POVILAS TAMOŠIŪNAS

In July 1941 almost all the Jews – men, women, elderly people and children, who lived in the town of Subacius (Kupiskio region), had been killed. Around 10 families were left alive to be used for forced labour. Among them was the family of Regina Rozenbergaite. On November 24, 1941, all 10 families were taken outside the border of the town. The adults had been killed, children were buried alive. That night Regina Rozenbergaite managed to escape. She was wandering around the vicinity of the town until she found herself in Jasvilionys village at one farmers‘ place. But the farmer betrayed her. She was arrested by the local collaborators, who took her to the regional prison near the railway station Subacius, in the village of Dvariskes. Few days after also Regina‘s mother and Sara Jakobsonaite, whose family members had been killed, were brought to the same prison. One Saturday evening, on November 30, 1941, when the local collaborators were drinking, Povilas Tamosiunas, who lived nearby, came to the window of the prison, saying that next day they were supposed to be killed, but at night he would try to liberate them. At midnight Povilas Tamosiunas brought his instruments and started breaking the door. Three hours later he managed to free the girls, but Regina‘s mother refused to run away because she felt very weak. Next day she had been murdered. Povilas Tamosiunas offered both girls to stay at his house, but they refused to put him under such danger and turned for help to a Catholic priest, Povilas Mikalajunas, who, in his turn, directed them to reliable people, who were not afraid to give shelter to the Jewish girls.
During that difficult year many local farmers helped Regina Rozenbergaite and Sara Jakobsonaite survive, hid them and gave them food. Priest Feliksas Ereminas managed to get forged documents, according to which Rachel became Regina; he also hid her in his house and looked for other places to hide her.
Povilas Tamosiunas was recognized „Righteous Among the Nations“ in 2012, Feliksas Ereminas – in 2013.