Zaleska Helena

ZALESKA, HELENA During the war, Helena Zaleska lived on her own in the village of Nowiki, near Zbaraz, in Eastern Galicia. One day in early 1943, she was taking a walk when she noticed a young twelve-year-old sitting on the sidewalk. The youngster was Celina Kolin (later Liberman). In 1940, Celina’s family had moved from Zbaraz to Lwow. When the Nazis occupied Lwow, Celina and her mother were interned in the ghetto; her father was taken to a camp in Janowska Street. Consequently, Celina’s mother decided to send her back to her hometown of Zbaraz and it was then that Helena met Celina and took her to her home in Nowiki, treating her like her own child. She told the neighbors that Celina was an orphan, a survivor of a flood. When Ukrainian nationalists entered the village, Helena hid the girl for a short time with her brother. Celina soon returned to Helena’s home and stayed there until November 1946. Celina emphasized that Zaleska treated her like her own daughter and gave her loving care when she was ill with Typhus. Helena was solely guided by humanitarian feelings. In time, Celina immigrated to Canada and Helena moved to the district of Opole. On September 14, 1995, Yad Vashem recognized Helena Zaleska as Righteous Among the Nations.