During the Second World War, Father Stanislaw Falkowski became a hero, risking his own life to save people persecuted by the German occupiers. His remarkable story is closely linked to the experiences of Jozef Fajwishis, a young Jewish Holocaust survivor.
At the age of 12, Jozef Fajwishis, together with his parents and sister, was placed in the Warsaw Ghetto, which was created by the Germans in 1940. Famine and disease prevailed there, resulting in a high Jewish death rate.
Jozef’s father, Israel, a musician, and conductor, continued his passion in the ghetto by founding and leading a choir there. Unfortunately, in July 1942, the Germans carried out a cruel ghetto liquidation operation. Izrael and Perla (Jozef’s older sister) were deported to Poniatowa near Lublin and murdered there by the German Nazis.
When Jozef was 14 years old, like most of Warsaw’s Jews, he was placed on a transport headed towards the German extermination camp at Treblinka. Luckily, he managed to jump off the train and for the next two months he wandered through villages near and far from the camp, receiving occasional help from Polish peasants and partisan squads. Winter came, however, and the boy needed warm shelter. He reached Hodyszewo (now Podlaskie Voivodeship), where a local farmer directed him to the home of Father Józef Perkowski. However, he could not take care of Jozef, so he handed him over to Father Stanisław Falkowski, who was a priest in the nearby town of Nowe Piekuty near Szepietów. Distinguished by his extraordinary courage and empathy, Father Falkowski took care of Jozef, offering him with shelter and care. Not only did he provide him with warm clothing and a safe place to stay, but he also helped to obtain false documents in the name of Józef Kutrzeba, which enabled the boy to survive the war. It is worth mentioning that Poland was the only area where the Germans in the occupied territories introduced the death penalty for helping Jews.
After the end of the Second World War, Jozef left for the United States, but he remembered his saviour. He began to send regular parcels of food and medicine to Father Falkowski, which was an invaluable help, especially as the clergyman was experiencing repression from the communist authorities, who began their occupation of Poland after the Red Army entered the country.
Despite the persecution, Rev Falkowski continued his pastoral ministry in various parishes. His indomitable spirit and dedication were recognised on 1 January 1977, when the Yad Vashem Institute awarded the Polish clergyman the title of “Righteous Among the Nations”.
Jozef Kutrzeba (Fajwishis) described his experiences in his book “Contract. Life for Life”.
Rev. Stanisław Falkowski died on 1 April 2004 in Łomża.