Kołodziejek Władysław & Zofia (Pacek)

Kołodziejek, Władysław Kołodziejek, Zofia Zwoliński, Stanisław In September 1942, during the liquidation of the ghetto in the town of Zelechow, in the Siedlce district, sisters Sima and Nehama Zysman and a relative of them, Gitla Zysman, escaped from the transport taking them to Treblinka. After reaching the village of Zadybie Nowe, they knocked on the door of their acquaintances, Zofia and Władysław Kołodziejek. Without any preconditions, the Kołodziejeks took in the Jewish refugees, prepared an underground hiding place for them, and fed and clothed them. Despite their straitened circumstances, they expected nothing in return. In risking their lives to save Jews, the Kołodziejeks were guided by humanitarian motives, which overrode considerations of personal safety or economic hardship. Their nine children also took part in the rescue operation, by helping look after the refugees and warning them of imminent danger. When the Kołodziejeks’ money ran out, Stanisław Zwoliński, the local pharmacist, paid for the refugees’ upkeep. After the liberation of the area in July 1944, the Zysman sisters moved to Lodz, and in 1947, left Poland. They keep up ties with their saviors, and invited Władysław Kołodziejek to stay with them in Israel. On May 15, 1983, Yad Vashem recognized Zofia and Władysław Kołodziejek, and Stanisław Zwoliński as Righteous Among the Nations.