Rescuers of Jews
Gintalas Juozas
Kristina GINTALIENĖ and Ignas GINTALAS,
Juozas GINTALAS and Kazimiera GINTALIENĖ
The families of Juozas and Kazimiera Gintalas and Estera and Šlioma Kacas were farming next to each other in Vidmantai village in Žarėnai rural district. Juozas had a brother Ignas, who lived in Vertininkai village with his wife Kristina. Kacas‘ and Gintalas‘ relations were neighbourly not inquiring about nationality, they would help each other at sowing, harvest time or potato digging, would give each other a hand when building houses and, in general, would visit each other at family holidays or, for comfort, at a time of trouble.
A tragedy struck the Kacai family when the Germans invaded the country in 1941. Their nine children hid wherever they could, while Juozas and Kazimiera Gintalas gave shelter to Šolomas Kacas. A hide out was prepared where the man would hide for days and only at night would dare to go out for a walk in the forest. The dean of Varniai, priest Juozapas Gasiūnas, helped to obtain false documents, according to which Šolomas Kacas became Juozas Poviliūnas. Seven or eight months passed in constant fear for the lives of the family and of the hidden man. Later Šolomas Kacas stayed with Juozas' brother Ignas Gintalas and his wife Kristina, after all, it was too dangerous to linger in one place. However, soon people took Sorkė Buchaitė, the granddaughter of the old Kacai, to the Gintalai home. With the help of priest Juozapas Gasiūnas, Sorkė became Aldona Poviliūnaitė.
When Aldona's – she never changed her name back – father returned after the war, he found out that his wife and little daughter had been shot. And what was his joy when he learned that his daughter was rescued by the Gintalai.
After the war Juozas and Kazimiera Gintalas were deporte to Sibiria. In 1949, having avoided deportation to Siberia, the Ignas and Kristina Gintalai moved to Rietavas. Letters of gratitude from people, calling Ignas Gintalas their father, are still coming there.
And when the coffin with Kristina Gintalienė was lowered to the pit, the rescued Jewish women living in Lithuania were crying harder that her Lithuanian relatives...
From Hands Bringing Life and Bread, Volume 1,
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Vilnius, 1997
Juozas GINTALAS and Kazimiera GINTALIENĖ
The families of Juozas and Kazimiera Gintalas and Estera and Šlioma Kacas were farming next to each other in Vidmantai village in Žarėnai rural district. Juozas had a brother Ignas, who lived in Vertininkai village with his wife Kristina. Kacas‘ and Gintalas‘ relations were neighbourly not inquiring about nationality, they would help each other at sowing, harvest time or potato digging, would give each other a hand when building houses and, in general, would visit each other at family holidays or, for comfort, at a time of trouble.
A tragedy struck the Kacai family when the Germans invaded the country in 1941. Their nine children hid wherever they could, while Juozas and Kazimiera Gintalas gave shelter to Šolomas Kacas. A hide out was prepared where the man would hide for days and only at night would dare to go out for a walk in the forest. The dean of Varniai, priest Juozapas Gasiūnas, helped to obtain false documents, according to which Šolomas Kacas became Juozas Poviliūnas. Seven or eight months passed in constant fear for the lives of the family and of the hidden man. Later Šolomas Kacas stayed with Juozas' brother Ignas Gintalas and his wife Kristina, after all, it was too dangerous to linger in one place. However, soon people took Sorkė Buchaitė, the granddaughter of the old Kacai, to the Gintalai home. With the help of priest Juozapas Gasiūnas, Sorkė became Aldona Poviliūnaitė.
When Aldona's – she never changed her name back – father returned after the war, he found out that his wife and little daughter had been shot. And what was his joy when he learned that his daughter was rescued by the Gintalai.
After the war Juozas and Kazimiera Gintalas were deporte to Sibiria. In 1949, having avoided deportation to Siberia, the Ignas and Kristina Gintalai moved to Rietavas. Letters of gratitude from people, calling Ignas Gintalas their father, are still coming there.
And when the coffin with Kristina Gintalienė was lowered to the pit, the rescued Jewish women living in Lithuania were crying harder that her Lithuanian relatives...
From Hands Bringing Life and Bread, Volume 1,
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Vilnius, 1997