Rescued Jewish Children
Immanuel Grinberg
Letter from Matas Janusauskas to Domas Jasaitis about problems between Jews and Lithuanians and the rescued Jewish boy
From: "Whoever saves one life..."
The effort to save Jews in Lithuania between 1941 and 1944,
compiled by Dalia Kuodytė and Rimantas Stankevičius
Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania 2006
Dear Compatriot,
4 April 77
Since I do not know what you know about me, I shall provide some information. From 1932 to 1936 I took a course in political economics at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas. In 1936 and 1937 I worked at the Bank of Lithuania in Kybartai, and later in Kaunas. As I have always been anti-fascist, under the Soviets I was
appointed, against my will, to senior positions (if necessary I could give more interesting facts about those circumstances), which gave me the chance to get a profound insight into Lithuanian-Jewish relations. Though I did no harm to anybody during the Bolshevik
period, when the Germans came a certain element started to persecute me. After losing my job, I worked as chief accountant for one of the nationalised factories. Later, after the Germans took over the factory, I was appointed director; however, my persecution went on, and thanks to good friends and with the German authorities interceding for me, I managed to avoid anything worse, though I was surrounded by spies at the factory.
I tried to remain impartial in Lithuanian-Jewish relations, and I viewed the historical, social, political, religious and other circumstances from an academic point of view. Perhaps this is why I keep apart from Lithuanians. Now, as in the past, I have good reason to avoid people I do not know or cannot trust. However, this is a subject for another time; now, I am coming back to the subject in question.
I am enclosing information about a child saved by my family. I mentioned in my first letter that I had already written about my activities in [...word is illegible], which was published as a part of the article "Lithuanians in the Struggle for the Freedom of the Jews" (Naujienos, 21-27 April 1948). I have to add that I was not sent the article – I learned about it accidentally through a third person. Also, an article was published in the St Louis Star-Times (December 1944-1945, page 35, and 17 December 1945, page 15). The information in it was provided by Dr. Grinbergas and was somewhat distorted (perhaps by the journalist).
At the beginning of 1943 a group of Jews started working at the factory. Their leader was Dr. Zalmanas Grinbergas. One dark November evening my wife and I went to the barbed wire fence of the ghetto and took Dr. Grinbergas' two-year-old son, Imanuelis. Some months later, after the situation had become less tense, the parents decided to take the child back.
In March 1944, all of a sudden, the "Children's Action" was carried out in Kaunas. Some children, including Dr. Grinbergas' son, were hidden. The following day, on his way to work. Dr. Grinbergas brought the child back to us. In July, when I fled Lithuania, I took the child with me, pretending he was my first cousin (I had his birthcertificate).
In April 1945 I found myself in Swabia, where I stayed till the end of the war. In July I learned that an UNRRA division had been set up in the town of Biberach, and went there immediately to ask them to send news about the child to his relatives in Canada and
Palestine. In August, with the help of UNRRA, I managed to find the child's father, who was director of the former German military hospital where former "kacetniks" were treated. The following day we went to my place to collect the child and my family. I worked in
the administration of the St Ottilien hospital until 1948. The child's mother was liberated by the Soviets in East Prussia. At the beginning of 1945, after spending some time in a convalescent home, she was allowed to return to Kaunas, where she learned that her husband was alive and had their son. At the end of 1945 she arrived in
St Ottilien.
At the beginning of 1946 the mother and son left for Palestine (still under British rule) where the boy fell ill with leukaemia. The father hurried to Palestine; however, the child died soon afterwards and the father wrote to us that our name (?) was inscribed on his tombstone as people who had saved him. As far as I know, his parents are divorced and both live in the USA; however, I am not in touch with them.
That is the story in brief. I have omitted the details. If you are interested, I could describe everything in detail; however, I doubt it is necessary for the book.
Also, it should be mentioned that Dr Grinbergas was head (president) of the Jewish Society of Liberated Former Political and Racial Prisoners. In 1945 he was flown by US military plane to the USA and made a great career there, but this is also another issue.
I am enclosing three photos; however, I kindly ask you to return them to me.
Doctor S. Atlasas moved to New York, and you can find out about him through the Jewish Institute of Religion.
I have lost Dr. Z. Grinbergas' official letter of thanks and other documents. If you are not able to obtain them I shall make a copy of the material available.
As for your enquiries and conclusions, I can say the following: the former inhabitants of Kybartai who lived in the camp for displaced persons near Augsburg told me about the fate of Dr. Kaganskis in 1948. They mentioned the names of Jews that I knew; however. Dr. Kaganskis' fate made the deepest impression on me. I should also mention that I heard it again when living in Australia. Here is another fact: when I was in the camp for displaced persons, an inhabitant of Kybartai, L. Ab., gave me a letter written to him by Dr. Z. in which he asked Ab. to make a "sworn declaration" through the IRO that Dr. Z. had not participated in murdering Jews, but on the contrary, helped them a lot. He wrote that he needed that document badly to submit it to the local authorities, because otherwise he was going to have a lot of trouble. When I asked Ab. what he was going to do, the latter smiled and said that he did not intend to make a false declaration, and it was better not to answer the letter at all. Since soon after that I emigrated, I know nothing more about it.
I was told about Captain Šimkus in 1951 by a certain R.S., who used to take pride in his relations with the Kaunas and Vilnius SD and the Gestapo (some people accused him of doing much harm to the Lithuanians). I do not remember him mentioning the first name of S. or speaking about his fate. I only formed the impression that he ha come to Australia under another name. I assume it is the same person about whom people in Kaunas spoke in 1941. He was an air force captain, was imprisoned by Smetona for supporting Voldemaras, and later worked as a cashier for the Bank of Lithuania. However, this is only a guess.
It seems to me that you won't be able to "bring at least one old man back to life from the grave and hear at least a word about old times", and you will not be a success because, as I mentioned before, I am somewhat distanced from the Lithuanian community and have never read the material you referred to. If it is not too much trouble, could you kindly send me Masinės žydų žudynės Lietuvoje.1 Perhaps I could add something or provide some explanations. For example, I am interested in the material about the Seventh Fort and its commandant (I do not remember his name). I have positive and negative information about him from the survivors.
Though I am retired now and my income is limited, I promise to cover all expenses.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
[Signed:]M. Janusauskas
From GRRCL archives: original, handwritten
1. The Massacre of the Jews in Lithuania.
From: "Whoever saves one life..."
The effort to save Jews in Lithuania between 1941 and 1944,
compiled by Dalia Kuodytė and Rimantas Stankevičius
Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania 2006
Dear Compatriot,
4 April 77
Since I do not know what you know about me, I shall provide some information. From 1932 to 1936 I took a course in political economics at Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas. In 1936 and 1937 I worked at the Bank of Lithuania in Kybartai, and later in Kaunas. As I have always been anti-fascist, under the Soviets I was
appointed, against my will, to senior positions (if necessary I could give more interesting facts about those circumstances), which gave me the chance to get a profound insight into Lithuanian-Jewish relations. Though I did no harm to anybody during the Bolshevik
period, when the Germans came a certain element started to persecute me. After losing my job, I worked as chief accountant for one of the nationalised factories. Later, after the Germans took over the factory, I was appointed director; however, my persecution went on, and thanks to good friends and with the German authorities interceding for me, I managed to avoid anything worse, though I was surrounded by spies at the factory.
I tried to remain impartial in Lithuanian-Jewish relations, and I viewed the historical, social, political, religious and other circumstances from an academic point of view. Perhaps this is why I keep apart from Lithuanians. Now, as in the past, I have good reason to avoid people I do not know or cannot trust. However, this is a subject for another time; now, I am coming back to the subject in question.
I am enclosing information about a child saved by my family. I mentioned in my first letter that I had already written about my activities in [...word is illegible], which was published as a part of the article "Lithuanians in the Struggle for the Freedom of the Jews" (Naujienos, 21-27 April 1948). I have to add that I was not sent the article – I learned about it accidentally through a third person. Also, an article was published in the St Louis Star-Times (December 1944-1945, page 35, and 17 December 1945, page 15). The information in it was provided by Dr. Grinbergas and was somewhat distorted (perhaps by the journalist).
At the beginning of 1943 a group of Jews started working at the factory. Their leader was Dr. Zalmanas Grinbergas. One dark November evening my wife and I went to the barbed wire fence of the ghetto and took Dr. Grinbergas' two-year-old son, Imanuelis. Some months later, after the situation had become less tense, the parents decided to take the child back.
In March 1944, all of a sudden, the "Children's Action" was carried out in Kaunas. Some children, including Dr. Grinbergas' son, were hidden. The following day, on his way to work. Dr. Grinbergas brought the child back to us. In July, when I fled Lithuania, I took the child with me, pretending he was my first cousin (I had his birthcertificate).
In April 1945 I found myself in Swabia, where I stayed till the end of the war. In July I learned that an UNRRA division had been set up in the town of Biberach, and went there immediately to ask them to send news about the child to his relatives in Canada and
Palestine. In August, with the help of UNRRA, I managed to find the child's father, who was director of the former German military hospital where former "kacetniks" were treated. The following day we went to my place to collect the child and my family. I worked in
the administration of the St Ottilien hospital until 1948. The child's mother was liberated by the Soviets in East Prussia. At the beginning of 1945, after spending some time in a convalescent home, she was allowed to return to Kaunas, where she learned that her husband was alive and had their son. At the end of 1945 she arrived in
St Ottilien.
At the beginning of 1946 the mother and son left for Palestine (still under British rule) where the boy fell ill with leukaemia. The father hurried to Palestine; however, the child died soon afterwards and the father wrote to us that our name (?) was inscribed on his tombstone as people who had saved him. As far as I know, his parents are divorced and both live in the USA; however, I am not in touch with them.
That is the story in brief. I have omitted the details. If you are interested, I could describe everything in detail; however, I doubt it is necessary for the book.
Also, it should be mentioned that Dr Grinbergas was head (president) of the Jewish Society of Liberated Former Political and Racial Prisoners. In 1945 he was flown by US military plane to the USA and made a great career there, but this is also another issue.
I am enclosing three photos; however, I kindly ask you to return them to me.
Doctor S. Atlasas moved to New York, and you can find out about him through the Jewish Institute of Religion.
I have lost Dr. Z. Grinbergas' official letter of thanks and other documents. If you are not able to obtain them I shall make a copy of the material available.
As for your enquiries and conclusions, I can say the following: the former inhabitants of Kybartai who lived in the camp for displaced persons near Augsburg told me about the fate of Dr. Kaganskis in 1948. They mentioned the names of Jews that I knew; however. Dr. Kaganskis' fate made the deepest impression on me. I should also mention that I heard it again when living in Australia. Here is another fact: when I was in the camp for displaced persons, an inhabitant of Kybartai, L. Ab., gave me a letter written to him by Dr. Z. in which he asked Ab. to make a "sworn declaration" through the IRO that Dr. Z. had not participated in murdering Jews, but on the contrary, helped them a lot. He wrote that he needed that document badly to submit it to the local authorities, because otherwise he was going to have a lot of trouble. When I asked Ab. what he was going to do, the latter smiled and said that he did not intend to make a false declaration, and it was better not to answer the letter at all. Since soon after that I emigrated, I know nothing more about it.
I was told about Captain Šimkus in 1951 by a certain R.S., who used to take pride in his relations with the Kaunas and Vilnius SD and the Gestapo (some people accused him of doing much harm to the Lithuanians). I do not remember him mentioning the first name of S. or speaking about his fate. I only formed the impression that he ha come to Australia under another name. I assume it is the same person about whom people in Kaunas spoke in 1941. He was an air force captain, was imprisoned by Smetona for supporting Voldemaras, and later worked as a cashier for the Bank of Lithuania. However, this is only a guess.
It seems to me that you won't be able to "bring at least one old man back to life from the grave and hear at least a word about old times", and you will not be a success because, as I mentioned before, I am somewhat distanced from the Lithuanian community and have never read the material you referred to. If it is not too much trouble, could you kindly send me Masinės žydų žudynės Lietuvoje.1 Perhaps I could add something or provide some explanations. For example, I am interested in the material about the Seventh Fort and its commandant (I do not remember his name). I have positive and negative information about him from the survivors.
Though I am retired now and my income is limited, I promise to cover all expenses.
Looking forward to hearing from you.
[Signed:]M. Janusauskas
From GRRCL archives: original, handwritten
1. The Massacre of the Jews in Lithuania.