Stefania Wilczyńska

Stefania Wilczyńska, born on May twenty-sixth, eighteen eighty-six, was a prominent Polish educator and writer, deeply committed to the welfare of children. Hailing from a wealthy Jewish family in Warsaw, she pursued her education at the University of Liège in Belgium and the University of Geneva in Switzerland, where she honed her skills as a teacher.

Upon returning to Warsaw, Wilczyńska dedicated her life to the care of orphans, becoming the director of a Jewish orphanage. It was here that she met Dr. Janusz Korczak in nineteen oh nine, and together they worked tirelessly to provide a nurturing environment for the children. As the main educator, she not only managed the daily operations of the orphanage but also organized fundraising activities to support its mission.

During World War I, when Korczak was called to military service, Wilczyńska took on the full responsibility of managing the orphanage alone. Her dedication continued into the interwar period, during which she published several articles in child care magazines produced by CENTOS, sharing her insights and experiences.

Wilczyńska visited Palestine in nineteen thirty-four and nineteen thirty-seven, contemplating a future outside Poland. However, when the Nazi invasion occurred in nineteen thirty-nine, she chose to remain with the orphanage, moving it into the Warsaw Ghetto. In August nineteen forty-two, as part of the Kinderaktion, she, Korczak, and the orphanage staff were tragically deported to the gas chambers at Treblinka, having opted to stay with the children they loved.

In honor of her legacy, a plaque has been placed at the original site of the orphanage, ensuring that her contributions to education and child welfare are remembered.