THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 30, 1983 3
Warren Righteous Gentile at Resistance Assembly in Jerusalem
Continued from Page 1)
menora, and Israel's 35th
anniversary logo represent-
ing the theme of the year of
Jewish heroism and valor.
Also appearing with
the two governmental logos
are the initials of the Heb-
rew word, "Haley," which
means heart. The initials
WE HAVE
HEARTS
OF
GOLD
$69
Now Only
$29
Delicate little creations of
14K gold, these sliding
"Puffed Hearts" are an
affordable gift for some-
one special or for your-
self.
•Illustrations slightly enlarged to
shove detail.
On Special
Through October
George
Ohrenstein
Jewelers Ltd.
Creative Jewelers Diamonds
Precious Stones
Precision Time Pieces
HARVARD ROW MALL
11 Mile & Lahser
353-3146
I
SAY IT
WITH
TREES
JEWISH
NATIONAL FUND'
18877 W. Ten Mile Road
Suite 104
Southfield, Michigan 48075
Phone; (313) 557-6644
Monday thru Thursday,
9 AM to 5 PM
Friday 9 AM to 4 PM
KERENKAYEMETHUISRAR
stand for the words "fight-
ing and resisting the
Nazis."
Shenkman was a leader
in activities by assignees
from Russian army com-
manders to provide rescue
for partisans and under-
ground forces who were in
hiding in Russian forests
while being pursued by the
Hitler forces. He helped in
training in the use of radio
equipment for contacts with
the Russian forces during
dire need for food and clo-
thing during the severe
winters of the war.
Befriending the
Chorazyczewskis and hav-
ing been in the lead in cal-
ling attention to the
heroism and courage of that
family when it protected a
Jewish excapee from
Nazism, Shenkman relates
the story of Cezary's pa-
rents, Helena and Ignacy
Chorazyczewski. His ac-
count of that notable role
which wins the Righteous
Gentiles recognition on a
family basis follows:
* * *
By HY SHENKMAN
When the Nazis occupied
Poland, little did 17-year-
old Cezary Chorazyczewski
and his family know that
their home in the village of
Perspa near the city of
Sarny would turn from a
hiding place into burning
rubble.
One morning a man ap-
proached their home and
changed the life of the
Chorazyczewski family.
The name of the man was
Abram Kashtan, a Jewish
neighbor. He was pale and
scared of being seen so he
walked into their barn hop-
ing that a member of the
family would notice him.
Cezary and his parents
were the only ones at home.
They came out to the barn
and learned from Abram,
26, that his family was kil-
led by the Nazis and that his
life was in danger.
When he asked them if he
could hide there, they read-
ily agreed. They had no sec-
ond thoughts although they
knew that if caught they
would be all shot like other
families who had already
been shot for the same
"crime." They knew it well
because this decree was
posted by the Germans on
every door of the colony.
On some occasions Ger-
mans entered the Chorazyc-
zewskis' home and asked if
they knew of any Jews
being hidden in their
village-colony. Their ans-
wer was always "no."
The barn was located by
the road which was danger-
ous for Abram's security but
there was no better place for
him to hide. Cezary and his
parents, Helena and Ignacy,
wanted to keep Abram's
presence and whereabouts
secret, but soon agreed to
share it with their oldest
sons, Meczyslaw, 15, and
Zdzislaw, 11; however they
kept it a secret from the
other children because they
believed they were too
young to understand and be
trusted.
The next morning as
CH ORAZYCEWSKI
Helena walked up the
wooden ladder to the attic of
the barn she found Abram
scared and worried. She
took him food, fresh clo-
thing and water. When she
assured him that he could
stay with them as long as
needed, he said with a
trembling voice, "Now that
I lost my parents, - you are
my only hope:"
Every Friday afternoon
she took Abram candles and
matches so he could light
them for the Sabbath.
Their 10-year-old Henryk
became suspicious when he
noticed his mother taking
clothing to the barn. One
night he woke up scared and
told his father that he heard
noises in the barn. His
father tried to console him
by saying that maybe those
were mice, but the boy in-
sisted that those were
people's steps.
When the boy couldn't be
convinced, his father told
him the truth, pleading
with him not to tell it to
anyone ever, "because, if he
did, the whole family would
be killed."
Cezary came to see
Abram every day. They
talked about school and
about girls, but most of all
about how to stay alive.
Cezary recalls that Abram
mentioned to him an ad-
dress of relatives - in
Washington, D.C. and said
that someday he hoped to
survive and go to America.
In 1942, after one year of
hiding Abram, rumors were
flying that Nazi col-
laborators were burning
Polish villages at night and
killing the people. When
Abram learned about it he
asked Cezary to take him
into the woods where anti-
Nazi partisans were operat-
ing so he could join them.
Before leaving, Cezary
and Abram were surprised
by two German policemen
in an orchard at their home.
When they were asked if
they had seen any Jews,
Cezary said, "There are no
Jews on this colony."
Since the Nazi col-
laborators operated at
night, Cezary and Abram
believed it would be safer
for them to proceed toward
the woods in the daytime.
They walked for about six
kilometers, taking short
cuts and side ways to avoid
as many people as possible.
Cezary led Abram into the
woods which looked like a
jungle. Cezary suspected
that the anti-Nazi partisans
might be hiding out there.
Abram didn't have the
slightest idea where the
anti-Nazi fighters might be
and he was grateful to Cez-
ary for finding them. Cezary
parted with Abram and
wished him luck. He admit-
ted that on his way back
home he was equally scared.
Every Wednesday and
Friday Cezary and his
father loaded up their horse
and wagon with eggs,
cheese, honey and other
products from their farm
and drove eight miles to a
hospital in Vlodmezec
where they distributed the
goods to the sick at no
charge.
Polish, villages in that
area were set on fire night
after night. For security
reasons, Mrs. Chorazyc-
zewski, with the small chil-
dren, walked two kilomet-
ers to the village Antonevka
(the site where "Fiddler On
the Roof' was filmed). Cez-
ary and his father joined the
family for the night.
One afternoon they sus-
pected that their colony
might be torched that night.
They opened their barn, re-
leased their horses and cows
and set them free. The next
morning when they arrived
they found their home and
the rest of the village
burned to the ground.
In 1949 the Chorazyc-
zewski family decided to
leave their tragic experi-
ences behind them and
come to the United States.
In a candy store Mrs.
Chorazyczewski noticed a
familiar face. It was Oscar
Bazalar, one of her
neighbors from the old
country. Happy to see him
alive she asked him if he
had heard news of Abram.
Oscar had written a letter
to a New York information
center and found Abram's
address in Washington. An
exchan e of letters plus at-
tending Abram's wedding
and his son's Bar Mitzva re-
kindled their friendship.
The senior Chorazyc-
zewskis live in Hamtramck.
Cezary has worked for the
past 25 years for General
Motors in the Tech Center.
He lives with his.. wife
Danuta and their children,
Lila, 25; Edmund, 21; and
Monica, .19 in Warren.
Daily—Hospital:n
Sympathy
FRUIT
BASKETS
3 Times Daily
.Nation-Wide
Delivery
$1 795
.
RODNICK-
McINERNEY'S
772-4350
..
hey're
Here!
,The New '84 Olds
Special Introductory
Prices Like These
New '84 Cutlass
Ciera LS Sdn.
Air Conditioned-
9
Pwr. Lks., T/Glass, Custom Bench Seat,
B.S. Mldgs., Rear Defog., Color Mirrors,
Steel Radial WW, AM/FM Stereo W/Clock,
Stk. #153. List $11,153.
New '84
Toronado Brghm
New '84 Cutlass
Supreme Sdn.
Air Conditioned
Air Conditioned
T/Glass, Rear Defog., Color Mir -
rors, Super Stock Whis., Steel
Radial WW, Stk. #179. List
$11,261.
Your Price This Week
Pwr. Trunk, Wip
e rs,
T og
. Ed
, v g 8. e
Li
Discs., AM/FM •Ster-
Sim." Wire Whi!)e,
eo/Cass W/Dig. Clock, Reminder
Pkg., Stk. #145. List $17,559.
$9993
Your Price This Week
95,752
New '84 -
98 Regency Cpe.
Air Conditioned
Pwr. Trunk, Mldgs., Dr. Edge Gds.,
Pulse Wipers, Rear Defog., Mum. Vani-
ty. Mirr., Cruise, Tilt WM.. Sim. Wire
Whl. Discs, Pwr. Ant., Reminder Pkg.,
Stk. #307. List $15,606.
Your Price This Week
93,974
l7m Glad Bought My Car At .. .
GLASSM ► N
OLDSMOBILE—SAAB
28000 Telegraph At The Tel-12 Mall
354-3300
Open 'Til 9:00
Mon. and Thurs. Eves.
I CI
GM QUAUTY
SERVICE PARTS
I E
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
.Gar,AArtzwit\