rescuers of jews
Rimšaitė Rozalija
Rozalija RIMŠAITĖ
At the request of Bishop Teofilis Matulionis, Estera Elinaitė was hidden in the Benedictine convent, in the room of Sister Angėlė Misiūnaitė. Danutė and Vladimiras Zubovas took the girl in a pram across the city to the convent, while her mother followed them at some distance. Sister Angėlė said that Estera was very cheerful, with a dark complexion and beautiful. Sister Angėlė held her in her arms and told her fairy tales, and they both slept in the same room. There was a piano in the convent hall, and Estera liked to play it. Her nimble fingers pressed the keys, and all who were present could not but admire the way she played. Sister Angėlė remembered that at the moment of parting with her daughter, Estera’s mother wept bitterly and kissed the girl, and all the nuns, witnessing the scene, cried as well. The mother would bid her farewell, go, and again return and kiss the daughter. When she left, Estera wiped away her tears before long and started playing the piano, despite hardly reaching the keyboard. The same evening, when Estera was put in Sister Angėlė’s bed, the German police knocked at the door of the convent. The girl was hidden in the attic, but the Germans did not enter the convent that time and, after making some fuss, went away.
The nuns understood that it was unsafe to keep the girl with them and decided to take her to the Čiobiškis Children’s Home, which was under the aegis of the Benedictine sisters. Wrapped in a sheepskin coat like a baby doll, Estera was carried in a horse-drawn farm cart to Čiobiškis. The German police often carried out searches there as well, but the sisters managed to hide her and other Jewish girls.
Estera’s mother came when the Germans withdrew from Lithuania. She began looking for the girl at Kaišiadorys Cathedral. Bishop Matulionis told the mother that Estera was safe and sound and was living in the Čiobiškis Children’s Home. The mother was greatly moved by the bishop’s attention to her daughter when he told her about the girl’s musical skills and that they should be developed. When Busia Elinienė said that she was a music teacher, the bishop was glad to hear it and said: “That’s very good.”
Although it was already dark, the mother wanted to go to Čiobiškis, but the bishop did not let her. The following morning, she went barefoot, since her shoes were worn out. The superior of the Čiobiškis Children’s Home was glad to receive her. At that time the children were gathering berries in the forest. The nun told her that one day armed policemen had come and demanded that Jewish children hidden in the home be surrendered. They were looking for Jewish girls around the cathedral, in the convent and in Čiobiškis: possibly somebody had informed the police. They took the girls. The nuns had managed to hide only Estera. When the lorry with the girls departed, Estera was taken to Kaišiadorys Cathedral and hidden in a room in the bell tower. Afterwards, she was running around freely in the bishop’s room. Meanwhile, the mother superior of the convent and the parish priest were called to the police in Ukmergė to account for the children. It is not known how they explained and put their case, but the children were released...
Busia Elinienė thanked Bishop Matulionis and the Benedictine sisters most sincerely for saving the lives of Estera and the other Jewish girls, and took her daughter away safe and sound. The bishop and the nuns passed away. Six lives were saved and the memory of the noble deed is alive.
From Hands Bringing Life and Bread, Volume 3,
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Vilnius, 2005
At the request of Bishop Teofilis Matulionis, Estera Elinaitė was hidden in the Benedictine convent, in the room of Sister Angėlė Misiūnaitė. Danutė and Vladimiras Zubovas took the girl in a pram across the city to the convent, while her mother followed them at some distance. Sister Angėlė said that Estera was very cheerful, with a dark complexion and beautiful. Sister Angėlė held her in her arms and told her fairy tales, and they both slept in the same room. There was a piano in the convent hall, and Estera liked to play it. Her nimble fingers pressed the keys, and all who were present could not but admire the way she played. Sister Angėlė remembered that at the moment of parting with her daughter, Estera’s mother wept bitterly and kissed the girl, and all the nuns, witnessing the scene, cried as well. The mother would bid her farewell, go, and again return and kiss the daughter. When she left, Estera wiped away her tears before long and started playing the piano, despite hardly reaching the keyboard. The same evening, when Estera was put in Sister Angėlė’s bed, the German police knocked at the door of the convent. The girl was hidden in the attic, but the Germans did not enter the convent that time and, after making some fuss, went away.
The nuns understood that it was unsafe to keep the girl with them and decided to take her to the Čiobiškis Children’s Home, which was under the aegis of the Benedictine sisters. Wrapped in a sheepskin coat like a baby doll, Estera was carried in a horse-drawn farm cart to Čiobiškis. The German police often carried out searches there as well, but the sisters managed to hide her and other Jewish girls.
Estera’s mother came when the Germans withdrew from Lithuania. She began looking for the girl at Kaišiadorys Cathedral. Bishop Matulionis told the mother that Estera was safe and sound and was living in the Čiobiškis Children’s Home. The mother was greatly moved by the bishop’s attention to her daughter when he told her about the girl’s musical skills and that they should be developed. When Busia Elinienė said that she was a music teacher, the bishop was glad to hear it and said: “That’s very good.”
Although it was already dark, the mother wanted to go to Čiobiškis, but the bishop did not let her. The following morning, she went barefoot, since her shoes were worn out. The superior of the Čiobiškis Children’s Home was glad to receive her. At that time the children were gathering berries in the forest. The nun told her that one day armed policemen had come and demanded that Jewish children hidden in the home be surrendered. They were looking for Jewish girls around the cathedral, in the convent and in Čiobiškis: possibly somebody had informed the police. They took the girls. The nuns had managed to hide only Estera. When the lorry with the girls departed, Estera was taken to Kaišiadorys Cathedral and hidden in a room in the bell tower. Afterwards, she was running around freely in the bishop’s room. Meanwhile, the mother superior of the convent and the parish priest were called to the police in Ukmergė to account for the children. It is not known how they explained and put their case, but the children were released...
Busia Elinienė thanked Bishop Matulionis and the Benedictine sisters most sincerely for saving the lives of Estera and the other Jewish girls, and took her daughter away safe and sound. The bishop and the nuns passed away. Six lives were saved and the memory of the noble deed is alive.
From Hands Bringing Life and Bread, Volume 3,
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Vilnius, 2005