Leokadia Jaromirska represents moral courage, a positive role model and a hero. Leokadia Jaromirska resided in the suburb of Warsaw in Bialoleka. Her husband, Bolek, was arrested in and taken to Auschwitz as a prisoner.
Leokadia also did not have any children. One day in Poland, she was on her way to work with another woman and as they were walking they heard children crying. When they approached the sound, they saw an eight-month old baby and a little girl abandoned near the fence of a convent.Leokadia went back to the other woman’s home and found out that she had taken the older girl to the police because she panicked, so Leokadia took the baby home with her. At this time in Poland, conditions for Jewish people had worsened.
Most parents made the hard decision to separate from their children and hope for someone to adopt them because they knew all Jews would be killed. Golda and Gershon Jonisz left their daughter near the convent wall who now became the little girl that Leokadia saved from the convent fence. Leokadia ended up adopting the baby and named her Bogumila, which means “God’s beloved.”Leokadia also gave Bogumila the nickname Bogusa. Leokadia paid a girl to watch Bogusa while she went to work in the German factory because her income was really small.
Leokadia managed to support Bogusa and herself and also find money to send packages to her husband. Leokadia and baby Bogusa were evacuated by the Russians and wandered place to place, constantly searching for food and a place to sleep. Leokadia was extremely protective of Bogusa and had tremendous love and care for her also. Leokadia protected her from danger and the cold and also nursed her when she was ill.Bogusa always knew and remembered the warmth and love Leokadia had for her. When Leokadia’s husband came back from Auschwitz, he was weak and exhausted.
They both tried to go back to their normal lives, especially with a new addition to the family. Three years later, in 1945, Bogusa father managed to trace down his daughter and found her at the Jaromirska home, where he arrived. Gershon had survived the ghetto and camps but his wife had been murdered in Majdanek. Gershon was convinced that his daughter was dead and that he had lost everything so he made his way to Italy.After visiting an Italian fortuneteller who said, “A small soul is waiting for you,” he reacted fast and surprisingly found Leokadia. After identifying Bogusa’s birthmark, he demanded to take her with him.
Leokadia had to give in to let Bogusa leave with her real father. Leokadia was torn apart emotionally and as stricken with grief when Bogusa left with her father back to their home. Bogusa later immigrated to Israel with her father and while growing up became a member of Kibbutz Sha’ar Ha-Golan, in the North of Israel. After 11 years, Bogusa whose real name was Shifra, started writing letters to Leokadia.Shifra had to get help from a Kibbutz member since she was never taught how to write and read Polish.
Shifra had married Yoram and had three children. Yoram had corresponded with Leokadia and asked to fill in the gaps of his wife’s childhood. Leokadia wrote Yoram a letter basically explaining her impact on Shifra. Yoram invited Leokadia to Israel in 1969, Yoram had been killed in the military. Leokadia then came and spent six weeks with Shifra and her children and the two of them planted a tree in honor of Leokadia’s award as the Righteous Among the Nations by Yadvashem. org.
This story was important to me because it shows how caring Leokadia was to other people and how she risked her life for a young child. Leokadia is a role model because she did something that could have easily been ignored. It brings me joy that she took Shifra and raised her at her best and made sure she was safe and most importantly, loved. I plan on working with children in my career by being an Early Education teacher and I would do anything to help a child and make a positive impact on their lives. Leokadia has shown and proved that it happens and it pays off.
Also I am glad that they reunited after 11 years because Shifra did not forget about Leokadia because I know I would not have. Leokadia showed moral courage because she did something that she believed was right and was the right thing to do. She knew that she would not just walk past the children and ignore them. Sadly she did not get to raise both of them. Leokadia was a caring person and very unselfish.
In conclusion, Leokadia’s story impacted me as a person and most definitely changed Shifra’s life and probably others. Leokadia represents moral courage and was a positive, loving role model.
