Deląg Józef & Petronela

Deląg, Józef Deląg, Petronela After the ghetto in Buczacz was liquidated in 1943, the Boltuch family – Hyman, Matylda, and their two children, twelve-year-old Rose and thirteen-year-old Rubin – fled the city to find shelter in one of the neighboring villages. For weeks they wandered through the fields and forests without finding anyone who was willing to take them in. After many ordeals, they decided to return to their home city of Tłumacz (Stanisławów District), where they had property and friends among the farmers. When they came to the village, they turned to their longtime acquaintance, Józef Deląg, and asked him to give them shelter. Józef, a loyal friend and a devout Catholic, agreed to shelter the family in the barn. After some time, Hyman asked his friend to take in another two families, the Habers and the Bauchmans, another 6 persons, five adults and one child, and in return he promised that after the war he would transfer all of his property to Józef. In the meantime, he gave him some jewelry to sell to pay for the food that was necessary to feed so many people. Józef and Petronela had eight children of their own at home, but nonetheless they decided to take the risk and to allow the additional families to come. The Delągs somehow managed to keep the presence of the Jews a secret from their family, which only increased the burden on them to take for the fugitives all by themselves with no additional help. Each evening they would bring food to the loft and remove the waste pails. The Jewish fugitives spent nine months in that loft until the liberation in March 1944. Despite the tribulations and the dangers, they maintained very good relations with their rescuers throughout the whole period, and they were never asked to leave their hiding place. After the war, the Boltuches transferred all of their property to the Deląg family as they had promised. After they immigrated to the United States they continued to keep in touch with their rescuers and from time to time would send them food packages and money. On December 30, 2004, Yad Vashem recognized Józef and Peronela Deląg as Righteous Among the Nations