Rescuers of Jews

     After Nazi Germany occupied Lithuania and the persecution of the Jews began, Juzė and Vincas Gudaitis, residents of the village of Garšviniai in the Vilkaviškis district, gave shelter to and helped save Icikas and Sara Šteinas, as well as Sara's sister Klara.
     Before the outbreak of the Second World War, Jews made up about 45 percent of the population of Vilkaviškis (approximately 3,500 Jews lived in the town). After the Nazi German army occupied Lithuania in the summer of 1941, between 500 and 600 Jewish men were shot in July. In September, the majority of Vilkaviškis Jews – mostly women and children – were murdered. A further approximately 115 Jews were killed in November.
     Icikas and Sara Šteinas, who had lived in Vilkaviškis, managed to escape death and initially hid in the countryside with the Kilikevičius family. However, the Kilikevičius family had already taken in several other Jews, making it increasingly difficult to provide for everyone. Before long, Icikas and Sara Šteinas moved to the neighbouring village of Garšviniai, where they sought refuge with Juzė and Vincas Gudaitis, whom they had known before the war. The Gudaitis family, together with their young son Gediminas (born in 1935), lived in a small, secluded house. The house stood some distance from the main road and offered a clear view of the surrounding area, making it possible to notice approaching visitors well in advance.
     From the memoirs of Ona Gudaitienė, the daughter-in-law of Juzė Gudaitienė: It was very difficult to hide two grown people without anyone finding out or seeing them. That is why the Gudaitis family's youngest son, Gediminas, who was only seven or eight years old, stood watch. Whenever he saw someone approaching, he immediately gave the agreed signal, and Juzė would lead the Šteinas to the barn, lay them down in the cattle troughs, and cover them with hay. It was especially frightening when the Germans came to inspect the farmstead, because the cows could smell people and would begin snorting loudly. Then Juzė's ingenuity would save the situation. At that time everyone in the villages distilled homemade spirits, so she would invite the Germans in for a drink. More than once, the homemade liquor saved the day.
     Whenever it was safe, Juzė would dress one of the Šteinas in her coat and tie a headscarf around them so that they looked just like her, allowing them to go outside for a short while. Food was in very short supply during the war, and the Šteinas survived mainly on boiled potatoes. As Ona Gudaitienė recalled: Food was scarce as well. If one of the hens laid an egg, Juzė would not give it to her own child but to the Šteinas. They would cut it in half and share it. Even though they were facing hunger, they remained true to their beliefs and would eat neither pork nor bacon.
     After the war, the Gudaitis family remained in contact with the people they had rescued. The Šteinas owned a horse and helped the Gudaitis cultivate their fields, always looking for ways to assist them. After Icikas Šteinas was killed in a car accident in the 1960s, Sara left for Israel to join distant relatives. From there, she continued corresponding with Juzė Gudaitienė until her untimely death.
     In 1978, the Yad Vashem Memorial Institute recognized Juzė Gudaitienė as Righteous Among the Nations. In 2026, Juzė Gudaitienė and Vincas Gudaitis were awarded the Lithuanian state decoration, the Life Saving Cross.