Mikitow Józef & Olga

Mikitów, Józef Mikitów, Olga Four members of the Aszkenazy family, four members of the Speizer family and three members of the Lubianiker family owe their lives to Józef and Olga Mikitów from the city of Tarnopol. In September 1943, after escape from the Tarnopol ghetto, the Speizers and Lubianikers arrived at the home of Józef and Olga Mikitów and ask for their help. One month later, Karol Aszkenazy and his brother knocked on the door of the Mikitów family. Despite their own meager circumstances and the danger to their lives, the Mikitóws hid the 11 fugitives in their home, and for purely altruistic reasons, cared for them and took care of all their needs, without asking for or receiving anything in return. Józef and Olga Mikitów demonstrated great courage and self-sacrifice in standing up to the threats of one of their neighbors, who knew their secret and applied considerable pressure on them to give the Jews up to the police. All 11 Jewish fugitives were liberated by the Red Army in April 1944 and after the war, left Poland, most for the United States and others to Canada and Israel. Józef and Olga Mikitów moved to central Poland. On February 23, 1984, Yad Vashem recognized Olga Mikitów and her husband Józef Mikitów as Righteous Among the Nations. File 2850