After his mother died, a five-year-old Jewish boy named Michael Stołowicki had no one but his Catholic nanny

After his mother died, a five-year-old Jewish boy named Michael Stołowicki had no one but his Catholic nanny, Gertruda Babilińska, to take care of him. “I am your mama now,” she assured him.

Michael’s mother, Lidia, had a stroke and died while she, Michael, and Gertruda were living as refugees in Wilno (today Vilnius, Lithuania).

They had fled there after the Nazis occupied their hometown of Warsaw. Two months after Lidia died, the Nazis took control of Wilno and Gertruda had to hide Michael’s Jewish identity.

She obtained false papers and a baptismal certificate for Michael. When Nazis searched their apartment, Gertruda claimed he was her child. She tried to create a normal life for Michael, often covering his eyes to shield him from Nazi brutality.

After the war, Gertruda kept a promise she had made to Michael’s mother and took him to Israel. Gertruda stayed there with Michael, raising him as a Jew despite remaining a devout Catholic for the rest of her life.

Hear the story of Gertruda and Michael’s lifelong relationship on Wednesday, May 1, at noon ET, live on Facebook. Reply with your questions for our experts, and they'll answer during the program.

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