Original
Confirmation For Jonas Noreika’s Historical Research
Silvia Foti, Jonas Noreika’s granddaughter
I am Silvia Foti, Jonas Noreika’s granddaughter.
After almost two decades of personal research, I have arrived at the same conclusion as Grant Arthur Gochin concerning my grandfather Jonas Noreika’s actions during World War II. I found incontrovertible evidence by way of historical documents and witnesses who have told me that Jonas Noreika ordered the slaughter of Jewish Lithuanian citizens. As part of my research, I visited Telšiai, Plungė, Kaunas, Šauliai, Vilnius, and Klaipėda to speak with the locals and study archived documents. It is painful for me, but I am prepared to talk about my findings.
On July 17, 2013, I met with The Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania Director, Birutė Teresė Burauskaitė. I told her that I thought it strange that Jonas Noreika was considered a hero in Lithuania when there were documents with his signature ordering the isolation of Jewish people in ghettos, as well as the expropriation of their belongings. Her response was, “It is psychologically difficult to comprehend what he was thinking and feeling when he signed those papers. All Jews were sent away. I don’t know what was going on in his mind. The result of course, were that Jews were killed.” The Center’s historian, Arūnas Bubnys later told me, “Within the KGB transcripts there are is no evidence that Jonas Noreika was associated with the killing of Jewish citizens.” Later, in 2016, the Center published a similar document, essentially exonerating John Noreika’s actions during World War II based on their findings in the KGB transcripts.
I have reviewed the KGB transcripts on my grandfather and have noticed that the KGB never interrogated J. Noreika on the genocide of Jews. It was not part of their focus.
I believe that when the Genocide Center resorts to interpreting historical documents, signed by my grandfather, that resulted in the genocide of thousands in Lithuania by intentionally misconstruing his psychological state as well-meaning is a prime example of how the national government denies its role in the Holocaust and twists its own history to obscure its responsibility.
Historical data and my own research shows that Jonas Noreika, as a leader of the Lithuanian Front Activists and chairman of the Šiauliai region, ordered the isolation of thousands of Jews, which he knew would result in their slaughter. Yet his actions were deliberately concealed by the government through the Genocide Center. This, unfortunately, is perhaps the nation’s largest cover-up of the 20th century.
Silvia Foti 2018-05-25, USA
Retranslation from English to Lithuanian and back
Silvia Foti
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silviafoti.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I am Silvia Foti, granddaughter of Jonas Noreika (General Storm).
After personal investigation which took nearly two decades I came to same conclusions as Grant Arthur Gochin regarding my grandfather’s Jonas Noreika’s role during WWII. There are undisputed evidence and people’s memories evidencing that Jonas Noreika participated executing murder of Lithuanian residents of jewish nationality.
I have been in Lithuania, in Telsiai, Plunge, Kaunas, Siauliai, Vilnius and Klaipeda, I talked with local residents, studied archive documents. I feel sorrow but I am ready to speak about it.
On July 17th, 2013 I have met with head of Lithuanian residents genocide and resistance centre director Birute Terese Burauskaite. I was surprised and I questioned why Jonas Noreika is glorified as war hero, when there are publicly accessible orders regarding isolation of jews in ghetto and appropriation of their property, bearing his signature. Head of centre has argued these oppositions by saying that “it is hard to psychologically understand, what he was thinking and feeling when signing those documents. All jews were sent there. I don’t know what was happening in his head. Although result was obvious jews were murdered. Centre historian Arunas Bubnys later provided me a KGB document, which stated that “KGB has no record that Jonas Noreika was involved in murder of persons of jewish nationality”. Later in years 2015-2016 similar justifying arguments were printed in centre’s official memorandums on activities of Jonas Noreika during WWII.
KGB archive documents I have studied earlier, I can point out, that during interrogation Jonas Noreika was not questioned about genocide of jews, that was not part of KGB investigation. To my mind, official interpretation of historical facts conducted by centre, when culpable circumstances are neglected by appealing to personal conscience and good will is nothing less than Holocaust denial and distortion of history.
Evidence of historic investigation and my own experience shows that, concealment of Jonas Noreika’s role as head of Lithuanian Activist Front and Holocaust executor is one of the biggest Lithuanian conspiracies of the past century.
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Silvia Foti
2018-05-25, USA