rescuers of jews
Stonkienė Marijona
NORBUTIENĖ ONA
MARIJONA & POVILAS STONKUS
ZOSĖ STONKUTĖ-SKIERIENĖ
Edmundas Ruvinas Zeligmanas was born on February 25, 1931 in the family of a cantor, who lived in Šilalė. The Germans occupied Šilalė on June 23, 1941. The Jews of Šilalė had been aware of the genocide carried out by the Nazis and made attempts to run away, but very few families managed to escape. The Germans started the executions.
On July 7, 1941 more than one hundred men and teenage boys had been driven to the synagogue and locked there. At night the guards started to throw shells through the windows and most of the people inside got killed. Those who remained alive had been killed the day after. Standing near the death pit, Edmundas saw how his beloved father was falling into the pit. In the turmoil Edmundas managed to run away and returned to Šilalė, where women and children stayed. By mere miracle Edmundas managed to avoid other executions, when women and children were shot in Tubinės forest and when Jews were driven from Telšiai ghetto to murder pits.
Having spent several nights in the forest, Edmundas reached Šilalė and knocked on the window of the house of his well-known neighbours – the Lašaitis family. The neighbours had been terrified by the boy’s story. They took care of him and gave him food. Edmundas could have been easily discovered at his neighbours, therefore, he was taken to Ona Norbutienė, who lived in Jokubaičiai village, 5 kilometers away from Šilalė. Edmundas was forced to hide in a very cold barn. Very seldom he was able to go out in the clothes of Ona Norbutiene’s son Povilas. Edmundas was not able to go out often, because the house was located near the road, where the Germans used to drive quite often. Later Ona Norbutienė agreed with her sister Marijona and her husband Povilas Stonkus, who lived in Žvingiai, that they would take the boy to their house. At the Stonkus Edmundas “lived” in the rye field during summer time and in spring and autumn he was hiding under the Šilalė. In October 1944 the Germans left Žvingiai. Having spent 3 long and difficult years in the hiding place, Edmundas managed to survive until the liberation. Edmundas’ mother died before the war; his father, two brothers and sister had been shot. After the war Edmundas lived with Pranas Simutis and his sister, who lived not far from Šilalė. They accepted Edmundas as their own son. Living in their family, Edmundas graduated in 1951 the gymnasium and then the faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Vilnius University.
MARIJONA & POVILAS STONKUS
ZOSĖ STONKUTĖ-SKIERIENĖ
Edmundas Ruvinas Zeligmanas was born on February 25, 1931 in the family of a cantor, who lived in Šilalė. The Germans occupied Šilalė on June 23, 1941. The Jews of Šilalė had been aware of the genocide carried out by the Nazis and made attempts to run away, but very few families managed to escape. The Germans started the executions.
On July 7, 1941 more than one hundred men and teenage boys had been driven to the synagogue and locked there. At night the guards started to throw shells through the windows and most of the people inside got killed. Those who remained alive had been killed the day after. Standing near the death pit, Edmundas saw how his beloved father was falling into the pit. In the turmoil Edmundas managed to run away and returned to Šilalė, where women and children stayed. By mere miracle Edmundas managed to avoid other executions, when women and children were shot in Tubinės forest and when Jews were driven from Telšiai ghetto to murder pits.
Having spent several nights in the forest, Edmundas reached Šilalė and knocked on the window of the house of his well-known neighbours – the Lašaitis family. The neighbours had been terrified by the boy’s story. They took care of him and gave him food. Edmundas could have been easily discovered at his neighbours, therefore, he was taken to Ona Norbutienė, who lived in Jokubaičiai village, 5 kilometers away from Šilalė. Edmundas was forced to hide in a very cold barn. Very seldom he was able to go out in the clothes of Ona Norbutiene’s son Povilas. Edmundas was not able to go out often, because the house was located near the road, where the Germans used to drive quite often. Later Ona Norbutienė agreed with her sister Marijona and her husband Povilas Stonkus, who lived in Žvingiai, that they would take the boy to their house. At the Stonkus Edmundas “lived” in the rye field during summer time and in spring and autumn he was hiding under the Šilalė. In October 1944 the Germans left Žvingiai. Having spent 3 long and difficult years in the hiding place, Edmundas managed to survive until the liberation. Edmundas’ mother died before the war; his father, two brothers and sister had been shot. After the war Edmundas lived with Pranas Simutis and his sister, who lived not far from Šilalė. They accepted Edmundas as their own son. Living in their family, Edmundas graduated in 1951 the gymnasium and then the faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the Vilnius University.