In 1942, it was decided to transfer all the Jews of her village to a concentration camp, and Batya’s family escaped to the woods.  Batya’s parents hid her with a Polish woman named Apolonia Oldak. The people in the village suspected that the baby was Jewish, refused to sell Apolonia milk for the baby and informed on her to the Gestapo.  Apolonia was interrogated every day for months regarding the identity of the baby she carried every day to the Gestapo headquarters 22 kilometers away. 

Batya’s parents did not survive the Holocaust.  Her father was murdered by the Polish when he came to visit his daughter and his body was thrown into a well owned by locals who were suspected of assisting Jews.  Her mother was murdered by Poles in the forest. 

In the 1950s, Batya’s uncle who lived in Israel, contacted her.  Apolonia was not willing to be separated from her daughter, and in 1958 she immigrated to Israel with her.  In Israel, Apolonia Oldak was recognized as a Righteous Gentile and died at the age of 94.  Batya lives in Bat Yam with her husband, who is also a Holocaust survivor from Hungary.  They have two sons and one grandson.  Batya is not participating in this journey.  She will be represented by her son, Ran Laicht, who serves in the Israel Police.