January 17, BNS–Lithuanian interwar president Kazys Grinius and his wife Kristina have been recognized posthumously as Righteous Gentiles for rescuing Jews during the Holocaust by Yad Vashem in Jerusalem.

Grinius and his wife took in Kaunas ghetto prisoner Dmitri Gelpern during the Nazi occupation. The Vilna Gaon Jewish State Museum report they were informed of the recognition in December. The contributions of Kazys Grinius and wife Kristina to saving Jews was recognized by Lithuania in 1993 when they were posthumously awarded the Life Saver’s Cross.

Lithuanian Jewish Community chairwoman Faina Kukliansky told BNS Sunday the commission’s work in Israel took so long because none of the witnesses are still alive and Yad Vashem has strict requirements.

“It took Yad Vashem longer than it took Lithuania. gelpern gave an interview and we’re preparing a book based on it. Kristina Girnius and Dimitri Gelpern were philatelists and they had an excellent relationship. Gelpern lived with the Griniuses during the winter, but they didn’t hide the fact they provided shelter to a Jew,” Kukliansky said.

“I’ve spoken with ghetto inmates, everyone holds the highest opinion of Dimitri Gelpern and Kristina Girnius and say they were very intelligent and cultured people with similar views,” the chairwoman said.

Grinius, a medical doctor by training, served as Lithuanian president from June of 1927 until December 17 of that year when there was a coup. In 1942 during the Nazi occupation he and others of a like mind sent a memorandum to the occupational authorities expressing concern over the German colonization which had begun, oppression of citizens and mass murder of Jews. He was deported to his home village for this.

Grinius went to Germany in 1944 and to the USA in 1947 where he protested against the Soviet occupation of Lithuania. He died in Chicago in 1950 and his remains were repatriated to Lithuania in 1994.

Yad Vashem has recognized more than 800 Lithuanians as Righteous Gentiles.

The Lithuanian parliament has officially declared 2016 the Year of Kazys Grinius. His 150th birthday will be celebrated in December.

BNS