15/12/2021
This sprightly 92 year old man is Jan Adamczyk, he is one of the last living Righteous Among The Nations.
He along with his parents and sisters were awarded the title for saving the lives of Moshe and Chaim Frymel during the Holocaust, in the town of Denkow, near Ostrowiec, Poland.
Moshe and Chaim were used by the Germans as forced laborers in the Bodzechow camp, at the camps liquidation, the boys escaped and came to the Adamczyk family for help and the family at risk of their own lives hid these brothers.
Jan remembers the day in which they rounded up the Jews to send them to Treblinka, he could see the main square from his window, and he remembers seeing a Rabbi, attempt to run from the Germans, rather than being caught and tortured, he jumped into a well, a local priest so distraught at seeing this happen, started to pull him out, the Germans arrived and didn't want to waste a bullet, so they stabbed the Rabbi with a bayonet, the screams he hears until today. The Rabbi was left on the roadside as a reminder of what it meant to defy the evil German occupiers.
Moshe stayed in touch with the family though the years, writing letters and even coming to visit them in the 90's, he arrived late in the evening, Jan remembers the incredible embrace at the airport.
By the time they returned to their home in Poznan, it was around 2am. Moshe asked him not to wake his mother, he laughed and said "are you kidding!? She's not slept for days, she's so excited you're here!"
Moshe lived in Israel and was married to Chava, he was a very private and incredibly intelligent man, he according to the sisters travelled the world extensively after the Eichmann trail, on some sort of special business, of which they would not say more.
There was something about Moshe's name that seemed familiar to me, and when I looked him up in Hebrew, I remembered why, it was from a story that upset me deeply a few years ago, of how a Holocaust survivor passed away completely alone, a few years after his wife and with no children, the local community stepped up amazingly and buried him in Petach Tikva, with hundreds in attendance.
I visited this remarkable man in his home, just outside of Poznan, Poland, as part of our work at From the Depths supporting and aiding the Righteous, especially during this difficult time, where every trip outside is dangerous, and will continue to visit them and show them love and appreciation, on behalf of myself, on behalf of all of you and on behalf of Moshe, who I am sure would have appreciated our visit to him, most of all.
Jan sadly is very sick at the moment and this visit became even more meaningful, when I brought the box full of gifts he looked in wonder as I showed all the amazing products so many brilliant people came together to help give, and when I brought in the Christmas tree and special bauble, given by my personal idol, Holocaust Survivor Edward Mosberg, we both shed a tear.
Help us help the heroes, see more at From the Depths to learn how.
