Chorazyczewska, Helena and Cezary

Righteous Gentiles
Peresbra (Poland)

This is an interview with Helen Chorazyczewska and her son, Cezary Chorazyczewska.

Chorazyczewska and her husband Ignacy along with their son hid Jews in their barn in Peresbra, Poland. She cites many motivations for her courageous actions. She recalled that as a child she was abused by her stepmother who didn’t feed her. Chorazyczewska sympathized with the Jews and offered them food. The Jew she hid for the longest period of time was the son of a family friend. She is Catholic and explains that helping the Jews was a part of her moral duty.

Chorazyczewska was never paid for the protection she and her husband offered. She hid one Jew for more than a year; others used her barn as a temporary safe haven and then fled to other unknown destinations.

The Chorazyczewska family did not go unpunished for resisting the Nazis’ annihilation of the Jews. They were deported first to Sarny in the Ukraine and then to Neumark, Germany. Ultimately, the family Chorazyczewska emigrated to the United States and was honored by Yad Vashem for their heroism.

Interview Information:
Date: October 27, 1985
Length: 55 minutes
Interviewer: John Mames
Format: Video recording