Rescue story

Stasys Žukauskas, a former teacher at the Lithuanian Gymnasium in Skuodas, lived with his daughter Stasė (Stanislava) Jankienė and her husband Augustinas Jankus in the village of Gintalaičiai in Kretinga County. Stasys' wife Stanislava Žukauskienė Tallat-Kelpšaitė died giving birth to their second child. Stanislava was brought up alone by her father Stasys. In December 1943, Stasė's former classmate Estera Želikovič appeared on their doorstep and asked for shelter. Želikovič, a native of Skuodas, had escaped from the Šiauliai ghetto. She was warmly welcomed at the Žukauskas home. Later she was hidden in the attic until the Red Army arrived in the area. Želikovič (later Sharvit) left Lithuania for Eretz Israel in September 1945. Žukauskas was killed in 1945, while the Jankus family and their children were exiled to Siberia.