Tadeusz Czezowski, his wife Antonina Czezowska and their daughter Teresa Czezowska

Even before the war, Professor Tadeusz Czezowski was known by Jewish circles as an outspoken critic of the Numerus Clausus restricting the intake of Jewish students to the University of Vilna. In 1941, when the Germans occupied Vilna, Czezowski, his wife, Antonina, and their daughter, Teresa, decided to try and ease the plight of the Jews. At first, they smuggled food into the ghetto for their friends, and later, during the liquidation of the ghetto, sheltered eight members of the Fessel and Wolk families, despite being surrounded by antisemitic neighbors. In risking their lives to save Jews, the Czezowskis were guided by humanitarian considerations only. In time, Professor Czezowski obtained “Aryan” documents for the Fessels and Wolks, which enabled them to move in with acquaintances of his in the village. Professor Czezowski also sheltered a Jewish refugee named Zlata Kaczerginska, who stayed with him until the area was liberated in July 1944. In April 1963, the Czezowskis and their daughter were invited to Israel and met the Jews whose lives they had saved .

On April 16, 1963, Yad Vashem recognized Tadeusz Czezowski, his wife, Antonina Czezowska, and their daughter, Teresa Czezowska, as Righteous Among the Nations.