Memoirs of Reuben Ruch - Other Photos

Young men from Rokiskis, who joined the Soviet Army as soldiers fighting against the Nazis.

From left to right: Shleima Kagan, Meyr Kark, Boruch Kruk, Leizer Shafir, Aba Eidelson.

Judith Zakshtein

Judith was my classmate. Before graduation the two best students from the whole school were allowed to go to the Young Pioneer camp on the beach of the Baltic Sea in Palanga (well-known resort) as a reward from the principal. This camp was organized by the Soviets for the first time for children. I wanted to go so badly, but they chose Judith Zakshtein and Abraham Ginsburg. Another girl, Shoshana, and I were supposed to go for the second shift beginning in June, 1941. On the first day of the war, a Sunday, the Nazis started to bomb the camp. Everybody was shocked; people panicked. The pioneer leaders ran away. Somehow Judith managed to get to Ponevezh without any money or documents on her. There she met her savior, the pastor of the local church, Antonas Kubis. He changed her name to Litay. She served in the church for four years. She had blond hair and spoke perfect Lithuanian. All the parishioners knew she was Jewish but none of them said a word. The pastor had an authority to him that would not allow them to denounce her.

At the end of the war Antonas thought Litay should be reunited with her Jewish people, so he brought her to the Jewish community of Vilnius and told them her story. He was named a “Righteous Gentile” after the war.

Judith stayed in Vilnius. In 1955 she got married. She had 2 wonderful, talented children, a boy and a girl. But she became very ill and depressed. In 1965 Judith Zakshtein died.