Given name: Irena Family name: Kucharzak

Pseudonym 'Maria'; born in Warsaw on 4 September 1907; lived in Warsaw in Wawer at Skrzyneckiego Street No. 26; worked in an elementary school for Jewish children until the war broke out; a teacher in Primary School No. 55; during the German occupation helped her friend Gena Troman and her family; arranged a hiding place on the name Maria Checinska for Gena Troman and her friends at Chlodna Street No. 15, corner of Walicow Street and later at Grzybowska Street No. 29, corner of Ciepla Street; hid Sieraczek's sister - mrs Zosia - and her daughter Helenka for 1,5 years; because she was a pedagogue she could not accept the fact that the girl does not study, so, risking her own life, she placed her in a school, as well as Rachela Gurmanowa's mother - Hanna Gurman; co-worker of a conspirational Military Organisation (Organizacja Wojskowa)- the Security Corps (Korpus Bezpieczenstwa) in Tadeusz Bednarczyk's unit and the Jewish Fighting Organisation (ZOB) in Warsaw and in Wawer, where she lived, many Jews and ZOB activists were saved thanks to her activity; her contact point with Tadeusz Bednarczyk was at first in an office in the courts, later in a cafe at Chmielna Street No. 26, susequently at Chlodna Street No. 6; she occasionally stored weapons for major Bystry - Iwanski's unit; helped Tadeusz Bednarczyk in getting several dozen of people out of the ghetto, escorting them and leading to an indicated hideout, most of the people went through her flat; Tadeusz Bednarczyk wrote: 'During the whole period of the occupation Irena Kucharzak, despite her numerous pedagogic responsibilities, including those in the clandestine education, devoted all her spare time to a friendly and civic action of helping Jews, financial help and help in hiding people, saving their lives. Fulfilled her duties as an underground soldier with full dedication and commitment to fight against Nazism'; She deposited all the letters she got from the ghetto from Jewish children - her former students, her correspondence with Henia Troman and all the documents and certificates people committed to her custody to The Jewish Historical Institute (ZIH) in April 1949.