„I spent hours going from village to village looking for a job as a shepherd or in other field work. In many farms they wanted to hire me, but they demanded documents, and I did not have any papers” – so a Jew, Norich Tzvi describes the beginning of his wanderings. A Jew who survived the German occupation thanks to the Polish hosts.

During his exile, one day, he reached the end of Siedlce village, crossed the wooden bridge and entered Rosochacz village near to the house of Błoński family. He wasn’t planning to go there but only wanted to ask Edward Błoński, who then was repairing the roof of his house, about the way to Żarki village.

„We started talking and I told him that I am looking for a job in the farm. Edward jumped off the roof and said to him that they need a shepherd.[…] I did not say that I am a Jew, but I wanted to, so that they knew I was illegal, even as a Pole and Catholic, from the point of view of the Germans”. The boy had to lie. He told that his mother died and his father was arrested because of suspicion of working for partisans. “I told them that my name was Józek Łukasik and I am from Grodziec village near Będzin.”

Antoni Błoński (born on 6th of June, 1882) accepted his story and took him to work. When questioned Antoni always replied that the boy is a relative from Józefa’s (his wife) family and he came from one of the surroundings villages. „I felt like a family member, I was taking care of the cows and did other work on the farm. I had to be careful, because I did not wanted others to know that I am a Jew

Tzvi Norich as a Józef Łukasik had to be really careful all the time. He tried to be unnoticed and worked very hard. During his stay, however, he survived some situations that could have ended tragically for him. Once the Germans made a unexpected search at the Błońskich’s farm. „I don’t know who they were looking for, but for me, I felt how dangerous it was. I slept in the barn, that night slept there also Wacław Jasik, who was also hiding from the Germans. Jasik woke me up and told me that he could hear the Germans in the yard.” On the question of a German, who is in the barn, Antoni Błoński said that there was only the shepherd. Germany checked with bayonet the hay, under which lay Wacław Jasik. Gendarmess didn’t pay attention to Józek. „Meanwhile, my fear was great. Jasiek and me, were all this time worried until the Germans left the yard.”

One event stayed especially in memory of the young Jew. „It was the week before Christmas and a month before Liberation, on Saturday night. Suddenly we heard a very strong knocking to door and voices in German: „open up, police””.

Józek was trapped, he had neither how nor where to run. He had also no documents so it was obvious that he would be asked in the first place. He felt that this is the end, and he panicked. When Edward Błoński opened the door, to the house entered three armed men in civilian clothes. It were the Polish partisans, probably from the Group „Żbik”, who after the uprising of the Warsaw were going through the forests. From Błońskich they received a supply of food for Christmas day and left. In an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty for each subsequent day, Józef survived the German occupation.

„Before Easter, Edward told me that I can and I should go to Church to confess, because it was long time that I haven’t visited it, and now I have nothing to fear […]. Then I said to Edward, that I am a Jew”.

In May Józek went with Antoni Błoński to the Jewish Committee in Zawiercie, where he was sent to the Central Committee in Częstochowa.

„In August I went again with my Grandfather, this time to Częstochowa. The Committee said that I should stay there. I said goodbye to Grandpa and I have to say, I had tears in my eyes”. On the same day the boy went to Będzin. Antoni really wanted him to stay with them. „Grandfather treated Józek […] as his son, especially because in 1943, from the order of the commandant of the police, Franz Volke from Siedlce Duże, was killed his eldest son Antoni – only because he went to Silesia for the mineral fertilizer.

In 2007 to the Błońskich family hause, in Rosochacz came an unexpected guest. It was a 79-years-old Tzvy Norich. „[…] once again he wanted to see the place where he spent the last years of the Nazi occupation, location and family, thanks which he could live to a ripe old age”.

Antoni Błoński was certainly a man very brave and with a big heart. „What was my grandfather like? After many years I ask myself this question and I always suggests one answer – he was a decent man. […] raised 5 sons and 5 daughters, worked on the farm, he has served as a Ranger and a Deputy from March 1930.“ – so says about his grandfather Stanisław Błoński, who thanks for Tzvi Norich recorded his memories from Rosochacz and sent them to Antoni’s Błoński cousins.

Antoni and Józefa Błońscy were awarded with the title of Righteous among the Nations of the World.

Bibliography:

  1. FLV, Relacja Tzvi Noricha, [brak daty].
  2. FLV, Relacja Stanisława Błońskiego, [brak daty].
  3. FLV, Relacja Leokadii Błońskiej, [brak daty].