During the German occupation, she risked her life by hiding a Jewish woman in the convent. In recognition of this heroic gesture, Zofia Liszka, Sister Serapiona of the Congregation of the Servant Sisters of the Virgin Mary Immaculately Conceived, was posthumously awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations. The medal and diploma were received by her relatives - the honored sister's great-granddaughter Krystyna Walecka and the honored sister's great-great-grandson Bartlomiej Czech-Kosinski. The decoration was presented by Israeli Ambassador to Poland Yaakov Finkelstein.
New identity, new life
During the German occupation, Sister Serapiona (Zofia Liszka) took Sabina Honigwachs under her roof, knowing of her Jewish origin. Earlier, the young woman, a survivor of the Gorlice ghetto, was helped by various families - including the Benisz family. As Michal Kalisz of the Rzeszow IPN wrote, the AK soldiers hid Sabina in the orphanage of the Congregation of the Servant Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary Immaculately Conceived in Dominikowice, with which they cooperated. Sister Serapiona gave Sabina a new identity - that of nun Janina Bularska - and hid her in the convent. Although Sabina did not take vows, she wore the habit and lived according to the rule. Her origins were known only to Sister Serapiona and Sister Ambrosia - Marcjanna Łączniak.
After Sister Serapiona's death in July 1943, Sabina continued to be hidden by the congregation, including in the Dominikowice convent. After the war, she did not find any family members. In 1946 she married Jakub Bruk, and in 1956 they both left for Israel, where they settled permanently.
Israel pays tribute
There is no prize, money or words in the world that can express our gratitude for saving the life of another human being, but we have this symbolic gesture - the medal and diploma of Righteous Among the Nations. We assure you that Zofia Liszka's deed will never be forgotten by the State of Israel. It will live on in our memories and hearts. Honor her memory," said Israeli Ambassador to Poland Yaakov Finkelstein.
The Righteous Among the Nations medal is Israel's highest civilian award given to non-Jews for saving Jews during the Holocaust. The award is also accompanied by a diploma and the placement of the honored person's name on the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous at the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem. The medal bears the words from the Talmud: “Whoever saves one life, it is as if he saved the whole world.”
History of commemoration
The title of Righteous Among the Nations was awarded to Zofia Liszka by a decision of the Yad Vashem Institute on October 11, 2015. Sister Ambrosia - Marcjanna Łączniak - was also honored with the medal during a ceremony on June 28, 2018 in Biecz. At that time, medals and diplomas were awarded to Jan Benisz's grandson, Jacek Boczoń, and Sister Ambrosia's relative, Agata Rybarczyk.
Since Sister Serapiona's family could not be found at the time, then-Ambassador Anna Azari only gave a copy of the honorary diploma to the congregation's then-superior general, Sister Maximilla Pliszka. Only now, thanks to the discovery of Sophia Liszka's descendants, has it been possible to transfer the original medal to the family.
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Heschel Center News