Vladyka Yakov & Anna

Vladyka, Yakov Vladyka, Anna Yakov and Anna Vladyka lived with their three small children in the village of Reklinets (today Reklynets’, L’viv District), which was occupied by the Germans in July of 1941. The 15 Jewish families who had been living in Reklinets were evicted from their homes and sent to the Sokal and Mosty Wielkie (now Velyki Mosty) ghettos. In the fall of 1943, when Yakov was working in his field, three Jews whom he recognized as former neighbors came towards him. The three, Pesah Wellershtein, his cousin, Pola Wellershtein, and another relative, Joshua Herbstman, had fled from the Mosty Wielkie labor camp as it was about to be liquidated, back in the spring of that year. For nearly half a year they had been living in the forest like hunted animals, eating roots and berries or food they found on farms. Pesah, the oldest of the three, begged Yakov to give them shelter. At first, Yakov was not prepared to take them into his home. Most of the inhabitants of his village were nationalist, anti-Semitic Ukrainians who took no pity on anyone who dared help Jews. Yakov was frightened because he knew that farmers who had helped Jews in the past had been murdered. On the other hand, he could not turn away persecuted people who were crying out for help. He prepared a parcel of food and brought it out to them in the forest. He did this a number of times until he decided to take them to his home so they wouldn’t die of the cold. He prepared a spot for hiding them in the barn next to his house. They hid there for nine months. Yakov shared the secret with his wife, Anna, but not with his children who were too young. Every few nights, he and his wife brought them food, especially bread and potatoes, which was to last them for several days. When the Red Army drew near, the three Jews decided to try to catch up with them, and indeed did so that very same day. A year later, they left the Soviet Ukraine. The Wellershteins immigrated to the United States, whileJoshua Herbstman immigrated to Israel in 1949. They never reestablished contact with the Vladykas who died in the 1970’s. At the end of the 1990’s, Joshua did establish contact with the children of his rescuers. On April 29, 2001, Yad Vashem recognized Yakov and Anna Vladyka as Righteous Among the Nations.