Holocaust

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