Belgian man recognised as Righteous Among the Nations 80 years after saving the life of a mother and son

A man who risked his life to hide a Jewish woman and her five-year-old son during the Second World War 80 years ago has been posthumously recognised as Righteous Among the Nations.

George Bourlet was awarded the venerated title for his bravery by Yad Vashem at a ceremony held at the Israeli Embassy in Brussels on Monday.

Haja Sura Zoltak and her son David, who was born in Brussels in 1938, had originally escaped to a Catholic covenant in the city but fled shortly before it was raided by the Nazis. They made their way to the Bourlet family home in 1944 where they were taken in and hidden.

David’s grandfather and uncle had already been arrested and taken to Auschwitz.

Bourlet, along with his four young children, provided the mother and son life-saving shelter until the end of the war.

During Monday’s ceremony, the Israeli Ambassador to Belgium, Idit Rosenzweig-Abu, presented a medal and certificate to Bourlet’s descendants, and George’s name was added to the memorial wall honouring the Righteous Among the Nations at the Yad Vashem Museum in Jerusalem.

David’s son, Lionel, spent years searching for the family who had saved his father and grandmother during the Holocaust. With help from MyHeritage genealogist Marie Cappart, who responded to his social media post, they were eventually able to track down Bourlet’s descendants and even the house where they were hidden.

David (centre) with the Bourlet descendants (Credit: MyHeritage)

Lionel said the recognition of Bourlet as Righteous Among the Nations marks a “significant closing of a circle for me, my father, and George’s family, as well as for the Jewish people and humanity as a whole.

“In these uncertain times, it is vital to highlight the stories of those who risked everything to protect the vulnerable. George [Bourlet’s] actions were a beacon of hope during a dark period.”

He added that he was “deeply grateful to Yad Vashem for honouring his heroism”, and extended his heartfelt thanks to Cappart and the MyHeritge team, as well as George Bourlet’s descendants for “their kindness and support in honouring their grandfather”.

Cappart said they were “humbled and honoured” to have played a role in the recognition of Bourlet as Righteous Among the Nations. “We hope his example will inspire future generations to do the right thing in the face of evil,” she said.