Book on the Righteous - Jevrejska opština Zemun

Righteous Among The Nations - Serbia
Stories About The Righteous
On learning that her loved one was a Jew, Zora seemed
to gain a new strength. With great difficulty, exposing
herself to grave danger, she managed to locate Mirko
and bring food to him in prison. One week upon his arrest,
Mirko was transferred to Belgrade to the Sajmište
camp from which he never returned.
From that moment on, Zora devoted herself to the Baruch
family. It was clear to her now why they rarely
ventured from their home. Zora brought them food,
medicine, and everything else they needed. Rena was an
established lay seamstress, but dared not bring customers
to the outhouse. She started teaching Zora sewing
basics and soon Zora was experienced enough to make
customer rounds; Rena sewed in the outhouse, while
delivery and everything else beyond its walls was entrusted
to Zora.
As newfangled Serbs, the Baruch’s had to blend into
the milieu they were now living in and its popular tradition.
False documents were worthless if one failed to
observe Orthodox Church customs. Zora taught them
how to prepare customary meals for religious holidays,
what to wear on these occasions, when to light candles,
how to behave in church, all in all, everything needed
to prove their Serbian ethnicity.
They didn’t find it
hard since a story told by
Delisia Baruch, alias Desanka
Borić at the time,
was always on their minds.
It was about a little girl
who, instead of opening
her mouth to receive “the
body of Christ” in a Catholic
church, had extended
her hand. The child’s Jewish
origin was immediately
revealed and she was taken
to a death camp. Since they
were obligated to attend
Delisia Baruch alias
Desanka Borić
church on holidays, besides learning new prayers, the
Baruchs had to know how to cross themselves with
three fingers. What they had to memorize was to group
their three fingers together keeping them bent, contrary
to the Catholic practice of making the sign of the cross
with outstretched fingers. To err inside the church would
draw attention, even end in disaster. The smallest mistake
often meant loss of life. Zora was there every step
of the way equally assiduous and caring.
As war was coming to its close in 1944, announcements
decreeing the denouncement of Jews in hiding
were once again plastered all over the city. Zora bravely
stood by the Baruchs right up to the final liberation of
Niš. The Baruchs duly returned to Belgrade. Zora met
a new partner for life, Mr. Budjić, and remained with
him in Niš.
Ezra Baruch
Schalom Baruch alias
Mirko Borić
Zora Stojadinović , married Budjić
awarded a Righteous among Nations
in 2001
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