(JTA) — An Australian woman is being honored posthumously by Yad Vashem for saving the life of a Jewish doctor during the Holocaust.
Irena Szumska-Ingram saved Bernard Hellreich from near certain death in the Polish town of Tarnow. The 20-year-old hid Bernard in her tiny apartment and then moved him to another secure home away from the clutches of the Nazis when the danger increased.
The pair married after the war and settled in Australia in 1948, raising two children, Christopher and Vivienne. They will receive the award on their mother’s behalf from the Israeli Embassy at a ceremony Wednesday in Sydney that will be attended by New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally.
Irena had stopped Bernard from nominating her for the award, but four years after her death in 2003, he defied her wishes and signed the nomination forms for Irena to be considered by Yad Vashem. Bernard died five days later.
“The award recognizes the imperative of speaking out in the face of injustice,” New South Wales Jewish Board of Deputies CEO Vic Alhadeff said in a statement. “There are 26,000 trees in the Garden of the Righteous, each one honoring an individual who had that courage during the Holocaust. We are proud that another Australian name will be added to that garden.”
|
Signup for our weekly email newsletter here. Check out the Jewish Week’s Facebook page and become a fan! And follow the Jewish Week on Twitter: start here. |
The New York Jewish Week brings you the stories behind the headlines, keeping you connected to Jewish life in New York. Help sustain the reporting you trust by donating today.
