Rescued Jewish Children
Frida Michnaickytė-Arinovski
Frida Michnaickytė-Arinosvki’s Story
From the 4th book Hands Bringing Life and Bread
Frida Michnaickytė was born in a family of clerks in Vilkaviškis in 1934. Her mother Maša Davidivičiūtė-Michnaickienė was a nurse: first in the Kaunas Jewish Hospital, and later, after returning to Vilkaviškis, under doctor Babelis. She also had a first aid office at her home. Her father Giršas Michnaickis was a worker in a bristle factory owned by his uncle Sabolevičius together with his cousins. Frida’s grandmother was Sabolevičius’ sister. Obviously, in 1940, Frida’s uncle and aunt were taken to Siberia and were never heard from again. The Michnaickis family was saved by the factory workers. They testified that Frida’s father was a simple worker. Frida’s aunt Ema Davidovič was born in Vilkaviškis, but was working and living in the Bank of Lithuania in Kaunas. Her husband was a clerk but he fled the country before the war.
At the very beginning of the German invasion, Michnaickis family was locked in the Vilkaviškis town barracks together with the town’s remaining Jewish population. However, they managed to escape and appeared in the Kaunas Ghetto in September 1941. Relatives of Frida’s father, who remained in the barracks, were gunned down together with the rest of the Jews of Vilkaviškis town.
In November 1943, Frida, her mother, father and aunt Ema escaped the Kaunas Ghetto and decided to look for help in the vicinity of Vilkaviškis – their native region.
For a short period of time, Frida was left by her parents Maša and Giršas with a farmer to do household work: she had to feed the pigs and help with other works. They had to look for aunt Ema, who was also hiding somewhere nearby. They also had to get money to pay a woman called Juzė. She had agreed to look after Frida’s newborn sister for a fee. The parents had already given her everything, even a golden tooth that was pulled out of Frida’s mother’s mouth. However, the baby was evidently neglected and died.
One Sunday, when everyone was working in the fields, Frida stayed at home with an old woman. She was carrying buckets of pig fodder, when she saw a woman walking a dog. Frida hid in the pig stall, but was attacked by the pigs and heavily injured. Upon hearing the screams, the woman looked at what was happening and walked away. Frida was saved by the old woman, who opened the doors of the stall.
From the testimony of Frida Michnaickytė-Arinovski:
I was badly bruised and my right hand was mauled to the bone. When the landlords came and found out what had happened, they gave me some food and a rag for the wound and told me to leave. I wandered until the night came and then I knocked on the door of Vincas and Uršulė Dailidavičius’s home. Upon seeing me, Uršulė felt sorry for me and allowed me to stay...
Shortly, Frida’s parents came back for the girl, found out what had happened and started looking for her. A few days later, they found Frida at the Dailidavičius family home. Vincas allowed them to stay. Uršulė’s and Vincas’ son Algimantas would bring food for the fugitives who were staying in a hideout in the barn. Here, the fugitives would hide in case of danger. The village was often visited by German soldiers and Lithuanian policemen rounding up the Jews. One can only try to imagine, the feelings of those in hiding and their rescuers.
From Algimantas Dailidavičius’ speech during the 15 December 2005 ceremony of awarding the medals of the Righteous among the Nations in Vilnius Žvėryno gymnasium:
The hardest thing during the war was the lack of trust in all of my neighbours and especially the officials, who would often visit the village. They would come for something in particular (taxes for example), but you could never know what they would start looking for. I had to protect the refuges and warn them, if someone was coming. Tell them to hide. /.../ We had to be very cautious about some of the neighbours at that time, because if they had found out, the refugees and our entire family would have shared the same fate.
Dailidavičius’ son Algimantas was going to the Vilkaviškis gymnasium, but he could not bring friends home to avoid them noticing anything suspicious. In summer, the Michnaickis family would sometimes hide in the nearby forest or shrubbery during the day time. Then, Algimantas would bring his friends on purpose so they could make sure that no strangers were present in the farm.
Maša Michnaickienė’s sister Ema was also hiding in the Dailidavičius farm from almost three months. But it was too risky to hide so many people in the same place, so Vincas Dailidavičius took her to his sister Magdalena Svotelienė living in another village. Algimantas Dailidavičius also facilitated the communication between the refugees. Aunt Ema stayed there until the end of the war. In 1977, Ema Davidovič was invited to witness in the trial of a war criminal in Germany. Unfortunately, she got a heart attack during the trial and died.
Thus, Dailidavičius family risked their lives and saved Frida Michnaickytė and her mother Maša Michnaickienė. After the war, her father took the family back to Kaunas, but got sick and died in the 2nd half of 1945. Frida’s mother Maša died in Israel in 1986.
The Dailidavičius family was never forgotten by Frida. She kept in touch with them all the time. When Algimantas Dailidavičius was studying in the Academy of Agriculture, he stayed with Frida’s family. Later, Maša Michnaickienė and her daughter Frida emigrated to Israel.
In 1994, Frida Michnaickytė-Arinovski returned to Lithuania for the first time to find the Dailidavičius family.
From Frida Michnaickytė-Arinosvki’s testimony:
In 1994, I returned to Lithuania for the first time to find the Dailidavičius family. Since then, I visit all the places that are so dear to me each year – the seven graves of my family in Vilkaviškis and, of course, the Dailidavičius family. This year, Algimantas and his lovely wife Aldutė visited us in Israel.
In 1996, Vincas and Uršulė Dailidavičius were titled the Righteous among the Nations. In 2004, this honourable award was also given to their son Algimantas.
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum, 2009
From the 4th book Hands Bringing Life and Bread
Frida Michnaickytė was born in a family of clerks in Vilkaviškis in 1934. Her mother Maša Davidivičiūtė-Michnaickienė was a nurse: first in the Kaunas Jewish Hospital, and later, after returning to Vilkaviškis, under doctor Babelis. She also had a first aid office at her home. Her father Giršas Michnaickis was a worker in a bristle factory owned by his uncle Sabolevičius together with his cousins. Frida’s grandmother was Sabolevičius’ sister. Obviously, in 1940, Frida’s uncle and aunt were taken to Siberia and were never heard from again. The Michnaickis family was saved by the factory workers. They testified that Frida’s father was a simple worker. Frida’s aunt Ema Davidovič was born in Vilkaviškis, but was working and living in the Bank of Lithuania in Kaunas. Her husband was a clerk but he fled the country before the war.
At the very beginning of the German invasion, Michnaickis family was locked in the Vilkaviškis town barracks together with the town’s remaining Jewish population. However, they managed to escape and appeared in the Kaunas Ghetto in September 1941. Relatives of Frida’s father, who remained in the barracks, were gunned down together with the rest of the Jews of Vilkaviškis town.
In November 1943, Frida, her mother, father and aunt Ema escaped the Kaunas Ghetto and decided to look for help in the vicinity of Vilkaviškis – their native region.
For a short period of time, Frida was left by her parents Maša and Giršas with a farmer to do household work: she had to feed the pigs and help with other works. They had to look for aunt Ema, who was also hiding somewhere nearby. They also had to get money to pay a woman called Juzė. She had agreed to look after Frida’s newborn sister for a fee. The parents had already given her everything, even a golden tooth that was pulled out of Frida’s mother’s mouth. However, the baby was evidently neglected and died.
One Sunday, when everyone was working in the fields, Frida stayed at home with an old woman. She was carrying buckets of pig fodder, when she saw a woman walking a dog. Frida hid in the pig stall, but was attacked by the pigs and heavily injured. Upon hearing the screams, the woman looked at what was happening and walked away. Frida was saved by the old woman, who opened the doors of the stall.
From the testimony of Frida Michnaickytė-Arinovski:
I was badly bruised and my right hand was mauled to the bone. When the landlords came and found out what had happened, they gave me some food and a rag for the wound and told me to leave. I wandered until the night came and then I knocked on the door of Vincas and Uršulė Dailidavičius’s home. Upon seeing me, Uršulė felt sorry for me and allowed me to stay...
Shortly, Frida’s parents came back for the girl, found out what had happened and started looking for her. A few days later, they found Frida at the Dailidavičius family home. Vincas allowed them to stay. Uršulė’s and Vincas’ son Algimantas would bring food for the fugitives who were staying in a hideout in the barn. Here, the fugitives would hide in case of danger. The village was often visited by German soldiers and Lithuanian policemen rounding up the Jews. One can only try to imagine, the feelings of those in hiding and their rescuers.
From Algimantas Dailidavičius’ speech during the 15 December 2005 ceremony of awarding the medals of the Righteous among the Nations in Vilnius Žvėryno gymnasium:
The hardest thing during the war was the lack of trust in all of my neighbours and especially the officials, who would often visit the village. They would come for something in particular (taxes for example), but you could never know what they would start looking for. I had to protect the refuges and warn them, if someone was coming. Tell them to hide. /.../ We had to be very cautious about some of the neighbours at that time, because if they had found out, the refugees and our entire family would have shared the same fate.
Dailidavičius’ son Algimantas was going to the Vilkaviškis gymnasium, but he could not bring friends home to avoid them noticing anything suspicious. In summer, the Michnaickis family would sometimes hide in the nearby forest or shrubbery during the day time. Then, Algimantas would bring his friends on purpose so they could make sure that no strangers were present in the farm.
Maša Michnaickienė’s sister Ema was also hiding in the Dailidavičius farm from almost three months. But it was too risky to hide so many people in the same place, so Vincas Dailidavičius took her to his sister Magdalena Svotelienė living in another village. Algimantas Dailidavičius also facilitated the communication between the refugees. Aunt Ema stayed there until the end of the war. In 1977, Ema Davidovič was invited to witness in the trial of a war criminal in Germany. Unfortunately, she got a heart attack during the trial and died.
Thus, Dailidavičius family risked their lives and saved Frida Michnaickytė and her mother Maša Michnaickienė. After the war, her father took the family back to Kaunas, but got sick and died in the 2nd half of 1945. Frida’s mother Maša died in Israel in 1986.
The Dailidavičius family was never forgotten by Frida. She kept in touch with them all the time. When Algimantas Dailidavičius was studying in the Academy of Agriculture, he stayed with Frida’s family. Later, Maša Michnaickienė and her daughter Frida emigrated to Israel.
In 1994, Frida Michnaickytė-Arinovski returned to Lithuania for the first time to find the Dailidavičius family.
From Frida Michnaickytė-Arinosvki’s testimony:
In 1994, I returned to Lithuania for the first time to find the Dailidavičius family. Since then, I visit all the places that are so dear to me each year – the seven graves of my family in Vilkaviškis and, of course, the Dailidavičius family. This year, Algimantas and his lovely wife Aldutė visited us in Israel.
In 1996, Vincas and Uršulė Dailidavičius were titled the Righteous among the Nations. In 2004, this honourable award was also given to their son Algimantas.
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum, 2009