Below are brief bios of the ten narrators who shared their life experiences with
us. At the exhibition, you will have an opportunity to learn more about them
through their words, their voices, personal artifacts, photos and documents.
Berl is a widower who lives alone. He lost his sight in later life due to diabetes.
He was born in Nemaksht (today Nemaksciai) in Lithuania in 1924. He comes
from a religious lineage: his grandfather, great-grandfather and great-grand
uncle were rabbis. He lost most of his family during the war; his aunt, cousin
and grandmother were the only survivors. During the war, he was a soldier in
the Red Army with the Lithuanian 16th Division. For this, he has been decorated
with the highest honor bestowed by the Soviet Army, the Order of the Patriotic
War First Class.
Cholem thought the end was near when his family was relocated to Kaunas
ghetto. “I thought my heart would stop,” he says. His elder brother had been
killed shortly before this. However, against all odds, he survived. He witnessed
the event known as the ‘Big Action’ at the Kaunas Ninth Fort, where 9,000 men,
women and children were massacred. He survived the Dachau concentration
camp along with his father. In 2002, he received confirmation that his mother
was killed at Stutthof concentration camp. Despite his experiences, Cholem
has a cheery disposition. He derives much pride and joy from his wood
sculptures which have been displayed at several exhibitions.
Gita lost her entire family during the war, save for an aunt and grandmother. She
was born in Glubokoe, Belarus. On the night her ghetto was liquidated, she hid
in the basement with other apartment residents while her parents acted as
lookouts. She later fled to the fields with fellow survivors. She ended up in a
partisan stronghold and remained there until the end of the war. Upon
liberation, she returned to her village to search for relatives and friends. She
remained there for several years and worked as a nurse at the local hospital.
Later, she relocated to Vilnius where she married and raised her children.
Isroel was only a few years old when his family attempted to escape Minsk as
the bombings began. In the ensuing chaos, his family was separated; his father
joined the Red Army, his mother was captured, while he and his twin brother
were taken in by an aunt. His mother was interned at Minsk ghetto until 1943 but
later escaped. At the end of the war, his family was reunited and eventually
relocated to Vilnius. In his later life, Isroel became deeply religious. In
embracing Judaism and teaching himself to read Hebrew, he has come to take
pride in his heritage and culture. He is a widower and spends most of his time
volunteering at the Choral Synagogue.
Josef was born in Ukraine. When he was five, his parents relocated to their
family shtetl of Veiseijai in Lithuania. When the war broke out, Josef and his
brother enlisted with the Lithuanian division of the Red Army. While in service,
he learned of the mass massacres taking place in his home town. However,
this did not prepare him for the wave of emotion that swept him when
confronted with the realities of what occurred. Josef vowed that what had
happened would be made known. He has dedicated more than 20 years of his
life to commemorating the Holocaust. His painstaking research led to him
participate in a government initiative to memorialise more than 200 massacre
sites in Lithuania; he is the author of Shoah: Holocaust in Lithuania and
Skausma Knyga: The Book of Sorrows.
Chasia is a widow and has a son and a daughter from a second marriage.
Shortly after the war broke out, Chasia was interned at Vilna ghetto along with
her husband, Boris Fridman, their five-month-old son and her husband’s family.
Boris escaped and became a partisan. Chasia took a similar route later, though
by then, Boris had been killed. Today, she volunteers her time at the Jewish
Community Centre in Vilnius. She says that this gives her great joy. It also
brings back fond memories, for the centre is located in the same building
where she spent her school years.
Margarita was originally from Minsk, Belarus. On the eve of the war, she was a
schoolteacher while her husband, the school principal, was conscripted into the
Red Army. Their daughter was then two-and-a-half-months old. When the
progroms began, Margarita found herself marching in a column along with her
family members. Convinced that they were to be shot, she escaped into the
street with her daughter. She wandered from village to village for work and food,
and asking for help ‘in the name of Christ.’ She eventually found her way into
Vilnius at the end of the war with her daughter, remarried and had more
children. She says she is proud that her children have spouses of different
nationalites; for all nationalities are equal and that the most important thing to
uphold is honesty.
Fania works part time as a librarian at the Yiddish Vilnius Institute and also as
deputy chairperson at the office of camp and ghetto survivors at the Jewish
Community Centre. Before the war, her father was an electrical engineer and
also a college lecturer, her mother was a homemaker, while she and her sister
were students. Shortly after the war broke out, her family was interned at Vilna
ghetto. While there she became involved in the partisan resistance movement
and eventually escaped to join the partisan forces in the forests. She actively
propagates the story of the Holocaust and has directed visitors and foreign
emissaries on tours of the partisan fort and massacre sites. She is determined
to commemorate the memory of the Holocaust on behalf of “those who are
dead and cannot stand up (to tell their story).”
Dora was a recent newly wed when the war broke out and she was three
months pregnant. At the time, she lived in Ziezmariai and worked as a
seamstress. She remembers the pre-war days fondly. Her grandfather was a
rabbi and her family was religious. She recalls that her childhood was filled with
love and warmth, despite the lack of material possessions and where “reading
and culture” were common pastimes for her, her seven brothers and two
sisters. When the war began, she says her first thought then was: “I have to run,
run, run.” She escaped to Russia for the duration of the war. She and a brother
are the only survivors from her family. She is an avid painter and has
documented her memories through watercolour paintings and pencil sketches,
some of which will be featured in this exhibition.
Rachel is the indefatigable deputy director of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State
Museum. She has dedicated her life to ensuring that the message “never
again” reverberates constantly and incessantly -- lest the world forgets. When
the Nazi invasion began, her family fled to Russia. For the remaining duration of
the war, Rachel found herself in a Russian orphanage. Despite the
suppression of cultural heritage during the Soviet times, Rachel’s pride in her
roots remain strong. Her parents had been Yiddish teachers and had instilled
within her a love for the language and the Jewish culture. She is passionate
about her work because she views it as: “to fight for being Jewish, for the right to
be Jewish and for not forgetting (the) genocide.”
us. At the exhibition, you will have an opportunity to learn more about them
through their words, their voices, personal artifacts, photos and documents.
Berl is a widower who lives alone. He lost his sight in later life due to diabetes.
He was born in Nemaksht (today Nemaksciai) in Lithuania in 1924. He comes
from a religious lineage: his grandfather, great-grandfather and great-grand
uncle were rabbis. He lost most of his family during the war; his aunt, cousin
and grandmother were the only survivors. During the war, he was a soldier in
the Red Army with the Lithuanian 16th Division. For this, he has been decorated
with the highest honor bestowed by the Soviet Army, the Order of the Patriotic
War First Class.
Cholem thought the end was near when his family was relocated to Kaunas
ghetto. “I thought my heart would stop,” he says. His elder brother had been
killed shortly before this. However, against all odds, he survived. He witnessed
the event known as the ‘Big Action’ at the Kaunas Ninth Fort, where 9,000 men,
women and children were massacred. He survived the Dachau concentration
camp along with his father. In 2002, he received confirmation that his mother
was killed at Stutthof concentration camp. Despite his experiences, Cholem
has a cheery disposition. He derives much pride and joy from his wood
sculptures which have been displayed at several exhibitions.
Gita lost her entire family during the war, save for an aunt and grandmother. She
was born in Glubokoe, Belarus. On the night her ghetto was liquidated, she hid
in the basement with other apartment residents while her parents acted as
lookouts. She later fled to the fields with fellow survivors. She ended up in a
partisan stronghold and remained there until the end of the war. Upon
liberation, she returned to her village to search for relatives and friends. She
remained there for several years and worked as a nurse at the local hospital.
Later, she relocated to Vilnius where she married and raised her children.
Isroel was only a few years old when his family attempted to escape Minsk as
the bombings began. In the ensuing chaos, his family was separated; his father
joined the Red Army, his mother was captured, while he and his twin brother
were taken in by an aunt. His mother was interned at Minsk ghetto until 1943 but
later escaped. At the end of the war, his family was reunited and eventually
relocated to Vilnius. In his later life, Isroel became deeply religious. In
embracing Judaism and teaching himself to read Hebrew, he has come to take
pride in his heritage and culture. He is a widower and spends most of his time
volunteering at the Choral Synagogue.
Josef was born in Ukraine. When he was five, his parents relocated to their
family shtetl of Veiseijai in Lithuania. When the war broke out, Josef and his
brother enlisted with the Lithuanian division of the Red Army. While in service,
he learned of the mass massacres taking place in his home town. However,
this did not prepare him for the wave of emotion that swept him when
confronted with the realities of what occurred. Josef vowed that what had
happened would be made known. He has dedicated more than 20 years of his
life to commemorating the Holocaust. His painstaking research led to him
participate in a government initiative to memorialise more than 200 massacre
sites in Lithuania; he is the author of Shoah: Holocaust in Lithuania and
Skausma Knyga: The Book of Sorrows.
Chasia is a widow and has a son and a daughter from a second marriage.
Shortly after the war broke out, Chasia was interned at Vilna ghetto along with
her husband, Boris Fridman, their five-month-old son and her husband’s family.
Boris escaped and became a partisan. Chasia took a similar route later, though
by then, Boris had been killed. Today, she volunteers her time at the Jewish
Community Centre in Vilnius. She says that this gives her great joy. It also
brings back fond memories, for the centre is located in the same building
where she spent her school years.
Margarita was originally from Minsk, Belarus. On the eve of the war, she was a
schoolteacher while her husband, the school principal, was conscripted into the
Red Army. Their daughter was then two-and-a-half-months old. When the
progroms began, Margarita found herself marching in a column along with her
family members. Convinced that they were to be shot, she escaped into the
street with her daughter. She wandered from village to village for work and food,
and asking for help ‘in the name of Christ.’ She eventually found her way into
Vilnius at the end of the war with her daughter, remarried and had more
children. She says she is proud that her children have spouses of different
nationalites; for all nationalities are equal and that the most important thing to
uphold is honesty.
Fania works part time as a librarian at the Yiddish Vilnius Institute and also as
deputy chairperson at the office of camp and ghetto survivors at the Jewish
Community Centre. Before the war, her father was an electrical engineer and
also a college lecturer, her mother was a homemaker, while she and her sister
were students. Shortly after the war broke out, her family was interned at Vilna
ghetto. While there she became involved in the partisan resistance movement
and eventually escaped to join the partisan forces in the forests. She actively
propagates the story of the Holocaust and has directed visitors and foreign
emissaries on tours of the partisan fort and massacre sites. She is determined
to commemorate the memory of the Holocaust on behalf of “those who are
dead and cannot stand up (to tell their story).”
Dora was a recent newly wed when the war broke out and she was three
months pregnant. At the time, she lived in Ziezmariai and worked as a
seamstress. She remembers the pre-war days fondly. Her grandfather was a
rabbi and her family was religious. She recalls that her childhood was filled with
love and warmth, despite the lack of material possessions and where “reading
and culture” were common pastimes for her, her seven brothers and two
sisters. When the war began, she says her first thought then was: “I have to run,
run, run.” She escaped to Russia for the duration of the war. She and a brother
are the only survivors from her family. She is an avid painter and has
documented her memories through watercolour paintings and pencil sketches,
some of which will be featured in this exhibition.
Rachel is the indefatigable deputy director of the Vilna Gaon Jewish State
Museum. She has dedicated her life to ensuring that the message “never
again” reverberates constantly and incessantly -- lest the world forgets. When
the Nazi invasion began, her family fled to Russia. For the remaining duration of
the war, Rachel found herself in a Russian orphanage. Despite the
suppression of cultural heritage during the Soviet times, Rachel’s pride in her
roots remain strong. Her parents had been Yiddish teachers and had instilled
within her a love for the language and the Jewish culture. She is passionate
about her work because she views it as: “to fight for being Jewish, for the right to
be Jewish and for not forgetting (the) genocide.”
Berl Glazer, 84
"I am 84 years old and close to God.”
On surviving and growing older
"I am 84 years old and close to God.”
On surviving and growing older
Cholem Sapsai, 85
“I cannot express how happy… the joy
exploded inside us."
On liberation from Dachau
“I cannot express how happy… the joy
exploded inside us."
On liberation from Dachau
Gita Geseleva, 82
“Be good and love each other, so there is
friendship among nations.”
On not forgetting the lessons of the holocaust
“Be good and love each other, so there is
friendship among nations.”
On not forgetting the lessons of the holocaust
Isroel Galperin, 70
"God saved me four times”
On why he became religious
"God saved me four times”
On why he became religious
Josef Levinson, 91
“I have to do something to make it known
to others.”
On learning of the scale of the massacres
“I have to do something to make it known
to others.”
On learning of the scale of the massacres
Chasia Spanerflig, 87
“My life was saved by my family’s
blood”
On surviving and losing her family
“My life was saved by my family’s
blood”
On surviving and losing her family
Margarita Civuncik, 89
"We didn’t observe… It was the Germans that
reminded us of our Jewishness.”
When asked what being Jewish means to her
"We didn’t observe… It was the Germans that
reminded us of our Jewishness.”
When asked what being Jewish means to her
Fania Brantsovsky, 86
“As long as my feet can carry me, I will do it”
On spreading the story of the holocaust
“As long as my feet can carry me, I will do it”
On spreading the story of the holocaust
Dora Pilianskiene, 95
“God helps me. Everything is in His
hands. He gives me life.”On what
preserved her and keeps her going
“God helps me. Everything is in His
hands. He gives me life.”On what
preserved her and keeps her going
Rachel Kostanian, 79
"To do what I can (for) peace, tolerance,
democracy to prevail.”
On what she would like her legacy to be
"To do what I can (for) peace, tolerance,
democracy to prevail.”
On what she would like her legacy to be
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Project Narrators (Survivors)
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