult period, since German soldiers who had set up a vehicle-repair workshop in Semsch’ yard were also billeted in her home. The continual fear of discovery created much tension. In addition to which, Jews who were hiding in the forests nearby, occasionally arrived at Semsch’ house where they were fed and provisionally sheltered. Semsch sought no remuneration for anything she did in rescuing Jews; her motives were purely humanitarian. The Goldbergs stayed in touch with Semsch for many years after the war, and after they left Poland for Israel, they spared no effort to help her financially. On December 14, 1982, Yad Vashem recognized Stefania Semsch as Righteous Among the Nations.