Holocaust hero honored

Masha Spivak went into hiding after her parents and two siblings were killed in Kherson, Ukraine, during the Holocaust.

When two of Miss Spivak’s teachers heard about her family, they took her in, helped change her Jewish identity and took great risk to save a life.

Yesterday, one of those teachers, Yevgenia Zamoroko-Lysenko, was honored by Yad Vashem, Israel’s national memorial to the Holocaust, with the Righteous Among the Nations medal.

It was the first time the award for non-Jewish rescuers was presented at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in the District. No living relatives could be found to accept an award for Klavdia Sopova, the second teacher. Both women worked in the population registration department under police command while Ukraine was occupied by Germany.

“The righteous showed physical and moral courage when it was sorely lacking,” said Fred S. Zeidman, chairman of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. “Happily today, we honor one of those rare heroes.”

Nikolay Zamoroko, of Ellicott City, Md., accepted the award for his mother. She died in 2001, shortly after the Israeli memorial began reviewing her story.

Mr. Zamoroko, 59, said his mother was modest, wise and devoted to her students over a 50-year teaching career.

“It was no surprise for me that my mom, as I knew her, would do this — without any doubt,” he said. “She was an inspiration.”

The longtime physics teacher and widow was a Christian, Mr. Zamoroko said. He said he attributes many blessings in his life to the choices his mother made during the Holocaust.

“Your mom not only saved a life, she helped save the world,” said Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, Maryland Democrat.

More than a dozen Holocaust survivors from the Washington area came to honor Mrs. Zamoroko-Lysenko in the museum’s Testimony Theater, which is built with stone from Jerusalem and usually shows films with survivors’ stories.

Nearly 22,000 Holocaust rescuers around the world have been awarded the Righteous Among the Nations medal since 1963. A tree is planted for each person along a walkway near the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem. Three Americans have received the award, along with more than 2,100 Ukrainians.

Mr. Cardin and Israeli officials said they must recommit to ending ongoing genocides, such as the mass killings in Sudan’s Darfur region, to honor Mrs. Zamoroko-Lysenko’s legacy.

“The heritage of the Holocaust is not only about the 6 million [killed]. It is also the story of the few people who chose to stand against evil and live up to the highest level of human values,” said Sallai Meridor, Israel’s ambassador to the United States. “When we see evil, we can choose to be indifferent or to make a difference.”

Miss Spivak eventually lost her job, and her rescuers encouraged her to enroll in forced labor to stay alive in Germany until the camp was liberated by American troops. She emigrated to Israel in 1948 and lost contact with her rescuers until 2000, when she learned of Mrs. Zamoroko-Lysenko’s deteriorating health. Miss Spivak died in 2004.