Wincewicz Franciszek & Rozalia (Bielska); Sister: Stanisława ; Brother: Józef

WINCEWICZ, FRANCISZEK WINCEWICZ, ROZALIA WINCEWICZ, JÓZEF WINCEWICZ, STANISŁAWA The Wincewicz siblings - Jozef, Stanislawa and Franciszek, and Franciszek’s wife, Rozalia, and their 11-year-old daughter lived in Dunajów in Przemyślany county, Tarnopol district. The entire family helped Jews during the occupation. Jozef and Franciszek’s houses stood on the outskirts of the village, right next to the forest. This location made it easy for the brothers to help Jews who were seeking shelter. In 1941, the brothers sheltered Helena Anisman and her two children. Helena had escaped from her native village of Biala after the Germans murdered 28 members of her family, including her husband. She reached Dunajów with her two children, where she turned to Franciszek, a prewar friend, for help. Franciszek hid her for ten months, feeding her and her children and taking care of all their needs. Rozalia, his wife, helped him. When police patrols came near the house, Franciszek moved Helena and her children to the home of his friend Michal Stronski*. In 1942, Helena's younger sister, Ester Eisenstein, as well as her daughter found their way to Franciszek's house. He hid them for six to seven weeks and then arranged a hideout for them at his friend's house, where Ester and her daughter awaited liberation. In the spring of 1943, a group of Jewish partisans found shelter in Dunajów. One of the members of the group was Yaakov Fanger, whose mother was hiding at Stanislawa Wincewicz’s home. This circumstance connected the partisans with the Wincewicz family, who in turn provided them with food. One day, as the partisans were in a neighboring village trying to get food, two women who stayed with them in the forest - Rachel Weingarten, Yakov Fanger's daughter, and Chana Proff - were waiting a Jozef's home. All of a sudden Ukrainian nationalists and Germans entered the house looking for Jews. Jozef hid the women in the bread oven and covered the opening with pillows. When the Germans and the Ukrainians approached the oven, he told them that the pillows were infected with typhus. “The Germans and the Ukrainians were afraid to touch the pillows... They beat him hard, until he bled, in front of his wife and children, who knew the secret. But they all kept silent and we were saved,” wrote Chana Proff. During the period between December 1942 and July 22, 1944, Franciszek hid Jozef Hecht and Mendel Low, and both their families in his home. "It is known to us, that ... he was hiding four families besides us, totaling fifteen people in all, including four babies. We must stress that all those hiding with the Wincewiczes were rescued", wrote Hecht and Low in their testimony. "The whole Wincewicz family, Jozef, Franek and his sister, and even the children, everybody helped the Jews who were hiding near Dunajów. They were mediators between the outside world and us, informed us of the situation, brought us bread, salt, sometimes newspapers," wrote Rachel Weingarten in her testimony. In 1962, Franciszek visited Israel after being invited there by those who were saved by him and his family and had relocated there after the war. On September 9, 1975, Yad Vashem recognized Franciszek, Jozef, and Stanislawa Wincewicz as Righteous Among the Nations. On June 7, 1990, Yad Vashem recognized Rozalia Wincewicz, as Righteous Among the Nations.