This is the history which began in the autumn of 1942. It all happened in village of Podraje (former name: Zawodzie) in the Nowy Korczyn municipality. Józef Leśniak was probably connected with the communist guerrillas. Leśniak got in touch with Chaim Pisarz. Before the Jews from Nowy Korczyn were dicplaced, Pisarz had a timber yard in this town.  Both men initiated and then organized help for a group of Jews.

7 people were offered shelter in the hiding place under the barn in Rosalia and Józef Leśniak’s farm.  The hiding place entrance inside the barn was covered with straw. Pigs and a cow were kept in the barn.  People in the hiding:  Zvi Ganzweich, Chaim Wrarz with his fiancée, Władek (then called William) Strosberg with his fiancé Tema, Moshe Strosberg and Moshe Friedman. In the family memories and letters, the names Grynbaum and Szatland are also mentioned.  Probably the Leśniaks took part in the organized campaign for helping Jews, like other Polish families  including the Piwowarczyk family and Władysław Woźniak. The sheltered Jews were related.  There were more than one bunker. Others were in different locations.

Alicja Miller was 3 years old, when the Jews were put into the hiding in their farm.  Her parents kept it secret.  Mom cooked food and secretly delivered it to the children at night. She would say: I have to feed the dog  – recalls Alicja Miller – I did not see where she was carrying the food. She was afraid that I may blab it out.  Alicja remembers that her father wanted to show her those in the hiding. One day he carried her to the bunker, but he would not let her open her eyes:  You have to have your eyes closed tightly. Something might fall into your eyes and you would not be able to see – he threatened.  But I glimpsed,  I surreptitiously stole a glance.  One had to go down the steps into a deep cellar … “-he recalls.

The Germans carried out unexpected checks. They checked whether there was more food than a family needs.  Once someone denounced that there were Jews in the hiding.  The Germans came and ordered everyone to leave the farm. They shouted: go out! go out!  All the people were assembled in front of the school.  Men were separate from women and children separately –  Józef Kliś, the Lesniaks neighbour who was 3 years old then recollects.  The Germans searched all nooks and crannies of the farms, but found no trace of Jews in the hiding.  No one betrayed  the Leśniaks’ secret. The whole family or even the whole village would have died otherwise. – says Mr. Józef.

Fortunately, the Jews were able to last it out till the end of the war in the hiding at the Leśniaks’.  Later they left for the United States, Israel and Canada. Yet they stayed in touch with Rozalia and Józef Leśniak, and later also with their children.  They also invited Józef Leśniak to visit them.  They wanted to pay all the costs.  However, Józef had never been brave enough to go – says Alicja Miller: Father did not want  any repay. He did not seek any publicity.  He  would say: I offered them shelter out of the good heart, I did not take any money for it.

Józef Leśniak did not want awards.  However the survivors wanted to honour Józef.  Since 2017, his name has been included in the Righteous Among the Nations list.

Marlena Płaska