Size Matters

In the summer of 2019, in Šiauliai, Lithuania, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in recognition of the glory of Father Jonas Borevičius. It is near the church and monastery where he served as a priest during the Shoah.

Borevicius Monument
Source: https://www.skrastas.lt/sites/default/files/styles/media_image/public/2019-07/lentajonuiboreviciui14gbs.jpg?h=ed547d8d&itok=ilvZblnj

“Rev. Jonas Borevičius S.J.

Righteous among nations, together with other Jesuit

Fathers and Brothers, in 1941-1944, provided

a hiding place for Jewish families from the ghetto,

in a shelter of the orchard by St. Ignatius

church in Šiauliai.”

The plaque depicts the phaleristics compulsion of the Lithuanian government, where they seem to pin medals on any tinpot representative who will either accept their trinkets, or where Lithuania is able to portray an identity of false values to redeem their national image. This time, they awarded Father Borevičius the “Life Saving Cross”. These Crosses can be purchased retail for $450 at Floyds Medals store.

0.04% of Lithuanians are acknowledged as Rescuers of Jews by Yad Vashem. 99.96% of Lithuanians are therefore not. Borevicius is among those who are not. Yad Vashem‘s rules on who is defined as “Righteous Among the Nations“ is publicly accessible. Borevičius does not meet Yad Vashem‘s strict criteria of proof, however, this was no impediment for Lithuanian officials as they declared him “Righteous Among Nations“ after decorating him with their bauble. Lithuanian standards for proclamations, awards, ding-dongs, trinkets and baubles are self serving and not regularly based on facts.

Knowing the Lithuanian government‘s penchant to create fictional history, the Jewish community of Šiauliai County sought verification from Yad Vashem of Borevičius‘s claimed status. Yad Vashem‘s negative reply is below:

Yad Vashem Letter on Borevičius

Father Borevičius was indeed a mostly honorable man, who rescued Jews. Here is what one of the rescued, Golda Perienė, writes:

“I ended up in Šiauliai in 1944 in February, accompanied by Bronislov Gotautas. Since our place was already taken, my son and I again found ourselves in a desperate situation – in a foreign city, without any connections, without funds and with a child. On the instructions of a maid and mercenary broker, to whom Bronislov Gotautas introduced me, I went through people, looking for a job and a place. And now the grandson got sick. Due to the extremely difficult living conditions, the common flu did not go away for a long time, and the temperature remained high. When leaving Kaunas, I was instructed to turn to priest Borevičius at a critical moment. Through him, I found my way to agronomist Ibenskis, doctor Luinienė and others who formed a kind of rescue center in Šiauliai.”

Father Borevičius died in 1989. In 2017 the President of Lithuania posthumously awarded him the “Life Saving Cross”.

Alongside many Lithuanians who were Holocaust perpetrators (as well as some who were not), Father Borevičius escaped west after the Shoah, and became an integral part of the Lithuanian expatriate community. Whatever heroic deeds he had performed during his youth, this religious man corrupted his morality and bore false witness testimony to US authorities. Instead of protecting victims, Father Borevičius protected Lithuanian Holocaust perpetrators from prosecution.

Facts were inconvenient for Lithuanian Holocaust perpetrators, so, they just changed the facts. There were almost no survivors to contradict them, so, it is an easy and simple solution.

In their efforts to rewrite Holocaust history, the Government of Lithuania used his obvious and glaring falsehoods to declare Jonas Noreika a “Righteous Gentile“. This makes a mockery of any self-proclaimed rescuer, not verified by Yad Vashem.

Lithuanian Government employees entered a campaign to legitimize their rewriting of history to convert murderers into rescuers. This mendacious and insulting campaign was validated and supported by Lithuanian Defense Minister Anusauskas. It was comprehensively discredited by legitimate academia.

Claiming to have rescued Jews is a transactional commodity for the Government of Lithuania. Sometimes, in Lithuania it seems like an Oprah Winfrey show where everyone was rescuing Jews! Facts are not a consideration when deception is more expedient. Caboodles of medals and spoof awards do not legitimize deceptions, no matter how much stink they cover with cheap perfume. (See Oprah’s video from 3:28 – https://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/oprahs-entire-audience-are-surprised-with-new-cars-video ). This bastardization of facts makes an absurdity of any genuine hero of Lithuania, and brings any awardee of Lithuanian honors into disrepute.

Is Lithuania‘s “Life Saving Cross“ medal worth it‘s $450 price tag at Floyds Medals? I don‘t think so.

Lithuania has a program to festoon Jews with Knighthoods (the lowest of five levels) and “Orders of Merit” for “service“ to Lithuania (different and often opposite than service to Jews). Over 1,500 “Orders of Merit” have been circulated by Lithuania, making this so common as to be practically meaningless. That is dispensing almost two medals per week, since independence. For a micro-state such as Lithuania, they must have to search hard to find so many willing recipients. Thirty pieces of silver seems far too pricey for an “Order of Merit” which may be purchased from a different retail store – www.eMedals.com. They have one for sale for $160. Given the reduplication and mass distribution of Knighthoods, I wonder if $1.60 is not a more appropriate valuation? Dollar Tree Store in USA sells these medals for $1.25 each!

Order for Merits to Lithuania Medal
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_for_Merits_to_Lithuania#/media/File:4_3_uz_komandoro_kryzius_mot.png

The Order for Merits to Lithuania medal is limp sized. The basement level is “Cross of the Knight of the Order of Merits to Lithuania”! Higher than a Knight is an Officer. Then a Commander. Even more engorged is a Grand Commander, and the most turgescent is a Grand Cross! (Imagine the size envy between a Knight and a Grand Cross).

Even the voluptuousness of the Grand Cross Medal is just a fraction of the magnitude of “The Cross Of the Vytis” Medal, which Lithuania awarded to the genocidal murderer of Jews, Jonas Noreika. If medal size comparisons are any indication, the Cross of the Vytis awarded to murderers of Jews is far and away more majestic than any Lithuanian Knight! An indication of their actual value to the state.

Cross of Vytis Medal for Jonas Noreika.
Source: Silvia Foti

Recipients of the Lithuanian “Cross of Vytis” also receive a sash, and it all comes in a lovely box. November 23 is a holiday in honor of the Order of the Cross of Vytis. Murderers and other recipients of the Cross of Vytis can wear their adornments with extra pride on this date.

Sash, badge, and star of the Order of the Cross of Vytis
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Cross_of_Vytis

The real cost to Lithuania for their Cross of Vytis medal is their national identity. Value is always assessed by a willing buyer and a willing seller, and Lithuania is willing to pay an outrageously steep price to honor those who murdered Jews.

Jewish awardees of “illustrious” Lithuanian medals might suffer ego shrinkage when they discover their Knighthood or other ding-dong is a mere fraction of the national honors bestowed on those who slaughtered their Jewish cousins. How proud those Jewish recipients must be to wear their Lithuanian regalia. Do they think their murdered cousins, twisted in Lithuanian deathpits would also be proud of their medal? What could possibly induce a Jew to accept such awards from Lithuania?

With medals, size does matter.