Yediot Ahronot
December 23, 2011
By Limor Simon
88-year-old Ilya Lieberman wanted the world to know that his wife Klavdia and her parents had risked their lives to save a Jewish mother and daughter during World War II. Ten years ago, he approached “Yad Vashem” to have them recognized as “Righteous Among the Nations”. Last week, Klavdia was honored posthumously at a ceremony in Ilya’s home in Bat Yam, featuring students from the Elon School in Holon. “The Righteous Among the Nations are disappearing, but I’ve come full circle. I did it for her,” says Ilya.
Ilya arrived at the ceremony for the “Righteous Among the Nations”, his eyes glimmering and his heart pounding with excitement. Wearing a jacket adorned with medals of honor, most of which he had earned as a serviceman in the Russian Navy, he marched down the esplanade leading to the “Elon” school in Holon. He smiled to the students, saying only “Todah”- the Hebrew for “thank you”, among the few words he knows in this foreign tongue.
Coming Full Circle
In 2002, Lieberman approached Yad Vashem and requested that his wife Klavdia and her parents be recognized as Righteous Among the Nations. About two weeks ago, ten years since his request had been filed, representatives of Yad Vashem arrived at his home in Bat Yam with certificates for his wife and her parents. By that time,Ilya’s wife had already passed on Yet, Ilya did not celebrate Klavdia’s long overdue recognition alone. Students from the “Elon” school, who had been learning about the heroics of righteous gentiles for the past two years joined Ilya when Yad Vashem’s representatives made their visit. The school’s administration, having been so touched by the gesture, decided to contribute in their own way. Aided by Yad Vashem and ATZUM, an organization devoted to work, charity, and justice, decided to hold another ceremony for the family on the school grounds.
Mr. Lieberman’s health is poor. He can barely walk, and breathes heavily. He didn’t think he’d be able to participate in the ceremony. “When I woke up in the morning,” he says, “I suddenly felt a burst of energy. I decided that I needed to attend. It’s not for me, it’s for my wife and her parents. I did it for her,” he said, his eyes glimmering in the sun.
During the ceremony, the students presented a slide show about Klavdia’s parents and the family. The principal of the school, Mrs. Ronit Chaimov, spoke about the power behind these acts of bravery, and the importance of handing that message down to the next generation. Tears came to Mr. Lieberman’s eyes, as he savored each word.
“It’s important to send a message,” he said. “The generation of the Holocaust is gradually dying off, and so is the generation of the Righteous Among the Nations. No one is left to tell the story of the Jewish people. That’s why it was so important for me to come to the school and see the childrens’ faces. Perhaps one day, when these children become adults, they’ll reminisce about this man they had met called Ilya, whose wife and family had saved Jews.”
Ten People in One Room
In 1941, after the eruption of World War II, Miriam Dawes and her daughter Yekaterina had been living alone in the Dawes family home. Mr. Dawes had been murdered while in prison in 1937. The Dawes family had lived in the town of Feodosiya,Russia. The German army occupied the city, and the day before the occupation, the Red Army blew up the city’s factories and workshops so that they wouldn’t fall into the hands of the enemy. The Dawes family home was destroyed when they blew up a nearby tank production facility. Maria and her daughter Yekaterina were left homeless and penniless in the occupied city. The two women stood helpless beside the ruins of their home, when Klavdia Likholetova, a friend of Yekaterina’s from school, approached them, offering to shelter them in her own home.
“She studied with her at the same school,” says Ilya. “They were good friends. Years later, after the war had ended, my wife told me that she spotted Yekaterina and her mother wandering the streets, terrified and impoverished. She took pity on them. Despite the danger, she didn’t think twice. It was obvious to her that she had to save them.”
The Likholetova family – made up of a father, mother, and six children – were living in a small house on the outskirts of town. The house, whose area was about 150 square feet, had one bedroom and a kitchen. Despite the crowded conditions, the Likholetova’s welcomed Yekaterina and Miriam into their home. “They greeted them warmly, despite the atmosphere of danger and fear around them,” recalls Ilya. “They knew that they were endangering themselves, but they didn’t care. They saw the distress the two women were in and how deeply their daughter wished to help them. So everyone slept in the same room, on the floor, and shared everything.”
When the Germans ordered that all Jews in the city register, the Dawes family disobeyed, and became illegal residents. The eight hundred Jews who did register were promptly shot and killed. “Klavdia’s parents knew that they were endangering not only their own lives, but the lives of their children as well,” says Lieberman. “Miriam and Yekaterina hid at my wife’s house for two months. In December of 1942, the city was liberated by the Red Army, only to be retaken by the Germans shortly thereafter. It remained under occupation until 1944.”
Before the city was liberated for the first time, the Likholetova family came to an arrangement with the Osik family, with whom they were acquainted, to shelter the two women and alleviate some of the crowding. During the second occupation, the Germans waged a campaign of terror against the city’s residents. Most of them were deported deep into the Crimean peninsula. Miriam and Yekaterina escaped with the refugees, and returned to Feodosiya after the war had ended. Yekaterina stayed in close contact with the Likholetova family. Yad Vashem is now considering awarding a certificate of recognition to the Osik family as well.
Love at First Sight
Ilya Lieberman came from a family of four, and was a feisty young man with great ambitions. While Yekaterina was hiding in Klavdia’s house, he was serving in the Russian Navy. The decorations he proudly wears on his jacket attest to eight years of highly recognized military service. These days, he can’t remember which medal was for which operation, but he insists on wearing them every time he steps out of his house. He was married to Klavdia for fifty-six years, and they had two sons.
YH: How did you meet Klavdia?
Ilya: I met her one day as I got off of my ship to take a short stroll on the pier. I saw a beautiful young lady walking in front of me with her friends, and my heart pounded. I knew I’d marry her.
YH: Didn’t it bother you that she wasn’t Jewish?
Ilya: I didn’t even think about that. She would come to the ship regularly, and I was in love.
Mr. Lieberman doesn’t talk much. He smiles as he remembers waiting for the moment Klavdia would step onto his ship. He could barely hold back his emotions. “It was clear to us that we’d be married,” he said. “And that’s what happened. I got to marry the prettiest woman in the world. Her family accepted me with open arms. They were good people, with warm hearts.”
YH: When did Klavdia tell you about what she did?
Ilya: Two years after we got married, she told me about Yekaterina. I was very moved by the story, and I was proud of her. I didn’t take it for granted that anyone would put his or her life in danger in order to save another. It could have ended with the entire family being killed. Who knows where I would have been then.
Immigration to Israel
The Liebermans lived in Russia until 1998, when they decided to immigrate to Israel. “We understood that we needed to live in Israel. We did, and moved to Bat Yam, near a native Israeli family,” he says.
YH: Why did you wait until 2002 to approach Yad Vashem?
Ilya: Klavdia was always ill, and she spoke about Yekaterina. The connection between them was broken the moment we arrived here, and I wanted to do something to make her happy. I wanted her to be recognized for the courage she and her family exhibited, before she passed away. I didn’t think it would take so long, though.
Yad Vashem says that awarding certificates can be a lengthy process, since they have to conduct a thorough investigation into these claims and find evidence that justifies the award. For Klavdia, who passed away in 2003, it was already too late. It was only two weeks ago that the representatives from Yad Vashem arrived to give Klavdia and her family their certificates.
However, for Ilya, the recognition was better received late, than never. Putting his hand near his heart, he says “for me, this meant coming full circle. Not too many people have the courage to do what Klavdia’s family did.”
