Tsven Taras & Vasilina (Tikhonenko); Son: Ivan

Tsven, Taras Tsven, Vasilina Tsven, Ivan Taras Tsven, his wife, Vasilina, and their son, Ivan, were farmers living in the village of Kanava, Vinnitsa District (today Kanava, Vinnytsya District). In the 1930s, Tsven met the glazier Yudko Urman from Nemirov. In his travels around the villages, Urman occasionally spent the night with the Tsven family and the Tsvens would stay in his home when visiting the fair in Nemirov. In July 1941, the Germans conquered nearby Nemirov (Nemyriv) and the Urman family was interned in the ghetto. After the first Aktion in November 1941, Urman smuggled himself out of the ghetto and when he reached Tsven’s home the two of them devised a plan to save his family. In December 1941, Tsven went to Nemirov with his horses and cart and he hid Urman, his wife, Nekhama, and their children, Naum, 13, Yakov, nine, and four-year-old Anya under some straw on it. Tsven brought the five to his home and hid them there for almost two years. During this time, the Urmans hid in different places depending on the weather and the situation but they stayed mainly in the basement, the attic, and the granary close to the house. The Tsvens were pious Christians and they regarded their rescue efforts as a religious obligation and they treated their wards respectfully and shared with them their food and clothes. Ivan, the Tsvens’ eldest son, played an important role in caring for the Urman children. At night, after he returned from his work in the fields, Ivan visited them, bringing them books and games and telling them the news in an effort to raise their spirits. In late 1943, with the increased partisan activity in the area, the authorities intensified their house searches among the locals. Out of concern for his wards, Tsven decided to move them to Romanian-controlled Tyvrov (Tyvriv), some 15 km from Kanava. The Urmans survived to witness the liberation, in March 1944, and then they returned to Nemirov. The Urmans maintained their friendship with theTsvens for many years after the war. Later, the Urman offspring immigrated to Israel. On October 10, 1996, Yad Vashem recognized Taras and Vasilina Tsven and their son, Ivan, as Righteous Among the Nations.