rescued jewish children
Itzhak Krom
I was born in Raseiniai in 1938. My mother Peralle Ziv-Krom – daughter of the prosperous owners of a store in Raseiniai – was working in the local pharmacy. A maid would look after me during the day time and we had developed a strong personal bond with her. But one summer day of 1941, when I saw her through the window and cried out her name happily “Elze!”, she just walked away hastily...
My father Motl Krom, was an employee of a Soviet office and was evacuated to Russia during the first days of the war. My mother Peralle, I, my brother’s family and my mother’s mother Sheina-Genia, moved to the countryside avoiding the shellfire. When the artillery fire ceased, we found out that our house had been completely destroyed.
Several days later, all Jews from the neighbourhood were taken to a single barn. The place was so packed that there was no place to sit down. Exhausted by the summer heat, the prisoners were even denied drinking water. It was obvious that death was imminent there. My father’s sister Sima, a 14 years old girl, went to an officer and explained that it was impossible to live with small children in such conditions. She managed to obtain permission for the family to move to the Šiauliai Ghetto.
In the “Caucasus” ghetto in Šiauliai, I, my mother and my grandmother Sheina-Genia were accommodated in a tiny kitchen of an apartment where a few more Jewish families had already been housed. People in the ghetto were starving, but we, children, did not ask for food – we were well aware that we would be given as much food as possible.
5 November 1943, SS-officers came from Kaunas and took all children and invalid persons from the ghetto – supposedly to the Auschwitz concentration camp. My mother had hidden Itzhak and six more children in the basement where they survived the roundup. My grandmother Sheina-Genia was taken away. The remaining lives had to be saved. My aunt Esther was a very energetic woman and she was constantly looking for opportunities to escape. Although it was hard to accomplish, she managed to take her daughter and later me out of the ghetto.
It was very hard to hide a 6 years old circumcised boy. Finally, a family living close to the ghetto and raising two sons – 7 and 8 – agreed to take me in. The brothers would hit me and my head would be scarred all the time. Later, those people decided not to take the risk any longer and refused to take care of the Jewish boy any longer.
Sima asked a Lithuanian girl she knew to shelter me. The girl talked to her mother and they agreed to take me in. Midway to my new home, I stopped and said I would not go any further. Sima told me that I would be shot by the Germans if she took me to the ghetto with her, but my decision was firm: “Let them do it.” Sima had to take me by force. My new hosts were far better, but I could not stay there very long.
With the help of one ghetto policeman, a new hideout was found for me at the home of a lonely nun in Kelmė. Unfortunately, when we arrived, it occurred she could not take me in as she already had a fugitive to hide – Janina, daughter of the director of Kelmė Jewish National Bank and sister of would-be writer Icchokas Meras. Despite the danger, Janina herself went to look for a hideout for me. An hour later, she returned with good news.
I was hosted by Ona Urbelienė. This wonderful woman sent her daughter Elena to accompany me in the village. After the war, I was found there by my father who had served in the 16th division of the Soviet Army. I was scared to see my father. “What does this soldier want from me?” I did not want to go with my father until Elena said she would go with us.
My mother stayed in the ghetto for a while, but managed to escape with her sister-in-law Esther. She and Esther’s daughter Haviva stayed at the home of Julija Kiličauskienė until the end of the war. This wonderful woman respected the habits of my mother and even cooked kosher food.
After the war, our family settled in Kaunas. Elena Urbelytė stayed with us and found a job in Kaunas.
Unfortunately, the fate was not that kind to my saviours. Elena had two brothers. By the end of the war, one of them was in the last year of school. Their teacher was a determined opponent of the Soviets. When the Russians returned to Lithuania, he took his students to the forest. Ona and Bronius Urbelis were exiled to Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia. The second son managed to jump out of the truck and escape. Fleeing from the KGB officers looking for her brother, Elena went to her parents in Siberia, but her health was too weak and soon she died. After the death of Stalin, Ona and Bronius returned to Lithuania. In 2006, Bronius, Ona and Elena Urbelis were posthumously titled the Righteous among the Nations.
Thanks to these people I, Itzhak Krom, live in Israel, have raised three children and have seven grand-children.
My father Motl Krom, was an employee of a Soviet office and was evacuated to Russia during the first days of the war. My mother Peralle, I, my brother’s family and my mother’s mother Sheina-Genia, moved to the countryside avoiding the shellfire. When the artillery fire ceased, we found out that our house had been completely destroyed.
Several days later, all Jews from the neighbourhood were taken to a single barn. The place was so packed that there was no place to sit down. Exhausted by the summer heat, the prisoners were even denied drinking water. It was obvious that death was imminent there. My father’s sister Sima, a 14 years old girl, went to an officer and explained that it was impossible to live with small children in such conditions. She managed to obtain permission for the family to move to the Šiauliai Ghetto.
In the “Caucasus” ghetto in Šiauliai, I, my mother and my grandmother Sheina-Genia were accommodated in a tiny kitchen of an apartment where a few more Jewish families had already been housed. People in the ghetto were starving, but we, children, did not ask for food – we were well aware that we would be given as much food as possible.
5 November 1943, SS-officers came from Kaunas and took all children and invalid persons from the ghetto – supposedly to the Auschwitz concentration camp. My mother had hidden Itzhak and six more children in the basement where they survived the roundup. My grandmother Sheina-Genia was taken away. The remaining lives had to be saved. My aunt Esther was a very energetic woman and she was constantly looking for opportunities to escape. Although it was hard to accomplish, she managed to take her daughter and later me out of the ghetto.
It was very hard to hide a 6 years old circumcised boy. Finally, a family living close to the ghetto and raising two sons – 7 and 8 – agreed to take me in. The brothers would hit me and my head would be scarred all the time. Later, those people decided not to take the risk any longer and refused to take care of the Jewish boy any longer.
Sima asked a Lithuanian girl she knew to shelter me. The girl talked to her mother and they agreed to take me in. Midway to my new home, I stopped and said I would not go any further. Sima told me that I would be shot by the Germans if she took me to the ghetto with her, but my decision was firm: “Let them do it.” Sima had to take me by force. My new hosts were far better, but I could not stay there very long.
With the help of one ghetto policeman, a new hideout was found for me at the home of a lonely nun in Kelmė. Unfortunately, when we arrived, it occurred she could not take me in as she already had a fugitive to hide – Janina, daughter of the director of Kelmė Jewish National Bank and sister of would-be writer Icchokas Meras. Despite the danger, Janina herself went to look for a hideout for me. An hour later, she returned with good news.
I was hosted by Ona Urbelienė. This wonderful woman sent her daughter Elena to accompany me in the village. After the war, I was found there by my father who had served in the 16th division of the Soviet Army. I was scared to see my father. “What does this soldier want from me?” I did not want to go with my father until Elena said she would go with us.
My mother stayed in the ghetto for a while, but managed to escape with her sister-in-law Esther. She and Esther’s daughter Haviva stayed at the home of Julija Kiličauskienė until the end of the war. This wonderful woman respected the habits of my mother and even cooked kosher food.
After the war, our family settled in Kaunas. Elena Urbelytė stayed with us and found a job in Kaunas.
Unfortunately, the fate was not that kind to my saviours. Elena had two brothers. By the end of the war, one of them was in the last year of school. Their teacher was a determined opponent of the Soviets. When the Russians returned to Lithuania, he took his students to the forest. Ona and Bronius Urbelis were exiled to Irkutsk Oblast, Siberia. The second son managed to jump out of the truck and escape. Fleeing from the KGB officers looking for her brother, Elena went to her parents in Siberia, but her health was too weak and soon she died. After the death of Stalin, Ona and Bronius returned to Lithuania. In 2006, Bronius, Ona and Elena Urbelis were posthumously titled the Righteous among the Nations.
Thanks to these people I, Itzhak Krom, live in Israel, have raised three children and have seven grand-children.