"From the moment the uprising began in the Jewish quarter, Dr. Zabinski and his wife began to help a few of the besieged people. When the situation "on the other side of the wall" became more dangerous, Dr. Zabinski, with exceptional modesty and without any self-interest, occupied himself with the fates of his prewar Jewish suppliers of milk and vegetables, and whatever was necessary for the zoo. He occupied himself with the fates of different acquaintances as well as strangers who needed his help. He helped them go over to the Aryan side, provided them with indispensable personal documents, looked for accommodations, and when necessary hid them at his villa or on the zoo’s grounds. These people did not always have what was considered "the right looks", but this did not influence his decision to protect them. His home became a transit station for a whole procession of people – rich and beggars.
"When the uprising in the ghetto broke out, a whole family of a well-known Warsaw lawyer moved into the first floor of Dr. Zabiniski's villa. One of the family's daughters was mentally ill, and more than once did Dr. Zabinski have trouble with her. One Sunday morning, as I was visiting them, the girl had an attack, and while the person who took care of her wasn't watching, jumped out of the window. It was a summer afternoon, and the zoo was filled with people. Needless to say what terrible consequences this could have had for the other three people who were hiding in the apartment, as well as the doctor's family, had one of the visitors to the zoo noticed the bedlam.
"All of Zabinski's rescue efforts were implemented with extreme modesty and quiet, but the results were significant. It has to be mentioned that Dr. Zabinski was earning money for the upkeep of his family (a wife who was far from being healthy and a young son) by giving clandestine private lessons….He didn't take a penny from those he took care of, and did not allow them to give him any gifts, such as meat, sugar or flour – most expensive items in those days."
