They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust

by Bill Tammeus, Jacques Cukierkorn

Hitler’s attempt to murder all of Europe’s Jews almost succeeded. One reason it fell short of its nefarious goal was the work of brave non-Jews who sheltered their fellow citizens. In most countries under German control, those who rescued Jews risked imprisonment and death. In Poland, home to more Jews than any other country at the start of World War II and location of six German-built death camps, the punishment was immediate execution.
            This book tells the stories of Polish Holocaust survivors and their rescuers. The authors traveled extensively in the United States and Poland to interview some of the few remaining participants before their generation is gone. Tammeus and Cukierkorn unfold many stories that have never before been made public: gripping narratives of Jews who survived against all odds and courageous non-Jews who risked their own lives to provide shelter.
            These are harrowing accounts of survival and bravery. Maria Devinki lived for more than two years under the floors of barns. Felix Zandman sought refuge from Anna Puchalska for a night, but she pledged to hide him for the whole war if necessary—and eventually hid several Jews for seventeen months in a pit dug beneath her house. And when teenage brothers Zygie and Sol Allweiss hid behind hay bales in the Dudzik family’s barn one day when the Germans came, they were alarmed to learn the soldiers weren’t there searching for Jews, but to seize hay. But Zofia Dudzik successfully distracted them, and she and her husband insisted the boys stay despite the danger to their own family.
            Through some twenty stories like these, Tammeus and Cukierkorn show that even in an atmosphere of unimaginable malevolence, individuals can decide to act in civilized ways. Some rescuers had antisemitic feelings but acted because they knew and liked individual Jews. In many cases, the rescuers were simply helping friends or business associates. The accounts include the perspectives of men and women, city and rural residents, clergy and laypersons—even children who witnessed their parents’ efforts.
            These stories show that assistance from non-Jews was crucial, but also that Jews needed ingenuity, sometimes money, and most often what some survivors called simple good luck. Sixty years later, they invite each of us to ask what we might do today if we were at risk—or were asked to risk our lives to save others.

Genres: History, Holocaust, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Bill Tammeus is a former columnist for The Kansas City Star, where he worked full-time for almost 36 years. Since 2004 he has written the “Faith Matters” blog (http://billtammeus.typepad.com). He also writes columns for The Presbyterian Outlook, Flatland, KCPT-TV’s digital magazine, and, until recently, for The National Catholic Reporter.

A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Bill was a member of the Star staff that won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for local reporting. His many other awards include several from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists and the American Academy of Religion, in addition to receiving the 2005 Wilbur Award given annually to the best religion column in the country. The latest of his six books is The Value of Doubt: Why Unanswered Questions, Not Unquestioned Answers, Build Faith. His next book, Love, Loss and Endurance: A 9/11 Story of Resilience and Hope in an Age of Anxiety, will be published Jan. 19, 2021.

Bill is an elder at Second Presbyterian Church in Kansas City and past president of the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. He’s married to Marcia Tammeus. Between them they have six children and eight grandchildren.

Reviews

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was enlightening to get a perspective from a rescuers. I learned about the Jewish foundation for the righteous, something that I had not read about before. Reading the stories in this book made me wonder if sometimes the people who were doing the pursuing didn’t want to find the people that were being pursued. In other cases I thought that the stories of the families who rescued the Jews were very ordinary but very frightening. It just goes to show you that even in the Bad times there is a slim margin of hope even if people who rescue have different motives. I am going to spend more time reading books like this. This is a sad day in history that seems to me even sadder the further we get away from it. As much water has gone under the bridge, we should never underestimate the power of evil or good. God is always watching and providing hope and people to help even sometimes if times seem hopeless.

[Kenneth Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

The narrative is about Jewish individuals and families who were rescued/hidden and supported in Poland during WWII and the heroes who hid, aided and rescued them. "The most important thing is to teach people that there is no difference between people. Under our skin we're all the same. If you understand this, you understand that you will do whatever is possible to help people. " Maria Bozek Nowak rescuer quoted p. 179. All in all as the book is titled They were Just People and they needed help. Being aided and rescued even though those who helped risked their lives and those of their family members.

[Debi Emerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The authors state in their introduction that they chose to share these compelling stories because they found them fascinating and illuminating, and believed their reader would as well. They were right!! This is an inspiring book about survivors and those that risked their lives as well as the lives of their families because it was the right thing to do; after all, "They were just people."

[SuperNinja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heroes are everywhere. Ordinary people who do the right thing at the right time.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

My challenge with this book was that, despite one of the authors being a journalist, the writing was very stilted. But the stories are important to acknowledge.

[Ingrid · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is stilted, but the stories are incredible.