Holocaust survivor Dr. Leon Gersten, of Cedarhurst, reunited with rescuer Czeslaw Polziec

A Holocaust survivor from Long Island was reunited with the man who rescued him and his family 69 years ago during the Nazi occupation of Poland. Dr. Leon Gersten, of Cedarhurst, was 8 years old when

News 12 Staff

Nov 28, 2013, 4:58 AM

Updated 3,893 days ago

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A Holocaust survivor from Long Island was reunited with the man who rescued him and his family 69 years ago during the Nazi occupation of Poland.

Dr. Leon Gersten, of Cedarhurst, was 8 years old when his family fled the Germans and hid in the Polziec family's attic.

Gersten says the family had a close call when the Nazis raided the home. They avoided being discovered by hiding in a hole underneath the floor.

Czeslaw Polziec and Gersten reunited at John F. Kennedy International Airport Wednesday afternoon, a day before the beginning of Hanukkah.

"Goodness won when evil seemed to be the dominant force," said Gersten.

The reunion was arranged by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous.


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