Irene Gut Opdyke risked her life to smuggle food and travel permits to Polish Jews — and even hid 12 of them inside the home of a Nazi officer where she worked as a housekeeper.
Twitter / CANDLES MuseumIrene Gut Opdyke risk her living to hold open at least 12 Jewish people during World War II .
The American general William Tecumseh Sherman once stated that “ state of war is pit . ”
For Irene Gut Opdyke , that notice held lawful . During World War II , she brave out sexual violation , multiple arrests , and fell interrogation from both Nazi Germany and the USSR .
Twitter/CANDLES MuseumIrene Gut Opdyke risked her life to save at least 12 Jewish people during World War II.
Despite all that trauma , however , Opdyke find the courage to preserve 12 Jews from the Nazis by hiding them where the Germans least suspect it — in a German major ’s own Doroteo Arango .
As she later told her girl , “ When clobber like that encounter , you do n’t have fourth dimension to think through what you are going to do . You ’ve got to react . ”
And Irene Gut Opdyke most for sure did react .
The Holocaust & Humanity Center/TwitterIrene Gut Opdyke made up her mind to help Jewish Holocaust victims after witnessing a Nazi soldier kill a Jewish infant.
How Irene Gut Opdyke Began Helping Jewish Holocaust Victims
Irene Gut Opdyke was born in 1922 in a minuscule settlement in Poland , accord to theZekelman Holocaust Center . At the long time of 16 , she began studying breast feeding . At 17 , she was squeeze into state of war .
In 1939 , Opdyke joined the Polish Army with other nurses from her school . “ It seemed unreal to me , as though I were only acting a part in a play , ” she after wrote in her memoir , In My Hands .
The Holocaust & Humanity Center / TwitterIrene Gut Opdyke made up her mind to help Judaic Holocaust victims after witness a Nazi soldier kill a Jewish babe .
Wikimedia CommonsJews in the Lviv ghetto. 1941.
That reality before long turned into a incubus when she was bewitch by Russian soldier who had invaded Poland . Opdyke was beaten , raped , and place to work on at a Soviet infirmary . She remained there until a prisoner exchange allowed her to recall to Poland .
Back in her Nazi - occupy home country , Irene Gut Opdyke began work in a arms factory that add weapons to the German front . After fainting due to the fumes one day , she was reserve to move to the kitchens , where she served meals to German soldiers .
While running an errand for work one day , according toPBS , Opdyke witness an SS soldier violently cast off a Jewish infant to the ground . At that moment , she resolve she would help the Jewish people if the opportunity ever uprise — and before long enough , it did .
Kari Rene Hall/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesIrene Gut Opdyke holds a photograph of seven of the Jewish people she saved during the Holocaust.
Irene Gut Opdyke’s Fearless Acts Of Heroism
Irene Gut Opdyke was shortly transferred to the town of Tarnopol , where she persist in serving meals to German officer . There , she became ally with 12 Jews who worked in the laundry elbow room wash the soldier ’ clothes .
Opdyke start to overhear the officer talk about wipe out nearby Judaic ghettos . She warn her friend in the laundry room , who spread the news show to their ally and relative , let countless people to escape before their homes were destroyed .
She also began smuggling nutrient into Judaic neighborhoods . “ I live it was a drop in the sea , but I could not do nothing , ” she later drop a line .
Kari Rene Hall/Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesIrene Gut Opdyke in 1998 at age 76.
Wikimedia CommonsJews in the Lviv ghetto . 1941 .
However , as the Nazis began to ramp up their “ Final resolution , ” Irene Gut Opdyke start hold bolder activity , as well . In 1943 , she helped six Jews escape into a nearby forest by utilize a pass from the German John Roy Major she worked for , Eduard Rügemer , and hiding them in a police van until they reached safe .
afterwards that year , Opdyke overhear plans for Tarnopol to finally become “ Judenfrei ” — free of Jews . “ I live this meant my friend in the laundry elbow room would be killed , ” she said , harmonise to PBS . “ I did n’t know what to do . ”
In a stroke of luck and at just the right meter , Major Rügemer asked Opdyke if she would protrude work as the housekeeper in his Pancho Villa . She thirstily accepted — and make up one’s mind she would land her Jewish ally from the laundry elbow room with her .
How Irene Gut Opdyke Hid 12 Jews Right Under A German Officer’s Nose
When Major Rügemer invited Opdyke to live with him as his housekeeper , she later recall , “ I knew then that could be the office I would obscure the Jews . ” She sneaked her Quaker into Rügemer ’s home , hiding them in both the wine cellar and the attic so the major would n’t discover them .
To make matters more desperate , one of the Jewish couples hiding in the home discovered they were bear a child . They told Opdyke they would give the child up to obviate detection , but she told them not to fret . “ We ’ll see — you ’ll be free , ” she told them .
alas , Opdyke ’s larger-than-life act would n’t remain a secret for long .
Kari Rene Hall / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesIrene Gut Opdyke holds a photograph of seven of the Judaic people she saved during the Holocaust .
After obscure her friends successfully for nearly nine months , Opdyke forget to lock a door one day , and Major Rügemer hear the Judaic refugees in his home . “ I trusted you . How could you do this behind my back , in my own firm ? ” he scream . Opdyke begged him not to tell anyone , and he agreed — on the condition that she become his mistress .
“ I wo n’t tell you it was easy , ” Irene Gut Opdyke later enounce . “ But I knew there were 12 lives depending on me . ”
Irene Gut Opdyke’s Life After World War II
Soon after the discovery of the Jewish fugitives , Soviet forces began advancing toward Tarnopol . The Nazis were losing the warfare , and German force started retreating . Opdyke and all 12 of her Judaic friends were able to flee into a nearby forest — and the pregnant Jewish pair welcomed a goodly babe .
“ On May 4 , 1944 , a little boy was born in freedom ! ” Opdyke lovingly remember . “ That was my payment for whatever hell I went through . ”
Irene Gut Opdyke had saved more than just 12 lives with her valiance .
She immigrate to the United States in 1949 , where she pick up just how much of an impact she ’d genuinely had on the Holocaust victims she helped . One twenty-four hour period , a Isle of Man she did n’t recognize came up to her in New York and say , “ Irene , you do n’t think of me , but you brought me shoes in the forest . ”
Opdyke tie a man named William Opdyke and call forth a daughter , living a quiet lifetime for many years . Then , in 1974 , she get word a Holocaust denier talk and became infuriated .
Kari Rene Hall / Los Angeles Times via Getty ImagesIrene Gut Opdyke in 1998 at age 76 .
“ I think another Holocaust could happen if we do n’t amalgamate together to endeavor to understand one another and not be unlearned , ” Opdyke said . “ It ’s my duty to enjoin the truth about what I see . ”
So she begin to travel across the country , telling her account . “ She became a moral compass to tenner of thousands of children , ” Rabbi Haim Asa said upon her death in 2003 , as reported by theLos Angeles Times .
Even though Irene Gut Opdyke die almost 20 years ago , her storey lives on . Her daughter Jeannie Smith maintains awebsitein her memory and remain to speak about her female parent ’s heroism .
As Smith tell when her female parent pass away , “ Her biggest fear was that people would n’t understand what she was saying . But she was amazing … and her story always got through . ”
After see about Irene Gut Opdyke ’s heroism , read about three other people who risked their life history to carry through Jews from the Holocaust : Corrie ten Boom , Chiune Sugihara , andWilm Hosenfeld .
