The Grandfather Revealed as a Nazi Criminal Who Murdered Thousands of Jews: A Painful Interview with the Granddaughter by Sivan Rahav-Meir

"I don't remember when I ever sat in front of an interviewee like this," writes Sivan Rahav-Meir in a special post, "to be moved, to appreciate, and to ponder what I would do in her place. I recently met Sylvia Foti, an American Christian, in Chicago. Her family came from Lithuania, and she grew up knowing that her grandfather, Jonas Noreika, was a war hero. Lithuania is full of his statues, schools in his name, memorial sites, and more. Before she died, Sylvia's mother asked her to write a book about the grandfather, the national hero. Sylvia began her research, and slowly uncovered the bitter truth: the celebrated general was a Nazi criminal responsible for the murder of 14,000 Jews.
She felt deep shame but couldn't stay silent, and embarked on a journey to reveal the truth. Sylvia reached out to the media and the courts and is currently working to dismantle his monuments, change the names of institutions named after him, and make Lithuania recognize the historical truth.
Many in Lithuania see her as a traitor, but she is undeterred. She dreams of coming to Israel to tell her story here as well. I told her that while her grandfather wasn't a hero, she certainly is, and it is symbolic to publish this story in Israel specifically during Chanukah, a holiday celebrating the triumph of the few over the many, a holiday of a determined cultural struggle against the prevailing false opinion, a holiday of the victory of light over darkness."