Reszka Józef & Małgorzata (Pasternak); Son: Stefan ; Son: Henryk ; Daughter: Malezyna Maria (Reszka)

Reszka, Józef Reszka, Małgorzata Reszka, Stefan Reszka, Maria Reszka, Henryk In 1942, Bencer, Mosze, Baruch, Jakub and Bina Waserman fled from the forced labor camp near Lublin, where they had been imprisoned. At first, the siblings wandered around the countryside, hiding separately in fields and forests in the region of Moszenki, their native village, near Lublin, and living from hand to mouth. After deciding to seek shelter with one of the peasants, they made their way to the neighboring village of Sługocim, where Józef Reszka, a close friend of their father’s, lived. The Wasermans, who already knew Reszka’s children from school, asked to stay with the Reszkas for one day only. Józef and Małgorzata Reszka and their three children, Stefan, Maria, and Henryk, welcomed the five Wasermans warmly, fed them, and told them they could stay as long as they liked. However, when shots were heard in the village, and they found out that the Germans were combing the area for Jewish fugitives, the Wasermans left. Before they left, Jozef assured them that his house would always be open to them during times of danger. After a while, the siblings indeed returned to the Reszkas and Stefan, their eldest son, arranged a hiding place for them in the granary, despite the hostility of the local inhabitants, some of whom had delivered Jews over to the Germans and themselves participated in the massacre of Jews. Since the Reszkas were too poor to feed the five fugitives, they had to fend for themselves, but whenever they failed to find food, the Reszkas shared their meager fare with them. The five Wasermans hid with the Reszkas for about half a year, until the summer of 1944, a few weeks before the liberation when, due to threats by neighbors who had discovered their hiding place, the five fugitives had to leave. Shortly before the liberation, Bina was killed by the Poles. In risking their lives for the Wasermans, the Reszkas were guided by humanitarian and religiousconsiderations, and by a friendship that triumphed over adversity, and never expected anything in return. After the war, Jakub Waserman immigrated to France, while the other brothers immigrated to Israel. On February 6, 1986, Yad Vashem recognized Małgorzata and Józef Reszka, and their children, Stefan, Maria, and Henryk, as Righteous Among the Nations. File 3353