Nechama Tec (née Bawnik, 15 May 1931 – 3 August 2023) was a Polish-American historian who was Professor Emerita of Sociology at the University of Connecticut.
Her book When Light Pierced the Darkness (1986) and her memoir Dry Tears: The Story of a Lost Childhood (1984) both received the Merit of Distinction Award from the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.
[6] Her daughter, Leora Tec, is the founder and Director of Bridge To Poland, an organization she created to break down stereotypes between Jews and non-Jewish Poles.
[7] Her husband, Dr. Leon Tec,[8] was a noted child psychiatrist and author of Fear of Success and the autobiography, Adventure and Destiny.
[9][better source needed] Nechama Tec was initially shocked by the changes made in adapting her book to make the film Defiance.