Rescuers of Jews

Jurgis GALDIKAS Famous enlightened person of Žemaitija, the western region of Lithuania, educator and doctor of philosoph" Jurgis Galdikas was ordained a priest 9 September 1907. He studied abroad and was a lecturer in Telšiai theological college. During the war, Jurgis Galdikas was the dean of Veiviržėnai church. When the war started, all the Jews from Veiviržėnai town were taken to the Trepkalnis manor. At first, they were allowed to work for local residents of Veiviržėnai, but a few weeks later an announcement was made that all Lithuanians hiding the Jews would be sentenced to death. All Jews were brought back to the Trepkalnis manor and shot. Ms. Fruma Pupsaitė, who was living in the home of priest Jurgis Galdikas, was lucky – she did not return to the manor and stayed alive. All her relatives – parents as well as ten brothers and sisters – were executed. When the Nazis and their henchmen grew suspicious of the priest, Fruma Pusaitė was sent to other reliable people. After the war, Fruma Pupsaitė, who was saved thanks to the prelate Jurgis Galdikas, married Chaimas Jakobas, retuned to Telšiai and raised two daughters and a son Miša Jakobas, who is presently the headmaster of the Vilnius Sholem Aleichem secondary school, and who arranged the awarding of the dean Jurgis Galdikas with the Life Saving Cross for saving his mother Fruma Pupsaitė. During this ceremony, the award was accepted by Jurgis Galdikas’ niece Aldona Lengvinienė. Lithuanian audience was touched by the LNK TV show “Nepriklausomų paieškų tarnyba” (Independent search agency), during which Miša Jakobas, the headmaster of the Vilnius Sholem Aleichem secondary school, asked the Lithuanian people to help him find the relatives of Veiviržėnai dean Jurgis Galdikas, the rescuer of Mr. Jakobas’ mother Fruma Pupsaitė.