A project to commemorate sister Marija Rusteikaitė was discussed with mother superior and general director Jūratė Marcinkevičiūtė and sister S. Klara–Hana Bivil of the God’s Love Monastery at the Panevėžys Jewish Community. The project to commemorate Rusteikaitė in Panevėžys and to teach city residents about her remarkable story in the rescue of 15 Jewish children during the Holocaust was prepared by the Panevėžys Jewish Community and presented to the city’s Architecture and Urban Planning Department.
The goal of the project is to commemorate Righteous Gentile Marija Rusteikaitė (1892-1949), the founder of the God’s Love congregation, by naming a new street after her and posting a memorial sign at the start of the street briefly describing her noble deeds.
Marija Rusteikaitė was an intellectual person, a social activist, a medic, a teacher and a nun who was very important to the city and area of Panevėžys. She grew up in the family of estate owners Stanislovas and Jadvyga, a family of nine children, four sons and five daughters. Marija was the third child. Her mother Jadvyga was dedicated to charity work, her children and homemaking. Both parents were extremely loving towards their children and guided their education, belief in God and moral development. The people of Vaiguva who knew her say her charisma was something akin to that of Mother Teresa in Calcutta. She spent her nights sitting up with sick patients, quietly praying.
She had many Jewish friends who later helped her and hid her so the regime wouldn’t arrest and torture her as was done with some many others. Marija Rusteikaitė bravely took in Jewish children and adults to save them from the ghetto. The husband of a girl rescued from the ghetto told how Marija used to bring sausages and all other sorts of food products to the ghetto guard so he would give her workers. There were cases where she hid Jews in her attic, in the forest and employed them at her workplace.
Living witness and survivor Sulamita Lev works today at the Lithuanian Jewish Community. She was rescued by sister Marija. Sulamita often visits Panevėžys and visits the sisters of God’s Love. She is still grateful to Marija Rusteikaitė and calls her “mom.” Officially Marija Rusteikaitė rescued 15 Jews, but unofficially she sent several more to other people for help because of the great risk of discovery, and she could have been shot at any moment. The state of Israel recognized her heroism posthumously, decorating her with the title of Righteous among the Nations/Righteous Gentile. The Lithuanian government also awarded her the Order of the Life-Saver’s Cross.
