Okhrits Vera

Okhrits, Vera Farmer Vera Okhrits, born in 1909, lived in the town of Antopol, Drohiczyn County, Brest District. She was well acquainted with Pinchas Czerniak, a local Jewish doctor, who treated Vera for tuberculosis. Because of her decease Vera could not have children and was not married. German troops entered Antopol on June 25, 1941, and in October the same year local Jews, half of the town’s population, were forced into the ghetto. Jews from the vicinity were incarcerated there as well. The ghetto, divided in two – for specialists with their families and for the rest – existed for less than a year; and all that time Dr. Czerniak continued treating his patients, among them were non-Jews, like Vera Okhrits. On one of their meetings Dr. Czerniak asked Vera if she would agree to take care of his 10-months-old daughter Irena, born in the ghetto. He added that there would apparently be another Aktion, and that the chances for survival were low; in case of his and his wife’s death Irena would remain with Vera for lifetime. Vera accepted the proposal both because she sympathized with the Jewish plight and because she always wanted to have a baby. In July 1942 little Irena was dropped off by Vera’s house; on October 16 the last Jews of Antopol were murdered. In the meantime Vera was occupied with baby care. The truth about Irena’s origin was known to Vera’s parents and sister and to the local priest, who had learnt that from Vera’s confession. For others Irena was an illegal daughter of Vera’s friend from another town. Though some people had suspicions and once Vera was summoned to the police and threatened by punishment if she would not tell who the girl’s real parents were. Crying, Vera repeated her made up story and, luckily, the priest confirmed her words. He declared that he knows Irena’s biological mother and that she is not Jewish. In July 1944, shortly after the liberation of the area by the Red Army, six Jews, the only survivors, returned from theforests to Antopol, among them Dr. Czerniak and his wife Gitl. Vera was not happy to see them and parted with Irena only after the law court forced her to do so. The Czerniaks revealed understanding to her feelings; after all she saved their daughter while jeopardizing her own life. Soon they left for Poland and later immigrated to Israel. In 2005 the survivor Irit (Irena) Weiss reestablished contacts with Vera and visited her yearly until the latter’s death in 2012. On June 5, 2007 Yad Vashem recognized Vera Okhrits as a Righteous Among the Nations