A first letter from a survivor; Dr. Nachum Levitan

A letter from Dr. Nachum Levitan of Kaunas (my husband's grandfather) to his brother in law; Zeidel Shereshevsky sent to the U. S. after the liberation of Kaunas in 1944

 

My father in law: Dr. Ruven Levitan  Z"L, was Chjena's nephew ( first cousin of Dr. Ami Shapiro) His father; Nachum ( an attorney who  represented Zeidel textile factory in Kaunas) was the brother of Prof. Chjena Sherr  and he survived the holocaust in the Kaunas ghetto and in 1943 he escaped and became a field hand in a farm outside of Kaunas. He is the writer of the letter since his wife's name was Dr Etale ( aka Ada Yeta Levitan, my husband's grandmother) and she was an obstetrician. The red army liberated Kaunas in the summer of 1944 but the family did not leave Kaunas until 1946. They looked for their daughter for 2 years and could not find her.
The story of your relatives; Zvi and Menachem ( Muki) Shereshevsky is very tragic.The children of Chyena and Shmuel Zaidel Shershevski; Tzvi and Muki  ( Menachem) were sneaked out of the ghetto and put by one of the priests into an orphanage for disadvantaged Lithuanian children. Once, the priest who was running the place had a visit from German officers. When the youngest child ( Tzvi, who was less then 10 years old) heard the officers speak German, he spoke back to them fluently, having had a German nanny and a good education. The Germans were very surprised by his fluency in the language, to find such well-educated kid in an orphanage! The priest was very worried that the officers would realize that the boys were Jewish, so they sent the two brothers back to the ghetto, where they perished in the Children's Action. During the infamous Children Action in the March of 1944, 1300 children and elderly were forcibly removed from their families in the Kovno ghetto and taken to be killed in Fort 9 and Auschwitz.]

Reports from Yad Vashem;

Shereshevski* Menakhem

Menakhem Zeidel Shereshevski was born in Lithuania to Shmuel Zaidel and Chyena ( Uginia)  nee Levitan. He was single. Prior to WWII he lived in Slobodka, Lithuania. During the war was in Kowna. Menakhem died in the Shoah at the age of 13 he was taken from the Kovno ghetto to Auschwitz. This information is based on a Page of Testimony submitted on 29/04/1980 by his mother Prof. Chyena Uginia Sherry shereshevski, Pombadita street 5/ 16 Tel Aviv

Shereshevski* Tzvi

Tzvi Shereshevski was born in Kovno, Lithuania to Shmuel Zaidel and Cheyena nee Levitan. He was single. Prior to WWII he lived in Kovno, Lithuania. During the war was in Kovno. Tzvi died in Auschwitz at the age of 10. This information is based on a Page of Testimony submitted on 29/04/1980 by his mother. Prof. Chyena Uginia Sherry shereshevski, Pombadita street 5/ 16 Tel Aviv.

To read more of the story of Chienas' family go to:

http://www.eilatgordinlevitan.com/kovno/kovno_pages/kovno_stories_levitan.html

Kaunas 30/8/1928

SHERESHEVSKIS / [SHERESHEVSKY], Samuelis / Samuel married LEVITANAITE / [LEVITAN], Khyena

parents of groom;father; Mendelis / Mendel  [SHERESHEVSKY]  mother Bella Rivka nee SLONIMSKAITE / [SLONIMSKY]

Kaunas

parents of bride; Mausha Josifas / Mausha Yosif

Yudis GERSHTEINAITE / [GERSHTEIN]

Kaunas 1892 1902 Husband merchant, widow, born in Grodno, wife student, born in Telsiai Z.MARGOLIS N.SEGALOVAS N.KAGANAS Kaunas 1928 Marriage 257 Not filmed /