“When I recall my childhood I see my family house in Borszczow village in Tarnopolskim voivodeship and my brothers and sisters together with my twin brother – who despite war years had this lucky opportunity to be raised by our parents” – recalls her childhood Emilia Starachowiak-Lis. As a 4-year-old girl she was sent to the home of her mother’s family in Zaleszczyki village. Her place next to her parents took Ala Blumental. This action was to make it so that no one will pay attention to the girl who was hiding in Stachowiak’s house. “We both in our children helplessness, became a victims, dragged into this cruel world that stayed deaf of our weeping.”

Emilia’s father held the post of a military vet and knew German language. The house has repeatedly been visited by the German officers. „This situation in some way, ensured our home from different dangers and troubles.” Emilia’s aunt took care of her, so that the relationship which girls had with their parents, brothers and sisters every day weakened.

After the death of a relative, little Emilia didn’t have anyone who could show her love.

When Emilia came home, she noticed in the overgrown garden, frightened woman. It was Ala’s mother – Bronisława Blumental. A day earlier, the woman experienced a nightmare: the house in which she was hiding, was surrounded by Ukrainian nationalists, and the inhabitants of the house were brutally murdered. Bronisława hid in a hole next to the furnace. The hole was blocked with a barrel full of water. During the execution barrel was damaged and water flowed into the hole that Bronisława Blumental hid in, betraying that there was a space under it. „To drown out and silence this false sound, a woman got her back under the stream of the cold water”. Bronisława came out of her hiding place only after some time. She was all wet and trembling from the cold. „The view the she has seen shocked her. When she got back conscious mind, she ran away from home and avoiding main roads got to Borszczowa village, to the place where stayed her only daughter, to the Stachowiak’s family”. To hide her was not so easy: during the day she was behind the wardrobe in the room – „Often heard the sounds or the laughter or cry of her child, but she could not come out of their hiding, she could do it only at night when everyone was sleeping”.

„Soon the war was over. Blumental’s family survived and, despite the war drama, they had found again each other and their family happiness. Ala became again the only beloved daughter of her parents”. Blumentals moved out to Israel.

Bibliography:

  1. FLV, E. Stachowiak-Lis, Wyrok sumienia, „Głos Nauczyciela” 1999, nr 60.