Pola Horowicz Sigiel z"l

- for her friends

A POEM FOR MY BELOVED CZESTOCHOWA

Everything on earth passes slowly

Memory of good fortune and of what brings pain

All that passes thus, seeks a purpose.

One thing remains – memory.

In sweet memory of my friends, citizens of Częstochowa
who perished at the hands of the Nazis (1942):

Stefka Landau
Maryla Preger
Renia and Maryla Hoffman
Paulina Zeryker
Marysia Lewkowicz
Gutka Baum
Janek Stawski

For my best friend, Jerzy Rozenblat,

who died the death of a hero fighting the Nazis,
as a member of the “ŻOB” organisation (Jewish Fighting Orgnisation).

[Webmaster: Sadly, Pola passed away on 11th March 2009.]

Pola was born on 12th April 1923 in Częstochowa, Poland, the only child of Aaron and Lea Horowicz.

When the War came, her family was sent to Treblinka. Pola survived by working in the HASAG-Pelcery camp as a slave laborer. She was liberated on 17th January 1945. After liberation, she married David Sigiel in Częstochowa on 2nd September 1945. They then traveled to Germany and chose life, giving birth to her daughter Lea. Only 5 months later, the small family arrived in America, to start new lives.

Over the years, Pola was a surrogate mother to many of the second generation. With her enthusiasm, positive attitude, intelligence, sense of humor, interest and above all, her exceptional memory for people and places, Pola was the source of information and insight, providing a bridge to the past and for the children of survivors, to each other.

Pola is survived by her daughter Lea, and her husband Alan and her grandchildren Alexander, Andrea, and Geoffrey and his wife Jennifer. Her beloved husband, David Sigiel passed away in 2007.

 Submitted by:

her daughter

Lea Sigiel-Wolinetz

– Executive Director,
World Society of Częstochowa Jews
& Their Descendants