Wużyński Jan ; Daughter: Haliniak Michalina (Wużyńska)

Wużyński, Jan Haliniak-Wużyńska, Michalina In October 1942, 17-year-old Shmul Weniger escaped from the forced labor camp for Jews in Jaktorow and, after many trials and tribulations, found his way back to his hometown, Horyniec-Zdroj, in the county of Lubaczow, in the Rzeszow district. Upon reaching his house, however, he discovered that his parents had been deported to an unknown destination. Weniger began wandering through the surrounding villages asking farmers for help, but they turned him away and even threatened to kill him or hand him over to the police. In desperation, Shmul, starving and exhausted, knocked on the door of Jan Wużyński’s cottage in the nearby village of Wolka Horyniecka. Despite his wife’s opposition and the neighbors’ hostility, Wużyński, a poor farmer with four children, prepared a hiding place for Shmul in the barn loft, without expecting anything in return. Throughout Shmul’s stay, Wużyński kept his presence hidden even from his children, apart from his 15-year-old daughter, Michalina, who looked after him, shared her food with him, cooked for him, washed his clothes and saw to all his needs. She also provided him with pencil and paper, so that he could keep a diary to while away the long hours in hiding. Although Wużyński was a devout Catholic who regularly attended church, he did not share his secret with the priest, claiming that, “he had to confess evil deeds only, not good, humane deeds.” Weniger stayed with Wużyński until July 1944, when the area was liberated by the Red Army. Immediately after the liberation, Weniger left the village and after the war, moved to Canada where he kept up contact with his rescuers. In 1990, Weniger visited Poland and stayed with Michalina, his savior. In 1991, Weniger invited Michalina and her husband to stay with him in Canada. On February 9, 1993, Yad Vashem recognized Jan Wużyński as Righteous Among the Nations. On June 11, 1996, Yad Vashem recognized his daughter, MichalinaHaliniak-Wużyńska, as Righteous Among the Nations.