Rescuers of Jews
Dimšaitė-Palčiauskienė Antanina
Julija DIMŠIENĖ
Kazimieras DIMŠA
Antanina PALČIAUSKIENĖ (DIMŠAITĖ)
Gabrielė PRAKELIENĖ (DIMŠAITĖ)
Before the war the family of Itzhak and Ida Kalamitzky lived in Sepijoniškiai village of Žiežmariai region. They were preoccupied with agriculture and raising cattle. From generation to generation the Kalamitzky family have lived in one and the same place and were well acquainted with their neigbours – Lithuanians and Poles – and communicated and cooperated quite well with them.
Jacob and David Kalamitzky testify:
In 1941, when the Germans occupied Lithuania, our family did not manage to escape to the East and stayed in the occupied country. When Jews started to be arrested and murdered, we used to hide with local farmers, who knew our father and, to our great fortune, we managed to survive, although in constant fear and danger, a 3-year old period of occupation. During this period we changed 70 hiding places in villages, farms, forests, potato pits and underground shelters.
Itzhak and Ida Kalamitzky, their sons David and Jacob, as well as Ida’s sister Raja and her son Emmanuel were hiding with Feliksas Bušauskas from Guroniai village. But after they have been noticed by the neighbours, they were forced to change the hiding place and Feliksas took them to the Dimša family in Klieriškės.
There were 7 children in the Dimša family: 3 daughters and 4 sons. All the members of the family worked in the farm, but for season works they used to take hired workers. The family was in good relations with their neighbours who were old believers and they also were well acquainted with many Jews from the nearest town Žiežmariai, including the Kalamitzky family from Sepijoniškiai village. The Dimšas helped them with food and clothes and the Kalamitzky family stayed in their farm from winter till spring, when rumours started to be spread that somebody lives in the Dimša farm. Therefore, they were forced to change the hiding place.
While they lived in the farm also the children of the Dimša family helped them, bringing them food and hiding them from the eyes of the strangers.
Before the war the family of Itzhak and Ida Kalamitzky lived in Sepijoniškiai village of Žiežmariai region. They were preoccupied with agriculture and raising cattle. From generation to generation the Kalamitzky family have lived in one and the same place and were well acquainted with their neigbours – Lithuanians and Poles – and communicated and cooperated quite well with them.
Jacob and David Kalamitzky testify:
In 1941, when the Germans occupied Lithuania, our family did not manage to escape to the East and stayed in the occupied country. When Jews started to be arrested and murdered, we used to hide with local farmers, who knew our father and, to our great fortune, we managed to survive, although in constant fear and danger, a 3-year old period of occupation. During this period we changed 70 hiding places in villages, farms, forests, potato pits and underground shelters.
Itzhak and Ida Kalamitzky, their sons David and Jacob, as well as Ida’s sister Raja and her son Emmanuel were hiding with Feliksas Bušauskas from Guroniai village. But after they have been noticed by the neighbours, they were forced to change the hiding place and Feliksas took them to the Dimša family in Klieriškės.
There were 7 children in the Dimša family: 3 daughters and 4 sons. All the members of the family worked in the farm, but for season works they used to take hired workers. The family was in good relations with their neighbours who were old believers and they also were well acquainted with many Jews from the nearest town Žiežmariai, including the Kalamitzky family from Sepijoniškiai village. The Dimšas helped them with food and clothes and the Kalamitzky family stayed in their farm from winter till spring, when rumours started to be spread that somebody lives in the Dimša farm. Therefore, they were forced to change the hiding place.
While they lived in the farm also the children of the Dimša family helped them, bringing them food and hiding them from the eyes of the strangers.