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Yad Vashem

Sofka Skipwith was born in 1907, the daughter of Prince Peter Alexandrovitch Dolgorouky of St. Petersburg, Russia.  After marrying Gray Skipwith, an Englishman, they settled in France.  In 1940, she was arrested by the Germans and sent to the Vittel detention camp. When 280 Polish Jews arrived at the camp,  Sofka and another detainee, Madelaine White attempted to help them, but their efforts were unsuccessful.  Tragically, at the end of April 1944 most of the Jews were deported to Auschwitz. Nevertheless, Sofka and Madeleine did not give up and used their contacts within the resistance movement to smuggle an infant out of the camp whose mother had been deported directly from the hospital.

In July 1944 Sofka was released in a prisoner exchange between Britain and Germany. In June 1998, Yad Vashem recognized Sofka Skipwith as a Righteous Among the Nations.

It is only due to Yad Vashem’s ongoing work that Sofka’s story and thousands of other like hers, have come to light. Your donation will ensure that this vital work continues and that these stories will be shared with the world for generations to come.

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