Rescuers of Jews
Rudėnas Kazimieras
RUDENAS KAZIMIERAS & VERONIKA
Before the war Kazimieras and Veronika Rudenas, their 6 children, the eldest of whom – Stase, lived in their farm Sermuksnyne, in the village of Snieriskes, Moletai region, near the Aisetas lake. Quite often local fishermen, who used to fish in the Aisetas lake, stayed in Kazimieras’ house for several days. Kazimieras was a member of the parochial committee in a church in Labanoras village. During the war Kazimieras and Veronika Rudenas hid two Kacerginskis brothers – Jakovas (Jankelis) and Eliezeris (Leizeris) and their cousin – Eske Streselskis in a dug-out, made in the forest. All of them survived the war.
After the war the Kacerginskis brothers moved to Utena and persuaded also Kazimieras Rudenas to move closer to the town, because the Rudenas, as big landowners, were threatened to be deported to Siberia. The Rudenas family moved to Azudvariai village near Utena, thus escaping from the exile.
Up until his death in 1960 Kazimieras Rudenas maintained close connections with the Kacerginskis brothers. In 1973 both brothers emigrated to Israel together with their families.
Although Jakovas and Eliezeris Kacerginskis are not alive any more, their sons Jehoshua and Shimon, who reside in Israel nowadays, managed to find the descendants of their rescuers in Utena and provided evidence to Yad Vashem about the rescue of their fathers.
Before the war Kazimieras and Veronika Rudenas, their 6 children, the eldest of whom – Stase, lived in their farm Sermuksnyne, in the village of Snieriskes, Moletai region, near the Aisetas lake. Quite often local fishermen, who used to fish in the Aisetas lake, stayed in Kazimieras’ house for several days. Kazimieras was a member of the parochial committee in a church in Labanoras village. During the war Kazimieras and Veronika Rudenas hid two Kacerginskis brothers – Jakovas (Jankelis) and Eliezeris (Leizeris) and their cousin – Eske Streselskis in a dug-out, made in the forest. All of them survived the war.
After the war the Kacerginskis brothers moved to Utena and persuaded also Kazimieras Rudenas to move closer to the town, because the Rudenas, as big landowners, were threatened to be deported to Siberia. The Rudenas family moved to Azudvariai village near Utena, thus escaping from the exile.
Up until his death in 1960 Kazimieras Rudenas maintained close connections with the Kacerginskis brothers. In 1973 both brothers emigrated to Israel together with their families.
Although Jakovas and Eliezeris Kacerginskis are not alive any more, their sons Jehoshua and Shimon, who reside in Israel nowadays, managed to find the descendants of their rescuers in Utena and provided evidence to Yad Vashem about the rescue of their fathers.