Subscribe to Print Edition | Sun., November 16, 2008 Cheshvan 18, 5769 | | Israel Time: 01:51 (EST+7)   Back to Homepage web haaretz.com Haaretz Toolbar Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Car Rental Books Haaretz Magazine Business Real Estate GA 2008 Travel Week's End Anglo File

Tycoon's family honors Polish Shoah rescuers By Moti Katz "Today I'm not here to talk about business and economics," smiled tycoon Yosef Maiman. "I came here after a 20-hour flight to close a family circle and honor the Slavinsky family that saved my family during the Holocaust and that I heard so much about during my childhood in Peru." Maiman spoke last night at a ceremony at the Polish ambassador's residence at which the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation awarded family members of Stanislava Slavinsky - 75-year-old Roman Slavinsky, his son Yatzek and his 15-year-old grandson Milosh - awards and a special medal issued by the foundation, the "Aspira Maiman Medal for Women Rescuers." Advertisement Yesterday's event followed a Tuesday ceremony at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, at which Stanislava Slavinsky was named among the Righteous Among the Nations for her role in saving Maiman's family. The few dozen guests included friends and family members, ambassadors and a few representatives of the press. The only camera crew in the room worked for Maiman's daughter, Noa, who is making a documentary about her family. Maiman's mother Aspira, now 94, left Lodz, Poland with her family at the outbreak of World War II. Aspira explained yesterday that they had decided to leave their home in Lodz for Warsaw expecting "that it would be better there, since we didn't think the Nazis would get there." The family's hopes were shattered upon their arrival and they were forced to move into the city's Jewish ghetto. A few months later, Aspira escaped the ghetto with her first husband Roman Domb, her sister-in-law and her daughter. The Polish underground helped Aspira and her family, along with three other Jews, get to the Slavinsky family outside the city. Their nephew Roman lived with the childless couple. The family hid the Jews in the cellar of their home for three years until a few months after the end of the war. Aspira and the other refugees moved to a displaced persons camp in Germany, where Aspira met her second husband, Yisrael Maiman. "The Slavinsky family risked their lives to rescue my family," Yosef Maiman said. "Roman, who was ten at the time, helped to hide the Jews and even helped the Polish underground fight the Nazis. When a neighbor discovered there were Jews hiding in their home and tried to blackmail them, the Slavinskys paid him off to keep quiet, despite their own impoverished state." Aspira corresponded with Stanislava from after the war until 1968, when the Communist regime began to return her letters. After many years of fruitless searches, this year she asked the Raoul Wallenberg Foundation to find them. The foundation found a letter Stanislava had written to Yad Vashem in 1961 describing the Jews she saved and using the letter, was able to locate Roman Slavinsky. "After it had been verified he was the same Roman Slavinsky, we spoke on the phone. It was very emotional and we both cried," Aspira recounted. "In that call I also found out that Stanislava had died in 1971 and I would never see her again. She was like a sister to me - my war sister and my sister for life," Aspira said. Roman himself was slightly embarrassed by the award. "What we did during the war was our natural obligation, we didn't think we deserved a prize for it," he said. Roman showed emotion for the first time at the end of the ceremony, reading the inscription on the front of a photo album Maiman's son Ohad gave him. "A special thanks to your family which enabled my family to exist." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Enough is enough Livni says time will come when Israel tells Gaza militants: Enough! Oxbridge anti-Semitism Report: Oxford students face anti-Semitism charges over 'pretty Jewish girls' party.

Read & React Israel infuriated by U.K. plan to distinctly label West Bank produce Responses: 586 Rahm Emanuel apologizes for father's disparaging remarks about Arabs Responses: 216 In 2006 letter to Bush, Hamas' Haniyeh offered compromise with Israel Responses: 184 Olmert: Israel will not reconcile with Gaza rocket fire Responses: 219 IDF soldiers filmed humiliating bound Palestinian face court martial Responses: 102 More Headlines 01:04 Report suggests Obama press Israel over nuclear program 01:25 Ceasefire shaky after western Negev struck by 17 missiles 15:26 Russia seeking to purchase Israeli-made spy planes 01:47 ANALYSIS / As Israel's leaders bicker, Hamas is calling the shots 20:38 Lebanon approves security coordination with Syria 23:59 GA special feature / An online battle for Israel's legitimacy 16:41 GA Magazine / Failing the taste test 15:47 GA special report / Anti-graft group calls for suspension of UJC Israel chief 22:40 Abbas calls Gaza blockade 'war crime' as UN closes food aid centers 21:44 Founder of Israeli NRA seeks to import American gun culture 11:51 Olmert: Israel will not tolerate Gaza rocket fire 22:53 Israel infuriated by U.K. plan to label West Bank produce 05:25 Rahm Emanuel apologizes for father's disparaging remarks about Arabs 09:12 In 2006 letter to Bush, Haniyeh offered compromise with Israel 08:04 How white were the Israelites? Facial reconstruction may be surprising 07:24 Barak approved settlement expansion despite Road Map Previous Editions Select Day 14 nov 13 nov 12 nov 11 nov 10 nov 09 nov 07 nov 06 nov 05 nov 04 nov 03 nov 02 nov

Special Offers Advertisement Living in Israel Studying in English Click & Meet our students from all around the world Dan Boutique Jerusalem New Dan Hotel in Jerusalem Young, Fun & Distinctively Dan Book Now Online! Fattal Hotel Chain Perfectly located hotels on best resorts of Israel. Car rental in Israel Shlomo Sixt Receive $15.00 from our low rates. Dial 013 for your long-distance calls and get all your money back US CITIZENS Vote for real change. Request your ballot today! Eldan Rent a Car Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on all online reservations Jewish Singles Personal Ads Find the love of your life on JDate.com Israel's Premier Real Estate Website www. israel-property.com Hebrew Summer courses From $39.95 Junkyard Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt

Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Underground | Site rules |

Real Estate in Israel | Travel to Israel with Haaretz | Hotels Israel | Restaurants Israel | Tourist attractions Israel | Shops Israel

birthright Israel | Search engine marketing

Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.

© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved