Murder Story of Moletai Jews on the Vilna Road

Dear Moshe […] and Beyle [...], Be healthy. If you are willing to follow our wishes, please give some money to the person who delivers this letter to you. For two days now we have not eaten and soon we are going to be murdered. Observe this day in our memory: it will be the 19th of August. Father is not at home; who knows, he may long be dead. Everyone is dressed [and ready] with their beloved children and everyone is waiting. We are all [imprisoned] in the study house. Enough time remains so that sometimes we wish death would come already. At the beginning of the new month of Av, they took us all to be shot but a miracle took place. Today, however, a miracle will be possible only if Heaven is merciful.... Be healthy and strong. We Jews will be a sacrifice so that you will be saved. Tsipora

My dear Sister and Brother-in-law, I am writing this last letter of farewell before my death. I will leave this letter with a Christian who will send it to you after the war. I am writing to you about our tragic death, a death that overtook all of the town's Jews – who were shot in the course of seven days in the month of Elul. I ran away, together with Yudke and Sarka and Itsik. We were confused when we ran and then lost each other. They shot Zelda … together with all the other Jews. All the Jews of Molėtai are buried in one grave outside of Molėtai, near Lateka. I hid in a pit with Yudke for 16 weeks. We suffered dreadfully.... I am writing this letter while a prisoner in jail. We are counting the minutes until they come to take us and shoot us. [That will be] in only a few minutes.... They caught some Jews in the yard of no. 8 Anmisl Street. Abba Shniplisker was there with his family. They came here as if from the "other world" – that is, they had suffered from hunger and cold. We left without coats; it was still warm before Rosh Hashanah; now we are ten days into the month of Tevet (1941). It is very cold. Eventually we had to go to register but we were caught on the way. Tomorrow they are going to shoot us. I don't know whether they will shoot us in Molėtai or in Utena. We didn't find them because they had been shot on December 21, 1941… Ella Gutz escaped to Shavli [Šiauliai]. There is not a single Jew left in any town around here. Today one can see how the world looks without Jews.... I am preparing a tombstone for Father. I will try to get permission from the police to take the tombstone to the cemetery [even if I have to go] with a policeman. Perhaps it will be possible to visit the graves of our parents and the martyred murder victims of Molėtai. Mother does not have a tombstone because it is still too early: I have not yet finished saying Kaddish. Be well. These are my last words from your brother, who perishes with his son, Yudel Nutlevich. Today is December 21, 1941. This will be the day to commemorate our memory. This is the address of the Christian with whom we are leaving the letters. At the end of the war he will send them to you. If you would like to answer him, write to him in Lithuanian.... [At the end of the letter is added:] My dear Uncle and Aunt, This is my last letter, one of farewell, I am writing to you from prison, condemned to death. Barbaric murderers have condemned me, a victim who is innocent of any crime. Thousands and thousands of people have perished. The blood of those slain will not be silenced. It hurts to leave this wonderful world. Before we even began to live, we die, me and Father together with our family. You won't know where our corpses will end up. I end my letter thus: live in happiness and enjoy beautiful world. Your devoted nephew, who is now no longer alive, Yudel Nutlevich,[written in] Molėtai, December 21, 1941 from prison – a few days before death.