A CARD FROM THE CALENDAR - STEFAN SAWA
“You have to get rid of them, lest we get rid of you” – these were the kind of threats that Stefan would hear more and more often from his armed neighbours. They visited and threatened him almost daily. Stefan would not yield, as he was too close with the Jewish friends he hid in his house. He could not countenance throwing them out, certain they’d die. They lived in fear, but didn’t expect the worst. On 16 February 1944, Sawa’s house was attacked by a gang under the leadership of Marian Sołtysiak (“Barabasz”). The attackers shot everyone and set fire to the buildings in order to cover up their crimes. Stefan Sawa, Dina Zelinger, Zofia Zelinger, Mosze Rozenberg, Adek Pruszowski, his wife, and five-year-old Frajna Frydman all burned alive. In this one moment, seven innocent beings lost their lives.
