Jadwiga's Narrative

The Lost Personality

by David E., Robert, Amna, Asia

         The outburst of World War II on September 1st, 1939 paralyzed the entire world. No one expected that this quest for glory led by Adolf Hitler would be resolved in a worldwide catastrophe and the end of Nazi domination in Germany and Europe. Although this point in history was devastating for everyone, the Jews suffered most severely as a result of Hitler's act of genocide. How can one live a life of suffering from not knowing who one is? This was the childhood of Jadwiga Gałązka.  Not only did she not know who she was, what her name was, what religion she was, and what family she belonged to, but she had to live through her already sorrow-filled life with the alcoholic lunatic that she called her step-mother. However, her thirst and pursuit of happiness was quenched as she discovered some of her parent’s information, including several pictures, many of which were low-quality. Being cognizant of her real last name and the story of her family makes her feel wanted and recognized again. 

          Jadwiga’s story started in the Pinczów ghetto. The exact date of her birth is unknown, but it was after the war started (from 1940 to 1942) for she was born in the ghetto. The ghetto was established in Pinczow during the occupation and was inhabited by about 3,000 persons. Executions were often done in the nearby forests and if people wouldn’t be executed, they would be sent to the death camp Treblinka, 100 kilometers northeast of Warsaw. Jadwiga’s parents smuggled her out of the ghetto in order to save her from growing up in this environment and, more importantly, to save her from getting killed. Jadwiga doesn’t remember anything of her parents but later found that they both died in Treblinka, only days after they smuggled her out. Thankfully, the rest of her family escaped the ghetto and moved to Israel.

         During the war, she lived with her adoptive mother on a small farm in Bogucice. Jadwiga's adoptive father left her and her adoptive mother after Jadwiga's arrival and went to England with his son where he spent the remainder of the war. Mrs. Gałązka thinks that her stepmother was able to buy the farm using diamonds given to the Urban family (her adopted parents) by Jadwiga's parents in the ghetto as payment for adopting their little girl. Spending most of her childhood with her stepmother who was alcoholic, Jadwiga recalls being abused physically and mentally on a daily basis.

    What Jadwiga Gałązka was forced to live through is hardly comprehensible for many children raised in modern times; however in the times of chaos that made up the Holocaust, such treatment from adopted parents was not such a rarity. Although, for the first 16 years of her life she tolerated the horrid treatment from her adopted mother, deep inside Jadwiga knew that this horrible woman wasn't her real mother. All children wants to cuddle their mom, and feel love, but when Jadwiga pressed her head against her adoptive mother she clearly recollects the latter responded with a harsh voice: “Don’t hug me. You are not my child. I am not your mother.” She could only be satisfied that her biological mother didn't hurt her the way her cruel step-mother did. Her stepmother always called her useless although Jadwiga worked every day on her farm. After the war, her extended family tried tracking her down; however this task made nearly impossible due to the fact that her stepmother kept changing their locations and names by moving around Poland. Numerous times thoughts of committing suicide arose with Jadwiga as the atrocious behavior and treatment that she regularly received from her adopted mother made the though of drowning herself in the pond outside of her house more welcoming. Jadwiga can still remember the pain that her stepmother caused her.

         After 16 years of physical and mental torture Jadwiga decided to abandon this wretched lifestyle. She headed to Warsaw which was still partially in ruins. The Żydowskie Towarzystwo Społeczno Kulturalne w Polsce (Jewish Social and Cultural Association in Poland) helped her find a school to attend, as well as get a job, allowing her to make some income. First it was really hard to concentrate on studying and working at the same time. Her first job was working in a toy factory checking if the toys worked correctly. When Jadwiga passed the Polish exams "Matura", the Jewish organization found her a well-paying job as a bookkeeper. Jadwiga unfortunately never received any help other than from the Jewish community. Even today, Jadwiga has nightmares about her stepmother following her. Jadwiga now has two children, one son and one daughter, ages 42 and 39, as well as two grandchildren. Her life is getting back on track now, even though her husband left because he was too scared to undertake the responsibilities of a father.

         After years of being hated by her stepmother, Jadwiga Gałązka never had a desire to search for other family members for fear that they might think of her as a nuisance as well - until she was 55. At this point she could no longer live with the feeling of uncertainty about when she was born, who her parents were, and what her true name was. Jadwiga needed to learn something -- anything. With no further ado she went in search of family in Israel, hoping to quench her thirst for information of her heritage. Eventually, she was able to reunite with her lost cousins and aunts living in Israel; she found the names of her parents as well as her own original given name, Klara Gross. With that Jadwiga's quest for knowledge initiated. As countless hours in the town archives passed, she found pictures of both of her parents along with details about their professions. Despite the fact that she never actually remembered her parents, these pictures had a very deep meaning for Jadwiga - she realized that she once had a family who loved and cared for her. She was not alone in this world with her psychopathic stepmother.

         After finding very precious documents that survived the war, Jadwiga now knows how her parents looked. Even though she only has a few documents, she says they are the most important things to her. Jadwiga plans for the future include a visit to her cousins in Israel again, and to continue searching for some heritage relating to her parents. This year Ms. Gałązka decided to visit the American School of Warsaw to share her story for the first time. She says her confidence and feeling of self-importance have been shattered into pieces after her childhood with the alcoholic mother and she is always afraid that she will say something wrong, or do something unethical. The amiable welcome in our school reassured her that she is treated equally and respectfully. As a result of sharing her unique and melancholy story her life can now live on forever through our website.