He helped save the lives of at least a dozen people – and according to some accounts, more than 20. Today, the descendants of those saved say that thanks to the courage of the Polish priest, Father Zygmunt Dziedziak, several dozen people representing subsequent generations are still alive. “If it weren’t for Fr. Dziedziak, I wouldn’t be here, nor would my approximately 40 relatives in Israel and the United States,” emphasized Jeffrey Cymbler, a descendant of the Nadel family survivors, in Warsaw.
In recognition of the heroism of the parish priest from Trzcień, the Yad Vashem Institute in Jerusalem posthumously awarded him the title of Righteous Among the Nations. The medal and honorary diploma were presented to members of his family during a ceremony at the Jewish Historical Institute.
The path of a priest
Zygmunt Dziedziak was born on April 8, 1892, in Przemyśl. He was ordained a priest in 1914. He served in Dylągowa, Żołyń, and Białobrzegi, among other places. In August 1925, he became parish priest in Trzcieńcu, neighboring Lacka Wola – a village where Jewish families, including the Nadels, hid during the German occupation. It is from this family that Sala and Naftali, the mother and uncle of Jeffrey Cymbler, an American Jew with Polish citizenship, come from. Thanks to the help of several Polish families and the spiritual support of Father Dziedziak, the Nadels survived the war.
Rescuers and those in hiding
Michał and Rozalia Kopacz took on the greatest burden. For nearly two years – 22 months – they hid thirteen Jews in their home. Among them were ten-year-old Sala and her younger brother Naftali, as well as Mincia Berg – Jeffrey Cymbler's grandmother and Rozalia's school friend.
Everyone was at risk. The entire rescue operation could have ended tragically for both the Kopacz family and the Jews they were hiding. “German announcements reminded everyone of the threat of the death penalty for any help given to Jews,” recalled Jeffrey Cymbler. Conflicts within the family almost led to tragedy. The turning point came with the confession of Maria Duda, Rozalia's mother. Initially, she opposed hiding the Jews, and her hostility caused fear among those in hiding. During her confession in Trzteńcu, she confessed to Father Dziedziak that Jews were hiding in her house. “The priest replied that Maria was not sinning and that if she saved these Jews, it would guarantee her a place in heaven,” said Cymbler. This groundbreaking meeting allowed those in hiding to survive.
Spiritual support
The survivors later recalled that Father Dziedziak not only did not look away, but was a spiritual guide in the most difficult moments. He strengthened the Poles in their decision to hide Jews and baptized three of them, giving them Christian names. For the residents of Lacka Wola and Trzcińca, his authority was invaluable.
The voice of descendants
Although the Yad Vashem Institute honored the priest in February 2022, for a long time it seemed that he had no relatives who could receive the medal. Piotr Kuźniar from Warsaw came across his grandmother's brother during his amateur genealogical research. “I contacted editor Bartosz Bednarczuk, then Ms. Lucyna Le, and finally Jeffrey Cymbler. We met in Nozdrzec, where Father Dziedziak spent his last months and where he is buried,” Piotr Kuźniar told Heschel Center News.
The family still keeps the priest's portrait, which has been hanging in the same place for generations. “Now, next to it, there will be a medal and a certificate of the Righteous,” added Kuźniar.
A word from the ambassador
During the ceremony, the Israeli ambassador to Poland, Jaakow Finkelstein, took the floor. He emphasized that Father Dziedziak's actions continue to inspire people today. “In a world so often torn apart by fundamentalism and hatred, he remains a model clergyman. He chose compassion over hatred, life over death,” he said. The ambassador also recalled the words of one of the survivors, Naftali Nadela, who wrote that by saving 12 Jews, the priest saved 12 worlds. “And behind those worlds came subsequent generations – children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. These are entire galaxies of human beings,” added Finkelstein.
Post-war fate
After the war, Father Dziedziak did not find peace. Between 1950 and 1955, the church in Trzcińcu was closed by the Soviet authorities, and he himself was sentenced to ten years in a labor camp. He was exiled to the Kharkiv region. After his release, he returned, but was no longer allowed to serve. In 1956 or 1957, he was expelled from the USSR. He spent the last months of his life as parish administrator in Nozdrzec. He died in 1958 and was buried in Brzozów.
Remembrance and honor
On February 23, 2022, Yad Vashem awarded the title of Righteous Among the Nations to Father Zygmunt Dziedziak and Rozalia and Michał Kopacz. A year later, on September 10, 2023, a ceremony was held in Jerusalem to award the medal to the Kopacz family's descendants. On the same day, in Markowa, located several dozen kilometers from Lacka Wola and Trzcińca, the Ulma family was beatified.
Thanks to the efforts of Jeffrey Cymbler and Piotr Kuźniar, the medal for Father Dziedziak finally reached his relatives.
Since 1963, the Yad Vashem Institute for the Remembrance of Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust in Jerusalem has been awarding medals and diplomas to the “Righteous Among the Nations.” This distinction is given to those who risked their lives to help Jews during the Holocaust. At the beginning of 2023, 28,486 people had been honored, including 7,280 Poles – the largest group among all nations.
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Heschel Center News