Maria Anzelm by Gisele Parnell

The impact Maria made

giseleparnell — 2023-12-14 20:34:29 UTC

Maria Anzelm received an award called the Yad Vashem Medal and Certificate of Honor. She was also recognized by Israels government for being "Righteous among Nations." She is recognized and achieving awards because she risked her life in order to protect Jews from being deported or killed by the Nazis. Maria sacrificed her life to help others and acted with bravery from early ages of her life starting when she was only thirteen years old.

Who was Maria Anzelm?

giseleparnell — 2023-12-14 20:38:39 UTC

Maria Anzelm was very poor farmer who was helpful to her community, she was born in 1929 and started her Act of Resistance when she was only thirteen. Her major act of Resistance was from 1942 to 1944 in Janoweic, Poland.

1942-1944

giseleparnell — 2023-12-17 22:01:49 UTC

This was the time period when Maria did an Act of Resistance. Maria was only thirteen years old at the time. Maria's father told her to come to the back of the house and informed her they would be hiding two Jews. Maria helped hide the Jews in a small box that was underneath the cow pen. The Jews were growing a stench and itching from the cow manure and other things from above them. Still, even that is better than possibly being caught by the Nazis and getting killed. Despite Maria's fear of the Gestapo finding out she was hiding Jews and hurting her or her family, she continued to feed them three meals a day and bring them books. Maria was only a teenager at the time, hiding two Jews, one of whom was Moses. Not long before the war ended there was an attack. Maria and her friend rushed to hide in the cellar. After a couple of days of hiding someone came down to the cellar. Maria asked them what happened to her family. The person informed Maria that her father was shot while saving the two Jews.

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What happened after the act?

giseleparnell — 2023-12-17 22:40:05 UTC

After the act the two Jews Maria and her family were hiding were both safe. Once Maria found out her father died she wanted to do more to help. The remaining people of the family after the attack moved to help a widow on her farm. After they helped they moved to a house that Moses paid for. At some point, Maria and Moses ended up getting married. Together they emigrated to America and there they grew a family of their own with two kids. Moses later died from a heart issue.

Who were the two Jewish men?

giseleparnell — 2023-12-17 22:50:05 UTC

The two Jewish men that the family helped were both friends. One of them was named Mojzesz Kerchenbaum. Mojzesz was short for Moses. The other Jew who was Moses' friend was named Izrael Szwarcwort. Both were very smart and even escaped from a camp.

What else did Maria do to help?

giseleparnell — 2023-12-17 22:55:02 UTC

While Maria did a very nice and courageous act by helping the two Jewish men hide. That is not all Maria did. Shortly after the attack Maria and the remaining people moved. They moved in order to help a widow. They moved to help the widow on her farm and to keep her safe.

The Anzelm family

giseleparnell — 2023-12-18 00:29:08 UTC

Maria was in a family of five. She was the oldest of three siblings. Her younger siblings were two boys. Their names were Jan and Stanislaw. Maria's mother's name was Waleria. Her father's name was Stefan. Together her whole family helped save lives.

How Moses and Izrael found the Anzelm's

giseleparnell — 2023-12-18 00:31:48 UTC

Moses was in a camp called Kazimierz Dolny ghetto back in 1940. He was one of the prisoners. In 1942, people who were able to do good work and be helpful were able to be moved to a labor camp. Moses was one of the people who got to get transferred. When he got to the labor camp, after not much time, he was able to escape. He went to Janowiec. There, in Janoweic, he had the opportunity to rent a place to live temporarily. He rented the home from a woman who was Stefan's mother. Stefan lived close to his mother. Jews in the town were now being picked up and taken to an extermination camp called Treblinka. Izrael was with Moses throughout this time because they were friends who stuck together. When people were being deported Moses and Izrael left where they were currently living and went to hide in the Anzelm's house.

A book about Maria and her life

giseleparnell — 2023-12-18 01:18:42 UTC

To find more about Maria click here

giseleparnell — 2023-12-18 01:57:51 UTC