The Krepski Family
Kazimierz Krepski Father
Maria Krepska Mother
Apolonia Zajączkowska née Krepska Daughter
born 1934
Recognized as the Righteous Among the Nations:
2006
- Maria Krepska
- Kazimierz Krepski
- Apolonia Zajączkowska née Krepska
Help Was Extended to:
Szymon Kantorowicz
Story of Rescue
November 2008, Teresa Torańska
“He came at night. He knocked on the window. It was the fall of 1942.” They were living in Helonowo near Nieśwież. They had about 20 hectares, an orchard, beehives, sheep.
“We knew him, he lived in Uznów, near our village. He would come by before the war, always with his aunt, to get milk and eggs.”
His name was Szymon Kantorowicz, he was twenty-something years old, a tailor and a barber. “My parents decided that if he came asking for help, then we must help him. We never found out what happened to his aunt. She must have died. We never asked Szymon about it.”
Father dug a hideout. He took a floorboard out and dug a deep hole underneath. “In case of danger we lifted the floorboard, Szymek crawled inside, and then our large dog lay down on the board. He didn’t move an inch. You could kick him, but he would never move off that floorboard.”
The children were responsible for being the lookout. She had two older brothers. The Germans often came to the house. They were stationed at the school and bought bacon, eggs, and milk from them.
Szymek stayed at home, sewed clothing, coats, fixed things, he was always busy. And on Friday’s after sunset he would take out the Torah. During that time no one would disturb him.
They traveled with it to Poland. They rode on a supply train traveling with all their belongings. They hid it in the hay. He got out in Warsaw. “He wanted to pay us for saving his life but father didn’t want accept any payment.”
They settled in Świebodzin, while Szymon went to Holland after a few years, and then to Canada. He found the Krepski family again after the declaration of martial law in 1982.
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