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Thirteen people who granted the title of Righteous among the Nations are already dead and rest 3 people are old-timer. However, to evaluate their merits and to honor them many respectable people gathered on Tuesday. “With their courageous and noble action they were saving not only persecuted Jews, they were also saving human’s dignity that was lost during the Holocaust”, - said Mr. Chenas Ivri, the ambassador of Israel for Lithuania and Latvia.

                                                                               

 

Mr. Petras Surkys who took the award of his mother Viktorija Surkienė (Kalendraitė) stressed that in these days it is still important to learn from the stories of Righteous among the Nations. “Now we live in a very difficult world of fairy-tale and the time came to the new generation to learn the tolerance lessons that we experienced ourselves”, - he said.

International Commission for the Evaluation of the Crimes of the Nazi and Soviet Occupation Regimes in Lithuania organizes these ceremonies from 2005 and maintain the tradition to involve the schools’ communities. When the pupils are involved in the ceremony of such awards they can understand their countries’ history better and the abstract events also numbers become the concrete history and drama in their consciousness.  


“Behind the wall of numbers they see the particular faces of victims, executioner, observer as well as the rescuers We have to know and to remember these faces”, - in the award ceremony said Mr. Ronaldas Račinskas, the Executive Director of the International Historical Commission.

The stories of rescuers show the especially difficult destiny of noble Lithuanian people during Nazi and soviet occupation periods. The spirit of humane the righteous wasn’t acceptable for any of these regimes. “It is not surprised that most of those who resisted to Nazis finished in Siberia; the same destiny happened to the family of Andrejus Kalendra and today Mrs. Morta Jakutienė Kalendraitė got the title because she took the risk and saved Jews”, - said Ronaldas Račinskas.

 
In the ceremony this year also participated Mr. Isaac Herzog, the minister of Israel of Welfare and Social Services as well as the delegation of “Litvakai” that is visiting Lithuania. The titles were given by Mr. Chenas Ivri, the ambassador of Israel for Lithuania and Latvia.

 
This year the awards for Righteous among the Nations were organized by the International Historical Commission together with the Embassy of Israel, the Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum and the Jewish community of Lithuania.  
 
Threat of death to the Righteous among the Nations

In Lithuania Righteous among the Nations was in a high risk however they decided to rescue the Jews lives. For such a help the death threatened not only to the rescuers, but also for his or her family. Having in mind that the circumstances of saving the Jews in Lithuania were complicated, the number of the Righteous among the Nations in Lithuania is quite solid – comparing to such a large country as Russia, this number is six times bigger.

 

 

For a long time the remarkable exploits of the Righteous in Lithuania were concealed. Yad Vashem in Israel, the Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority started granting the title since 1953. However people who rescued Jews stopped hiding this fact after 1990 when Lithuania got its independence. Just at that time Jews who survived Holocaust could start looking for the Righteous. This is just one of the facts showing that if Lithuania wasn’t occupied, the number of Lithuanian Righteous among the Nations would be more even bigger.

 

 

The Righteous among the Nations are recognized those people who risked their lives without looking for reward to rescue Jews during the Second World War. The evidences for granting person the Righteous among the Nations are being searched when the Jew or his/her child or relatives who were rescued appeals.

A person who is recognized as Righteous among the Nations is awarded a medal bearing his name, a certificate of honor, and the privilege of having his name added to those on the Wall of Honor in the Garden of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem. Lithuania has its own area in the Avenue of the Righteous among the Nations in Yad. The trees that have Lithuanian name grow in this Avenue.

  

Lithuanians who were recognized as Righteous among the Nations this year:

 

Mr. Kalendra Andrejus (1885-1952)

Mrs. Kalendrienė Monika (1890-1962)

Mrs. Jakutienė (Kalendraitė) Morta (gim. 1927)

Mrs. Surkienė (Kalendraitė) Viktorija (1916-2004)

Mrs. Levinskienė (Kalendraitė) Zofija (gim. 1928)

Mrs. Garbačiauskienė Marijona (1893-1962)

Mr. Garbačiauskas Steponas (1880-1966)

Mrs. Plekavičienė Joana (1887-1962)

Mr. Plekavičius Antanas (1885-1963)

Mr. Jakas Povilas (1908-1968)

Mrs. Mikszta Ana (1902-1988)

Mr. Mikszta Piotr (1905-1985)

Mrs. Stankevičienė Antanina (1895-1957)

Mr. Stankevičius Stanislovas (1908-1978)

Mrs. Stulpinienė Joana (gim. 1921)

Mr. Stulpinas Jonas (1915-1992)

Mr. Chenas Ivri, the ambassador of Israel for Lithuania and Latvia thanked to the International Historical Commission for organizing the ceremony to award the Righteous among the Nations, also thanked to pupils and teachers of Viršuliškių secondary school for participating in this project. The ambassador also stressed that he appreciate the work of the International Historical Commission in the field of Holocaust researches, especially in the topic of education - to arrange trainings for teachers and the work of Tolerance education centers at schools. “The collaboration that started in 2005 between the embassy and the International Historical Commission continues, for example, arranging the award ceremonies of Righteous among the Nations where pupils and teachers participate”, - he said.