Righteous Gentiles

Jonas and Uršulė Greimas
A teacher Jonas Greimas goals in life was to help anyone in danger. During the war, Jonas Greimas got involved in helping persecuted Jews. In 1942, he secretly brought the Lavit family to his home. Lavit was from Kybarti, his father owned a fabric store in Kybarti, and his wife was from Marijampolė, her father was a craftsman. Jonas and Uršulė Greimas hid Lavit in the school building where the family lived. The Lavits lived here in a secluded room for about 6 months. After they left to see other people, Jonas Greimas took a 12-13-year-old girl . It was Bella Mirbach, later Upnitcky, from Virbalis. However, after a couple of months of hiding with John and Ursula Greimas, Bela had to find another place and taken out as soon as possible, because the maid, after taking apart the girl's coat, found hidden family photos from which she realized that the girl was Jewish and started talking about it loudly in the village. The Greimas's communicated with the rescued people until they left for Israel.