rescuers of jews
Švogžlys-Milžinas Nikodemas
Nikodemas ŠVOGŽLYS-MILŽINAS
People of different nationalities lived in the parish of Onuškis where priest N. Švogžlys worked before the war. There were some almost exclusively Polish villages among purely Lithuanian ones around Onuškis. The demarcation line, at which the clanging of weapons was a usual thing, was just a few kilometers away, and the situation in the church was rather complicated as well. However, Nikodemas Švogžlys was an experienced peacemaker. Thus there were no clashes between Lithuanians and Poles in Onuškis. In the town itself, a fairly large part of the population was Jewish. There was a synagogue in the town. It was during the war that N. Švogžlys' humanism fully manifested itself. He saved fourteen people from death. Some of them were Jews...
One day a crowd of brownshirt Hitlerites and a group of Lithuanian men in German uniforms flooded the town. Unexpectedly, all Jews of Onuškis were drivel) into the synagogue. They were told they were gathered there for forced labour. But why should women, old people, and children be driven out of their homes? – asked N. Švogžlys in his reminiscences. The Jews were kept in the synagogue for a few days. Among them was Doctor Motelis Kovalskis, highly respected by all residents of Onuskis. From the very first weeks of the occupation N.Švogžlys had been trying to obtain immunity status for Kovalskis; however, his attempts were fruitless. Several days later, the Jews were led from the synagogue, lined up, and, guarded by soldiers with dogs, driven to Trakai. Motelis Kovalskis was among them. The same night N. Švogžlys and judge Januška left for Trakai.
In Trakai we found Petras Žilionis, who was from Onuškis. He was on guard there. We told him of our wish and of the great humanist matter – to get Motelis-Motiejus Kovalskis back from the island to where the Jews were kept. The guard gave the matter some thought and agreed. We sent Kovalskis a message saying that he should take a boat with the guard and go to the opposite shore where we would wait for him. Some time later Žilionis appeared with Kovalskis. We made a solemn oath that this event would be kept secret. On the same night each of us took a different route to Onuškis. Doctor Kovalskis was saved, wrote N. Švogžlys.
Priest L. Jokūbauskas, the parson of Vytautuva, was hiding a Jewish girl who in 1944 had been given the Catholic baptismal name Verutė. When it became dangerous for her to stay in the same place, Priest L. Jokūbauskas asked N. Švogžlys for help. N. Švogžlys hid the girl in a hideout, which was prepared in the church.
We agreed to shelter the poor Jew there; she, like us, wanted to live. She had survived almost the whole war, and now the war was almost finished. We had to protect her so that she could enjoy freedom. We prepared a hideout for the Jewish girl, I brought some plates and cups and other things... Verutė stayed under my care and paternal protection.
Later N. Švogžlys provided the girl with a passport.
I stuck her photo on another person's passport. When we went to the chief of the rural district, I managed to put an old stamp on it. And Verutė, a Jew, was in possession of the official passport of Veronika, a Lithuanian. She was crying with joy.”
These noble acts have not been known for a great length of time. Now as various archives open their secrets and witnesses give first-hand evidence, the deeds of those no longer living are revealed.
From Hands Bringing Life and Bread, Volume 2,
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Vilnius, 1999
People of different nationalities lived in the parish of Onuškis where priest N. Švogžlys worked before the war. There were some almost exclusively Polish villages among purely Lithuanian ones around Onuškis. The demarcation line, at which the clanging of weapons was a usual thing, was just a few kilometers away, and the situation in the church was rather complicated as well. However, Nikodemas Švogžlys was an experienced peacemaker. Thus there were no clashes between Lithuanians and Poles in Onuškis. In the town itself, a fairly large part of the population was Jewish. There was a synagogue in the town. It was during the war that N. Švogžlys' humanism fully manifested itself. He saved fourteen people from death. Some of them were Jews...
One day a crowd of brownshirt Hitlerites and a group of Lithuanian men in German uniforms flooded the town. Unexpectedly, all Jews of Onuškis were drivel) into the synagogue. They were told they were gathered there for forced labour. But why should women, old people, and children be driven out of their homes? – asked N. Švogžlys in his reminiscences. The Jews were kept in the synagogue for a few days. Among them was Doctor Motelis Kovalskis, highly respected by all residents of Onuskis. From the very first weeks of the occupation N.Švogžlys had been trying to obtain immunity status for Kovalskis; however, his attempts were fruitless. Several days later, the Jews were led from the synagogue, lined up, and, guarded by soldiers with dogs, driven to Trakai. Motelis Kovalskis was among them. The same night N. Švogžlys and judge Januška left for Trakai.
In Trakai we found Petras Žilionis, who was from Onuškis. He was on guard there. We told him of our wish and of the great humanist matter – to get Motelis-Motiejus Kovalskis back from the island to where the Jews were kept. The guard gave the matter some thought and agreed. We sent Kovalskis a message saying that he should take a boat with the guard and go to the opposite shore where we would wait for him. Some time later Žilionis appeared with Kovalskis. We made a solemn oath that this event would be kept secret. On the same night each of us took a different route to Onuškis. Doctor Kovalskis was saved, wrote N. Švogžlys.
Priest L. Jokūbauskas, the parson of Vytautuva, was hiding a Jewish girl who in 1944 had been given the Catholic baptismal name Verutė. When it became dangerous for her to stay in the same place, Priest L. Jokūbauskas asked N. Švogžlys for help. N. Švogžlys hid the girl in a hideout, which was prepared in the church.
We agreed to shelter the poor Jew there; she, like us, wanted to live. She had survived almost the whole war, and now the war was almost finished. We had to protect her so that she could enjoy freedom. We prepared a hideout for the Jewish girl, I brought some plates and cups and other things... Verutė stayed under my care and paternal protection.
Later N. Švogžlys provided the girl with a passport.
I stuck her photo on another person's passport. When we went to the chief of the rural district, I managed to put an old stamp on it. And Verutė, a Jew, was in possession of the official passport of Veronika, a Lithuanian. She was crying with joy.”
These noble acts have not been known for a great length of time. Now as various archives open their secrets and witnesses give first-hand evidence, the deeds of those no longer living are revealed.
From Hands Bringing Life and Bread, Volume 2,
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Vilnius, 1999