rescuers of jews
Šleževičienė Uršulė
“It would be horrible, if the Nazis burned my wife and my children. But your children are being burnt as well. I can not turn you away to die.” / Vladas Šleževičius
Vladas ŠLEŽEVIČIUS (1912–1993) Uršulė ŠLEŽEVIČIENĖ (1912–2000)
For some time, Rachel and her mother-in-law hid at Vladas Šleževičius in Labūnava village not far from Užventis. 20 people who had escaped from the ghetto found shelter in his hideouts. Partisans would stay overnight in his home too. The police found out about his activities but could not find the hideouts. Policemen threatened to burn Šleževičius together with his children. The farmer said to the fugitives he was taking care of: “It would be horrible, if the Nazis burned my wife and my children. But your children are being burnt as well. I can not turn you away to die.”
Šleževičius taught his children to love people and hate fascists. Once a hitman Vilius Radavičius came to the house (he fled to the USA at the end of the war), while Rachel Kacev and her mother-in-law were in one of the rooms. When they heard an unfamiliar voice, they hid under the bed. The little Kaziukas realised the danger and lowered the blanket to the floor so the hitman could not see the hiding women. The thug entered the room and sat just beside the bed. Rachel watched his boots in terror. Janytė who was two years old started looking for the missing ‘auntie’. Kaziukas took her outside immediately and soon came back shouting:
“Father, the cow has escaped!”
Father ran outside. The policeman also left. When the hitman was away, Kaziukas said to his father:
“I made it up to dispose of that lizard. The ladies are under the bed.” “Unarmed Fighters”, editor S. Binkienė, Vilnius, 1967
Vladas ŠLEŽEVIČIUS (1912–1993) Uršulė ŠLEŽEVIČIENĖ (1912–2000)
For some time, Rachel and her mother-in-law hid at Vladas Šleževičius in Labūnava village not far from Užventis. 20 people who had escaped from the ghetto found shelter in his hideouts. Partisans would stay overnight in his home too. The police found out about his activities but could not find the hideouts. Policemen threatened to burn Šleževičius together with his children. The farmer said to the fugitives he was taking care of: “It would be horrible, if the Nazis burned my wife and my children. But your children are being burnt as well. I can not turn you away to die.”
Šleževičius taught his children to love people and hate fascists. Once a hitman Vilius Radavičius came to the house (he fled to the USA at the end of the war), while Rachel Kacev and her mother-in-law were in one of the rooms. When they heard an unfamiliar voice, they hid under the bed. The little Kaziukas realised the danger and lowered the blanket to the floor so the hitman could not see the hiding women. The thug entered the room and sat just beside the bed. Rachel watched his boots in terror. Janytė who was two years old started looking for the missing ‘auntie’. Kaziukas took her outside immediately and soon came back shouting:
“Father, the cow has escaped!”
Father ran outside. The policeman also left. When the hitman was away, Kaziukas said to his father:
“I made it up to dispose of that lizard. The ladies are under the bed.” “Unarmed Fighters”, editor S. Binkienė, Vilnius, 1967