Mażarska Marta ; Son: Mażarski Eugeniusz ; Son: Mażarski Rudolf

File 2646 Mażarska, Marta Mażarski, Eugeniusz Mażarski, Rudolf Prewar and during the German occupation, the Mażarski family lived in a village of Janówka (Tarnopol voivodeship; 8km from the city of Tarnopol). The Mażarski family owned an agricultural farm. After the liquidation of the Tarnopol ghetto and the “Rokita Camp” in July 1943 (it took place- on the 23rd of July 1943); only a small number of Jews, managed to flee and to find a shelter at farmyard of a Ukrainian family in the village of Janówka. Among them were: Jaakow Kupferwasser (later known as- Kuba Springer), his friend Wilo Hofrichter and the sisters Anna Federbusch-Ophir and Tosia Federbusz-Drorani. Furthermore, there was the Berger family, a couple (the wife was pregnant); Mr. Berger’s brother, and two sisters about the age of 20- Hela Berger-Epstein and Sala Berger-Pulzer. In 1944 when the Germans troops were forced to retreat to west, and the battles for Tarnopol took place; Wilo Hofrichter thanks to Rudolf (known also as- Rudzio) Mażarski, reached the bunker trough a tunnel, which was situated under the garden. Wilo knew Rudolf from their mutual acquaintance- Jaakow Kupferwasser ((Jaakow and Rudolf met while they were working at the German workshops (“Herres Unterkunftserwaltung”)). Before the refugees reached their final phase of hiding at the Mażarskis’ family, they were hiding in few additional places: At first, Kuba (Jaakow Kupferwasser; Jakub Springer) was hiding at his nanny’s house; his hiding place neighbored with one of Wilo’s (Hofrichter), who was hiding at that time at Paraszczuks’ apartment. One day, Eugeniusz (named also as- Genek) came to Tarnopol and took Hofrichter (on a sledge) to his bunker, which was situated beneath the stable. Anna Federbusch-Ophir and Tosia Federbusz-Drorani who managed to escape from the “Rokita Camp” liquividation, met a family acquaintance who owned bells foundry named- Mr. Świdziński Junior, who recommended them to turn forhelp to Chomenkowa Palegia. At first, they were hiding for several weeks at Chomenkowa’s (Palegia) house; which was located at the suburbs of Tarnopol, Mrs. Chomenkowa was a widow who lived alone. Furthermore, the Paraszczuk family members were hiding at their apartment two sisters named- Anna Federbusch-Ophir and Tosia Federbusz-Drorani (who were also brought by Eugeniusz on his sledges, to the bunker). While the refugees were still hiding at the Paraszczuk family house; Rudolf (named also as- Rudzio) who previously met Kuba at Paraszczuks’ apartment, started to visit the refugees; Mażarski was kind to them, cheered them up and brought them German newspapers with news from the war front- ”..He brought us newspapers, cheered-up, that the end of the war is coming.” Wrote Dr. Anna Federbusch-Ophir, in her testimony to Yad Vashem. After a while, Eugeniusz brought with him Kuba; who was also hiding in his bunker. In a period, when the battles for Tarnopol took place, and the evacuation of Tarnopol was decree; additional refugees fled to the Mażarskis’ hiding place. It was Anna’s (Federbusch-Ophir) second sister- Maria Federbusch-Wyborska, who fled Tarnopol with her husband Józef Wyborski and their two children: Wilusia (originally named- Witolda) who was then two and a half years old, and her brother Władzio (originally named- Waldemar) who was five years old. Marta Mażarska brought to the bunker (where the refugees were hiding) bread and cooked fodder (descent to the bunker was trough the stable’s ladder). At the bunker were wooden cots and an oil lamp. The bread was putted in sacks, which were hanging, in order to avoid mice. The Mażarski family grinded their own flour in order to avoid buying a huge amount of bread, which could arouse further suspicions on the part of the neighbors. As the Soviet front grew closer, the fugitives were forced to leave their hideout. Consulting with his mother Marta and his older brother Eugeniusz, Mażarski took thedesperate Jews into their stable, where they met five other Jews hiding there. They were the members of the Berger family, who had also fled from the Aktion in Tarnopol and had been hiding out in the home of Mażarska and her sons. All nine Jewish fugitives remained in the Mażarski home, where they were treated with warmth and devotion, until the liberation by the Red Army in April 1944. Risking their lives, Mażarska and her sons safeguarded the fugitives they had taken under their roof. They shared the little food they had with them, taking care of all their needs, neither asking for nor receiving any payment in return. Everything they did to save the Jews was motivated by a deep love of humanity stemming from their religious faith. After the liberation, Rudolf Mażarski was arrested by the Russians (as a result of neighbors reports) who imprisoned, after a while he was released from the prison he died from tuberculosis (he died in 1945). After the war, the Federbusch sisters with the rest of their family moved to Lower Silesia (pl. Dolny Śląsk), to the city of Wrocław; while the Mażarski family settled down in a village named- Biskupów, situated in Opolski Voivodeship (pl. Województwo Opolskie). In 1957, Dr. Anna Federbusch-Ophir immigrated to Israel; she settled down in Tel-Aviv, while her sister- Tosia Federbusz-Drorani, also immigrated and settled in Bat-Yam; Kachtan Witold also settled in Bat-Yam; Jaakow Kupferwasser immigrated to Israel and settled down in Afula, he worked as an auto-mechanic. Wilo Hofrichter immigrated to United States and settled in New-York; while, Wyborski Maria settled in Los-Angeles. On the 7th of July 1983, Yad Vashem recognized Marta Mażarska and her sons Eugeniusz and Rudolf Mażarski as a Righteous Among the Nations. On the 8th of October 1984, a tree planting ceremony took place in Yad Vashem, on behalf of three righteous families who saved the lives of 14 Jews during the German occupation: I. Mażarska Marta,Mażarski Eugeniusz and Mażarski Rudolf. * II. Chomenkowa Pelagia. ** III. Paraszczuk Joachim. Paraszczuk Krystyna. - The ceremony was attended by Dr. Anna Federbusch-Ophir and her sister Tosia Federbusz-Drorani. (* ** For further information please see files no. 2646 a ; 2646 b).