04/15/2026
She could have escaped—but chose not to.
Stefania Wilczyńska was given the chance to flee N**i-occupied Poland. Friends abroad arranged her escape, but she refused.
“I don’t want to leave without the children,” she wrote.
For years, she had devoted her life to caring for Jewish orphans. When the Warsaw Ghetto was established, she chose to go with them—remaining by their side despite the worsening conditions.
In time, Stefania, her fellow caregivers, and approximately 200 children were deported to Treblinka extermination camp, where they were murdered.
Her decision remains a profound testament to compassion and courage—choosing to stay, even when escape was possible, so that the children would not face their fate alone.
Photo: Yad Vashem