Barbara was a young schoolteacher who lived with her elderly mother in Poland. One day in July of 1942, a woman, Sara Hyman, arrived at her doorstep with her daughter, Malka. Sara knew Barbara’s aunt and she was now pleading with Barbara to hide her daughter, Malka.
Even though Barbara and her mother realized that the penalty for hiding any Jews, during the Second World War, would be death, they did not refuse Sara’s request.
In addition to hiding Malka, Barbara hid three other Jews as well. The situation soon became very dangerous, and a few months later, Barbara took Malka to her sister’s home. Barbara’s sister then found a safe place in a Felician convent to hide the child. Barbara visited Malka everyday until the Germans arrested her. Two years later was the liberation of the concentration camps. Malka survived the war and was re-united with her mother who survived Auschwitz.
Barbara is currently in her 80’s and lives in Poland.
Edited by: Adriana Karagozian
