In 1943, Stefania Podgórska, a young Polish woman, made the riskiest decision of her life—to hide 13 Jews in German-occupied Poland

In 1943, Stefania Podgórska, a young Polish woman, made the riskiest decision of her life—to hide 13 Jews in German-occupied Poland.

As a teen, Stefania began working at a local grocery store owned by the Diamant family. She quickly became close with them.

The Diamants and other Jews from their town were forced to live in a ghetto. Despite the danger, Stefania helped the family by exchanging their valuables for food.

In summer 1943, fearing the Germans would soon liquidate the ghetto, Josef, one of the remaining Diamant family members, asked Stefania if she would be willing to find a larger home to hide him and other Jews. She quickly found a cottage with a large attic, and Josef became the first of 13 Jews to find refuge there.

Stefania and her younger sister, Helena, cared for the hidden Jews throughout the war. The sisters brought them food, washed their clothing, and made sure they didn’t raise suspicion—especially when Germans forcefully moved into their home for several months.

When Soviet troops arrived in July 1944, the 13 Jews came out of hiding, and Josef and Stefania married.

Photo 1: Stefania and Helena. USHMM, courtesy of Dr. Joseph & Stefania Burzminski

Photo 2: Stefania (front row, center) and Helena (front row, far left) with with four of the people they hid in their attic, including Stefania's husband Josef (back row, far left). USHMM, courtesy of "Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust"

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