Holocaust Survivor Reunited With Polish Man Who Helped Hide Family
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Just before Hanukkah and Thanksgiving, a holocaust survivor was reunited Wednesday with someone who helped save his life nearly 70 years ago.
As WCBS 880's Alex Silverman reported, Leon Gersten and his family hid for two years in the Polziec family's attic in Poland.
"We had no toys," said Gersten, 79. "All we could do is watch spiders catching flies."
Holocaust Survivor Reunited With Polish Man Who Helped Hide Family
Gersten remembers when Nazi collaborators raided the Polziec's farm, but the protectors stayed silent.
The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous arranged the reunion between Gersten and Czeslaw, which included a news conference at Kennedy Airport.
"Our entire family would not be here," said Judy Barer, one of Gersten's five children. He also has 34 grandchildren.
"Any morning, they could have just woken up and said we've had enough."
Gersten, a psychologist who lives in Cedarhurst, Long Island, said he's hoping the reunion will offer more answers about his past -- and of course, an opportunity to say thank you to Polziec.
"Just to be able to express that to me and my children that they're heroes," he said.
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