rescuers of jews
Saving Isakas Judelevičius
There was a building contractors’ organisation in Kaunas before the war. Isakas Judelevičius worked there as an engineer. My father asked him to command the construction of the house in Kęstučio St 52 / S. Daukanto St 8 and the hospital in V. Putvinskio St 3.
When the war started, Isakas Judelevičius came to my parents on 22 June 1941 (the very first day of the war) asking for shelter. He came without any of his things, just like he left his home. My parents gave him a place in the library. It was a big room in the corner of our apartment, quite well isolated from the others. One of its windows was looking towards Putvinskio Street and the other to the yard. The door was always locked and the curtains were down. Though our parents did not warn us, it was obvious to me and my brother Jonas that we are not allowed to tell anyone about Mr. Judelevičius. The girl who used to come and help with the housework – Akvilė Anisimenko – was told not to enter the room as it was professor’s workroom.
I remember one of the first days of war, when lots of people were at our place: relatives with their children from wooden houses in Žaliakalnis. We could hear shooting in the city. One of the Red Army soldiers was shooting from the tower of the Church of Resurrection, which was visible from our house. I happened to be at the door when two armed men wearing white armbands came. They said they needed to get into our corner room immediately and take a look through our window at the shooting machine-gun. I suddenly remembered Mr. Judelevičius was hiding there. OK, I said, I will let you in, but I need to unlock the door. I quickly ran to the corner room through our kitchen, grabbed Mr. Judelevičius by the hand and told him he had to go with me. He was scared, but I took him to the other part of the apartment and told him to be quiet. Then I closed the door. Only then I ran back to let the armed men in. They walked through the room where our relatives and their children were and into the corner room, where Mr. Judelevičius was just minutes ago. They took a look through the window and left without saying anything. I have no idea what would have happened if they had found Isakas Judelevičius. He was a very Jewish looking man. Or maybe nothing would have happened. But after everything was over Isakas Judelevičius thanked me a lot for saving him.
When the war broke out, Isakas Judelevičius didn’t stay with us for a long time. He moved to the Vilijampolė Ghetto with his family. I don’t remember exactly when he came back. Or maybe he had come more than once hiding that big yellow star on his clothes.
I think it was the winter of 1943 when he stayed with us for a longer time. As usual, he stayed in my father’s library. In the evenings, when no strangers were left in the apartment, the whole family – my father, mother, brother Jonas and me – would sit down at the round dining table for dinner. He used to tell a lot about his life in the ghetto. About how one of the first days of the war, the fascists told the Jewish intellectuals they would give them easier work in some institutions. People believed them and all of them – about 500 people – were immediately shot dead. Fortunately, Mr. Judelevičius was cautious not to admit who he was and survived. He also told us about the liquidation of the “Small ghetto” in Vilijampolė by shooting all of its inhabitants.
In early spring of 1943 – or maybe it was still winter – a well-known Kaunas barber Mr. Muralis came to our home in the evening. He tried to lighten the colour of Mr. Judelevičius hair and change his looks. Unfortunately, he did not succeed. I remember my father saying: “They are waiting for you, it is time to go”. Isakas Judelevičius said his goodbyes and left to Utena district, I believe.
Right after the front line passed, my father found a proper time to go there and look for Isakas Judelevičius. When he came back, he told us, that right before the retreat of the Germans, Isakas Judelevičius was found by the police. They took him into custody in Molėtai and later to Panevėžys prison. Fortunately, he had some kind of documents which helped him avoid death. Together with the other prisoners he was taken to Germany.
His wife Mrs. Raja Judelevičienė and their daughter managed to survive in Lithuania. After the war, they would sometimes come visit us in Kaunas. That is how we found out that Isakas Judelevičius escaped and is living in Israel. Raja was very upset because soviet authorities wouldn’t let her go to her husband. A lot of time passed before they finally reunited.
There was a building contractors’ organisation in Kaunas before the war. Isakas Judelevičius worked there as an engineer. My father asked him to command the construction of the house in Kęstučio St 52 / S. Daukanto St 8 and the hospital in V. Putvinskio St 3.
When the war started, Isakas Judelevičius came to my parents on 22 June 1941 (the very first day of the war) asking for shelter. He came without any of his things, just like he left his home. My parents gave him a place in the library. It was a big room in the corner of our apartment, quite well isolated from the others. One of its windows was looking towards Putvinskio Street and the other to the yard. The door was always locked and the curtains were down. Though our parents did not warn us, it was obvious to me and my brother Jonas that we are not allowed to tell anyone about Mr. Judelevičius. The girl who used to come and help with the housework – Akvilė Anisimenko – was told not to enter the room as it was professor’s workroom.
I remember one of the first days of war, when lots of people were at our place: relatives with their children from wooden houses in Žaliakalnis. We could hear shooting in the city. One of the Red Army soldiers was shooting from the tower of the Church of Resurrection, which was visible from our house. I happened to be at the door when two armed men wearing white armbands came. They said they needed to get into our corner room immediately and take a look through our window at the shooting machine-gun. I suddenly remembered Mr. Judelevičius was hiding there. OK, I said, I will let you in, but I need to unlock the door. I quickly ran to the corner room through our kitchen, grabbed Mr. Judelevičius by the hand and told him he had to go with me. He was scared, but I took him to the other part of the apartment and told him to be quiet. Then I closed the door. Only then I ran back to let the armed men in. They walked through the room where our relatives and their children were and into the corner room, where Mr. Judelevičius was just minutes ago. They took a look through the window and left without saying anything. I have no idea what would have happened if they had found Isakas Judelevičius. He was a very Jewish looking man. Or maybe nothing would have happened. But after everything was over Isakas Judelevičius thanked me a lot for saving him.
When the war broke out, Isakas Judelevičius didn’t stay with us for a long time. He moved to the Vilijampolė Ghetto with his family. I don’t remember exactly when he came back. Or maybe he had come more than once hiding that big yellow star on his clothes.
I think it was the winter of 1943 when he stayed with us for a longer time. As usual, he stayed in my father’s library. In the evenings, when no strangers were left in the apartment, the whole family – my father, mother, brother Jonas and me – would sit down at the round dining table for dinner. He used to tell a lot about his life in the ghetto. About how one of the first days of the war, the fascists told the Jewish intellectuals they would give them easier work in some institutions. People believed them and all of them – about 500 people – were immediately shot dead. Fortunately, Mr. Judelevičius was cautious not to admit who he was and survived. He also told us about the liquidation of the “Small ghetto” in Vilijampolė by shooting all of its inhabitants.
In early spring of 1943 – or maybe it was still winter – a well-known Kaunas barber Mr. Muralis came to our home in the evening. He tried to lighten the colour of Mr. Judelevičius hair and change his looks. Unfortunately, he did not succeed. I remember my father saying: “They are waiting for you, it is time to go”. Isakas Judelevičius said his goodbyes and left to Utena district, I believe.
Right after the front line passed, my father found a proper time to go there and look for Isakas Judelevičius. When he came back, he told us, that right before the retreat of the Germans, Isakas Judelevičius was found by the police. They took him into custody in Molėtai and later to Panevėžys prison. Fortunately, he had some kind of documents which helped him avoid death. Together with the other prisoners he was taken to Germany.
His wife Mrs. Raja Judelevičienė and their daughter managed to survive in Lithuania. After the war, they would sometimes come visit us in Kaunas. That is how we found out that Isakas Judelevičius escaped and is living in Israel. Raja was very upset because soviet authorities wouldn’t let her go to her husband. A lot of time passed before they finally reunited.