Rescuers of Jews
Vitkauskas Juozas
Rachelė VITKAUSKIENĖ
Juozas VITKAUSKAS
Povilas VITKAUSKAS
At the end of 1943 the farmers family Vitkauskas faced many hardships. The hostess of the house Rachelė Vitkauskienė and her sons Juozas and Povilas lived on Birutės island in the lake Siesartis, region of Molėtai. During the war Klemensas Kaušinis who was helping his acquaintance – engineer from Kaunas Isak Judelevitch to find a hiding place, took Isak from his sister Elena Umbrasienė, who lived near Keršeniškių village, to the Vitkauskas family. Isak Yudelevitch managed to live in this new place until the middle of June 1944. But then, unfortunately, one of the neighbours informed the authorities that there was a stranger on the island and therefore, a sudden search by the local policemen under the leadership of a German officer followed. As a result, both brothers – Juozas and Povilas were heavily beaten and placed into prison in Utena. Isak Yudelevitch was placed into the prison in Molėtai and then in Panevėžys. When the front line moved closer both brothers – Juozas and Povilas – managed to escape from the prison, but suffered their injuries for a long time after.
Isak Yudelevitch, after having faced many hardships in prisons and concentration camps emigrated to Israel. His wife Raya and daughter Gita, who managed to survive, stayed in Lithuania. They all met many years after the war, when in 1970 Raya and her daughter Gita received the permission to emigrate to Israel.
Juozas VITKAUSKAS
Povilas VITKAUSKAS
At the end of 1943 the farmers family Vitkauskas faced many hardships. The hostess of the house Rachelė Vitkauskienė and her sons Juozas and Povilas lived on Birutės island in the lake Siesartis, region of Molėtai. During the war Klemensas Kaušinis who was helping his acquaintance – engineer from Kaunas Isak Judelevitch to find a hiding place, took Isak from his sister Elena Umbrasienė, who lived near Keršeniškių village, to the Vitkauskas family. Isak Yudelevitch managed to live in this new place until the middle of June 1944. But then, unfortunately, one of the neighbours informed the authorities that there was a stranger on the island and therefore, a sudden search by the local policemen under the leadership of a German officer followed. As a result, both brothers – Juozas and Povilas were heavily beaten and placed into prison in Utena. Isak Yudelevitch was placed into the prison in Molėtai and then in Panevėžys. When the front line moved closer both brothers – Juozas and Povilas – managed to escape from the prison, but suffered their injuries for a long time after.
Isak Yudelevitch, after having faced many hardships in prisons and concentration camps emigrated to Israel. His wife Raya and daughter Gita, who managed to survive, stayed in Lithuania. They all met many years after the war, when in 1970 Raya and her daughter Gita received the permission to emigrate to Israel.