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Photo courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
Jarek Olszak, left, his sister Ivona, his brother David, his father Wiesław and his mother Maria at his parents’ 60th anniversary celebration. After growing up in communist Poland and watching his father imprisoned for opposing the regime, Jarek Olszak and his family fled to the United States to start over — inspired, improbably, by the American TV show “Dallas.” Today, more than 40 years later, Olszak has built a quiet, meaningful life in Trussville as an engineer, husband, father and community leader. This profile traces his remarkable path from martial law to Main Street — and explores how his experiences shaped his values, his career and his commitment to serving others through Rotary and his church.
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Photos courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
Jarek Olszak, right, is pinned as a Rotarian by his sponsor, Greg Carroll of Carroll Pharmacy, at a Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club meeting in December 2024.
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Photos courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
The Olszak family, from left: Jarek Olszak, daughter Sophie, wife Dianne and daughter Callie.
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Photos courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
The Olszak family, from top left, clockwise: David, Ivona, Jarek, Wieslaw and Maria, at the church in Savannah on the 40th anniversary of their arrival in the United States.
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Photos courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
Jarek Olszak’s father, Wiesław Olszak, right, with Lech Walesa, leader of Solidarity, president of Poland after fall of communism and Nobel Peace Prize winner for his leadership of Solidarity.
When Jarek Olszak reflects on his family’s journey from communist Poland to Alabama, he sees a story of hardship, courage and kindness.
Today, Olszak gives back to his community — including as a member of the Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club. But the story began under government surveillance and persecution and ended in freedom — built through faith, persistence and the support of strangers.
A LIFE INTERRUPTED
Photos courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
The Olszak family, from top left, clockwise: David, Ivona, Jarek, Wieslaw and Maria, at the church in Savannah on the 40th anniversary of their arrival in the United States.
Jarek grew up in Toruń, Poland, in the 1970s — a time of rationed food, empty store shelves and long lines.
“If you used your meat ration early in the month,” he said, “you were eating bread and potatoes until the next one.” Items like butter and shoes were scarce. Even toilet paper was a commodity worth lining up for. Still, Jarek remembers his childhood fondly. “There was a sense of community, and I had close friends. We were just living what we knew.”
After eighth grade, a government test determined students’ futures. Jarek earned placement in a technical school focused on agricultural equipment design, alternating time between classrooms and farmland.
In December 1981, their life changed. Days after martial law was declared, police raided their home. His father, Wiesław Olszak — a tool and die maker and early Solidarity organizer — was arrested.
“They took my father,” Jarek recalled. “Then they searched the whole house. My mother was warned to stay quiet or they’d come back for me.”
Wiesław, who had left the Communist Party to support Solidarity, was imprisoned for supporting political prisoners. For months, the family heard nothing. Later, they were allowed monthly visits — but even those required permits and lengthy inspections.
In 1983, Wiesław was told to choose: return to prison or leave Poland. The family — Wiesław, wife Maria, daughter Ivona and teen Jarek — chose to leave.
THE DREAM OF AMERICA
They considered South Africa, Canada and the U.S. — but the TV show “Dallas” tipped the scale. “You’d see those big homes, big cars — everything looked so easy,” Jarek said.
Photos courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
Jarek Olszak’s father, Wiesław Olszak, right, with Lech Walesa, leader of Solidarity, president of Poland after fall of communism and Nobel Peace Prize winner for his leadership of Solidarity.
With only $160 and one suitcase each, they traveled to Germany, where they were matched with a sponsor in the U.S. First Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia, welcomed them. “They didn’t know us,” Jarek said. “But they welcomed us like family.” Jarek, then 17, enrolled at Savannah High School. He carried a Polish-English dictionary, took drafting classes and graduated in just 18 months.
He later earned an engineering degree from Mercer University. “There were just three of us in mechanical engineering,” he said. “Our professor would come to our apartment to help us study.”
NEW LIFE IN ALABAMA
After graduation, Jarek worked in Georgia and then Birmingham, where he took a job at Stockham Valves. He and wife Dianne settled in Trussville to raise their daughters, Callie and Sophie.
“It felt like the American dream,” Jarek said.
When Stockham shut down, Jarek joined Laempe-Reich in Trussville. They built a home in Maplewood, drawn to its family-friendly feel.
Over the years, Jarek has served through Clearbranch United Methodist Church and the Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club — inspired by the kindness shown to his family.
“Jarek and Dianne Olszak exemplify true Christian leadership,” said Greg Carroll, who sponsored Jarek into Rotary. “Their efforts have left a mark, inspiring others and enriching many lives.”
Photos courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
Jarek Olszak, right, is pinned as a Rotarian by his sponsor, Greg Carroll of Carroll Pharmacy, at a Trussville Daybreak Rotary Club meeting in December 2024.
For Jarek, giving back is personal. “We came here with nothing,” he said. “People helped us without expecting anything in return. I’ve always believed in paying that forward.”
He hopes to pass those values — faith, perseverance and curiosity — on to his daughters. “I tell them: the world is a big place. Go see it. Explore. Learn. You can always come back home.”
FROM PERSECUTION TO HONOR
Jarek’s younger brother David — born months after they arrived — would later serve in the U.S. Marine Corps.
“He was the first American in our family,” Jarek said. “We named him David — like a great warrior.”
Years later, the Polish government apologized to Wiesław. His citizenship was reinstated, his charges dropped, and he was invited back as a guest of honor. He received Poland’s highest civilian medal — awarded for the same actions that once led to his imprisonment.
In one photo, Wiesław stands alongside Lech Wałęsa, the Solidarity leader who became president. A movement that cost him his freedom became a symbol of change.
A QUIET LEGACY
Photos courtesy of Jarek Olszak.
The Olszak family, from left: Jarek Olszak, daughter Sophie, wife Dianne and daughter Callie.
When asked what he hopes people see in him, Jarek says, “Someone willing to help. Someone who shows up when times get tough.”
He doesn’t talk about his past often. But his story — of courage, faith and service — speaks for itself. “That was then,” he says. “This is now.”
