Book on the Righteous - Jevrejska opština Zemun

Righteous Among The Nations - Serbia
Stories About The Righteous
made a down-payment for a meat transportation van to
take them to the railway station at four o’clock in the
morning.
“We are not going,” Alexander repeated for the umpteenth
time. “We are a decent family and God will lead
us on our path and preserve us from evil.”
Živko, their relative, decided to have his say in the discussion.
“If God is watching over you, he will protect you in
Guča as well.” Živko then told them of the danger he
himself was constantly in by harbouring them in his flat.
This was the decisive argument that made them enter
the freight car early next morning.
It was at the time the only means of transport that could
take them to Čačak.
Since there was nowhere to sit in the car, they had to
stand all the way. As if he was facing the Wailing Wall,
Alexander ceaselessly prayed and kneeled during the
journey. The family surrounded him so that the others
could not see what he was doing.
“You must stop that kneeling at once,” Radovan said.
“You are endangering us all. Someone could report us
the moment we are off the train.”
Although Alexander stopped kneeling, he still deeply
doubted the wisdom of embarking on this journey.
Čačak station was swarmed with people and it was impossible
to carry out any kind of control of passengers
leaving and arriving. Curfew was moments away, so
there was no chance for them to reach Guča that night.
They had to spend the night in Čačak. Once again
Radovan came up with a solution. He remembered a
friend who could help them. They went to the home
of a colleague veterinary surgeon, Dr. Radiša Veljović.
Radiša’s two brothers were in the Partisan units and
Germans often inspected the house in search of them.
In spite of the danger, Radiša let them stay overnight.
Next morning they immediately rented a horse-drawn
cart and departed for Guča.
Radovan and his family lived in a rented house in the
centre of Guča. On arriving, they found the village
packed with Chetniks, Ljotić-followers and Germans.
For the hundredth time they were searching houses
looking either for Partisans who might have stayed behind
or any of their collaborators. Court-marshal law
was enforced ceaselessly and every so often blasts from
firing squads were heard on all sides of the village.
Slung from the street post in front of Radovan’s house
was a hanged man.
Nada and Radovan Botić, seated Julia Ben Schahar
Not even his daughter’s joy at seeing her parents and
sister well and alive could wane Alexander’s dismayed
countenance.
“So this is where you have brought us,” Alexander
grumbled.
“Are you saying that you never saw people hanged in
Belgrade along Terazije Street” Radovan replied. “You
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