Rescuers of Jews
Drupas Vladas
Vladas DRUPAS
In the war years in Šiauliai, he took care of and helped to hide the Jews who escaped from the ghetto: Ester Begin, Mina and Leo Remen and their little son, Senya Kozlovsky, Haviva Ziv. At present Ester Begin and Leo Remen reside in the USA, Sonya and Haviva – in Israel.
When the war broke out, Vladas Drupas studied at the Siauliai gymnasium. He was only 19 years old.
People marked with the yellow Star of David appeared in the streets of the town. They were forbidden to walk on pavements.
The young man had to decide how to live, and Vladas Drupas chose the road where dangers were looming and each careless step was measured in the price of life. He rescued children of the Šiauliai Ghetto.
Children Action was carried out in the ghetto on 5 November 1943. Hundreds of children were poisoned in locked cars and buried in a pit beyond the edge of town. Fortunately, Haviva Ziv and other children managed to hide in the cellar of an abandoned house and thus survived. Although the Germans promised not to touch children any more, nobody believed them. People in the ghetto knew that farmers from the surrounding villages were hiding Jewish children. But how were these people to be found? Vladas Drupas, a gymnasium student, helped them. He took the ghetto children to ordinary village people where they found shelter and felt safe. Many children were fortunate enough to get false baptism certificates. In wartime, good and evil very often walk side by side.
Ten years ago, in Israel, Vladas Drupas met those whom he had rescued. He was received with honour in the Knesset, and a tree has been planted in his honour in the Avenue of Righteous.
From Hands Bringing Life and Bread, Volume 1,
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Vilnius, 1997
In the war years in Šiauliai, he took care of and helped to hide the Jews who escaped from the ghetto: Ester Begin, Mina and Leo Remen and their little son, Senya Kozlovsky, Haviva Ziv. At present Ester Begin and Leo Remen reside in the USA, Sonya and Haviva – in Israel.
When the war broke out, Vladas Drupas studied at the Siauliai gymnasium. He was only 19 years old.
People marked with the yellow Star of David appeared in the streets of the town. They were forbidden to walk on pavements.
The young man had to decide how to live, and Vladas Drupas chose the road where dangers were looming and each careless step was measured in the price of life. He rescued children of the Šiauliai Ghetto.
Children Action was carried out in the ghetto on 5 November 1943. Hundreds of children were poisoned in locked cars and buried in a pit beyond the edge of town. Fortunately, Haviva Ziv and other children managed to hide in the cellar of an abandoned house and thus survived. Although the Germans promised not to touch children any more, nobody believed them. People in the ghetto knew that farmers from the surrounding villages were hiding Jewish children. But how were these people to be found? Vladas Drupas, a gymnasium student, helped them. He took the ghetto children to ordinary village people where they found shelter and felt safe. Many children were fortunate enough to get false baptism certificates. In wartime, good and evil very often walk side by side.
Ten years ago, in Israel, Vladas Drupas met those whom he had rescued. He was received with honour in the Knesset, and a tree has been planted in his honour in the Avenue of Righteous.
From Hands Bringing Life and Bread, Volume 1,
The Vilna Gaon State Jewish Museum. Vilnius, 1997