Kovalishina Olena

Getman, Nikolay Kovalishin, Olena Nikolay Getman was in his 40s and living with his family in Skała Podolska (today Skala Podil’s’ka), not far from the town of Borszczów (now Borshchiv, Ternopil’District). He was acquainted with Feyge Edelstein, a first-class seamstress and a specialist in men’s shirts. Since Feyge received clients at home, Nikolay also knew her husband, Sholom, and their only son, Muniek. In July 1941, after the Hungarians had at first occupied the town only to be followed by German troops, the local population was forbidden to make contact with any of the Jews. In September 26, 1942, a killing operation (Aktion) was carried out in Skała Podolska, claiming the lives of more than 700 Jews, including the life of Feyge Edelstein. Sholom and Muniek survived the Aktion and two weeks later were forced, together with the other survivors, to move to the ghetto in Borszczów. Every time Nikolay drove to Borczczów, he passed the ghetto fence to see if he could spot any familiar faces. On one such occasion he saw 10-year-old Muniek and he stopped to speak to him. Nikolay tried to persuade the boy to flee and not wait until the liquidation of the ghetto. He even suggested that he would be willing to take Muniek and his father back to Skała Podolska, where there were several dozen Jewish skilled laborers still living in their homes in relative safety. They readily agreed, and on the appointed day Nikolay came by the fence of the ghetto once again. Sholom and Miniek were there waiting. Nikolay hid Sholom inside his cart, while Muniek sat next to him as they returned to Skała. In Skała, Sholom and Muniek joined a group of Jewish men and women living in a concealed dug-out in a forested area. However, sensing danger, the group split up in the winter of 1942-1943. Sholom and Muniek together with another Jewish teenager, Lyonya, found a hiding place in Skała, in the ruins of a building. As they searched for food to eat, they turned to some of their pre-waracquaintances, but most turned them away; some even threatened to inform on them. Only one woman, Olena Kovalishin, felt compassion for the persecuted and agreed to help them unconditionally. Olena was widowed and was living with her 15-year-old son, Miron. Although her financial situation was very poor, she spent her money to supply them with food for more than a year until the town was liberated for the first time by the Red Army on March 25, 1944. The Germans mounted a counterattack, and when they did so, both Lyonya and the Edelsteins fled eastward. In 1945, the Edelsteins left for Poland, stayed several years in various DP camps in Germany, and in 1950 finally settled in the United States. They lost contact with their rescuers for many years until in 1998 Muniek (by then Michael) visited Skala and found Miron Kovalishin, Olena’s son. As for Lyonya – neither the Kovalishins nor the Edelsteins had any information about his whereabouts. On May 30, 2004, Yad Vashem recognized Nikolay Getman and Olena Kovalishin as Righteous Among the Nations.