The Day of Rescuers of Lithuanian Jews Was Commemorated at Vilnius University

On March 15th, for the second time, the Day of Rescuers of Lithuanian Jews was commemorated at Vilnius University (VU). In the VU’s Simonas Daukantas courtyard, politicians, representatives from the Vilnius Gaon Jewish State Museum, members of the Jewish community, relatives of rescuers, representatives of national communities and clergy, members of the VU community, and representatives of the public read out the names of individuals who saved Jewish lives.

Nearly 2,000 names of Jewish rescuers read aloud testify to the courageous acts of ordinary people during the Nazi occupation years, often risking their own and their families freedom or even lives to save others, remaining dignified and faithful to their values.

“There are over 1,500 stories of rescuers and the rescued, and their map covers the entire Lithuania. Farmers and doctors, widows and nuns, professors and maids – they were all rescued because they could not do otherwise. Rescuers shared everything with those they hid: their homes, bread, warmth, light, and faith in the victory of justice. This faith sustained them and led them from darkness to light. Resisting the brutality of the Holocaust daily, risking the lives of all family members, they wrote pages of empathy and heroism for our nation. Like everyone else, they had various choices, but they chose the most important thing – not to remain indifferent. Thus, they opened the doors of their homes, forged documents, and bribed ghetto guards. At any moment, they could have refused to save or even betrayed, but then they would have betrayed themselves, betrayed humanity, and the metaphysical belief in the victory of justice. I thank all of you who gathered today, on March 15th, Lithuania’s Day of Jewish Rescuers, to honour them. Today, the names and surnames of those who left us the brightest lesson of life, encouraging us to remember, remind, and celebrate the victory of dawn over darkness, will be read aloud. Faith in this victory is no less needed today than it was then,” said Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.

Ingrida Šimonytė

The theme of this year’s event was meetings, one of which took place today. During the event, greetings and the story of Danutė Pomerancaitė, who was once saved, were shared, and the reading of names began with representatives of the family who saved her – Kamile Rupeikaitė and her family. D. Pomerancaitė, who was saved as a baby by K. Rupeckaitė’s grandfather, was handed over to the Petrauskas family. Thanks to this gesture, today, D. Pomerancaitė was able to send greetings from the USA and thank her rescuers.

The Day of Rescuers of Lithuanian Jews was added to Lithuania’s official memorial days calendar in 2023. March 15th was chosen in memory of VU librarian Ona Šimaitė, who was honoured with the title of Righteous Among the Nations on March 15th, 1966.

“As Ona Šimaitė wrote in her diary: “Know firmly and feel deeply that every day of your life you must dedicate to the good of others, doing everything you can. Doing, not just talking.” I wish that every day, as we witness crimes incited by terrorist regimes or individuals spreading hatred, we do not remain indifferent but contribute to ensuring that goodness and humanity are not just matters of concern in words. Let’s do everything we can so that we feel not the repetitions of history but the power to preserve and create it,” said VU Rector Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas.

Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas