rescuers of jews
Vocelka Pranas
PRANAS VOCELKA
When it became quite clear that all the Kaunas ghetto inhabitants were destined to die and that something had to be done without delay, Pranas Vocelka, a Czech, managed to take from ghetto his wife Feiga and 3 children Maria, Zofia and Juozas, and a small girl Juliana Zarchi. The last was entrusted to her grandmother. At the beginning, Vocelka’s family found refuge with acquaintances. Afterwards, the Vocelkas rented a flat, which could hardly be called a flat. It was a place absolutely hidden from the eyes of the police, since it had neither an entrance nor windows. It consisted of two rooms located behind the laundry of another flat; there was only one small window, facing a high blind wall, and a light had to burn inside all day long. There Vocelka settled his children, and several months later his wife, too. He did not register the children with the police, and they did not go to school.
Pranas Vocelka maintained close touch with the Kaunas Ghetto prisoners and the rescuers of Jews. He was a frequent guest at Elena Holcmanienė’s home. Pranas Vocelka was a “specialist”, who prepared fake documents for the Jews. He did it particularly skillfully and helped to rescue many people among them there were Rozalija Osipavičienė (Chaitinaitė) and her daughter Zofija (now Karkazienė).
After the Children’s Action in March 1944, Pesach Joselevich and his sister Chana were smuggled out of the ghetto. A group of typographers Pranas Vocelka, Julija Vitkauskienė, Mikas Lukauskas, his wife Elena and other honest people participated in this rescue operation.
When it became quite clear that all the Kaunas ghetto inhabitants were destined to die and that something had to be done without delay, Pranas Vocelka, a Czech, managed to take from ghetto his wife Feiga and 3 children Maria, Zofia and Juozas, and a small girl Juliana Zarchi. The last was entrusted to her grandmother. At the beginning, Vocelka’s family found refuge with acquaintances. Afterwards, the Vocelkas rented a flat, which could hardly be called a flat. It was a place absolutely hidden from the eyes of the police, since it had neither an entrance nor windows. It consisted of two rooms located behind the laundry of another flat; there was only one small window, facing a high blind wall, and a light had to burn inside all day long. There Vocelka settled his children, and several months later his wife, too. He did not register the children with the police, and they did not go to school.
Pranas Vocelka maintained close touch with the Kaunas Ghetto prisoners and the rescuers of Jews. He was a frequent guest at Elena Holcmanienė’s home. Pranas Vocelka was a “specialist”, who prepared fake documents for the Jews. He did it particularly skillfully and helped to rescue many people among them there were Rozalija Osipavičienė (Chaitinaitė) and her daughter Zofija (now Karkazienė).
After the Children’s Action in March 1944, Pesach Joselevich and his sister Chana were smuggled out of the ghetto. A group of typographers Pranas Vocelka, Julija Vitkauskienė, Mikas Lukauskas, his wife Elena and other honest people participated in this rescue operation.