Return to Rivne

Recap

In this documentary, cousins Shelly Weiner and Raya Kizhnerman recall their childhoods in and around Rivne, Ukraine. Before the war, both had happy lives with family and friends. After German forces occupied the area, anti-Jewish laws and violence quickly shattered them. During the massacre at Sosenki, 17,500 Jews were killed in three days. Shelly lost nearly her entire family, and Raya’s father returned to the city and was also lost to them.

Shelly and Raya, their mothers, and another relative survived with the help of Ukrainian farmer Nikinor Palaschuk and his wife, Natalia. The family hid them in a cramped space in a barn for about 20 months. The girls had little food or air and endured rats, mice, lice, and extreme temperatures. They made dolls and animals from straw to pass the time.

One of the most frightening moments came when the family warned them that the hiding place had been discovered. At the girls’ urging, they fled into the woods, where they hid for three days with almost no food or water before returning.

The Palaschuks later concealed them in an underground grain bunker and helped them travel back to Rivne. The danger continued: German bombing drove the family away, and a bomb destroyed their house the night after they left.

After the war, the cousins’ paths split. Shelly eventually emigrated to the United States with her parents, while Raya remained in the region with her mother. They had no contact for years, until Shelly’s mother learned where Raya was. The cousins reunited in 1974, and Shelly offered to help Raya’s family emigrate.

In 2013, Shelly and Raya returned to Miatyn and saw the farm and hiding places again. Shelly was struck by how small the barn was, and both women reflected on how difficult it was to believe two children had survived there. Their visit gave them a chance to revisit their shared past and honor the Palaschuk family’s courage. They emphasized that the rescuers risked death, along with the loss of their home and property, to protect them.

People Featured

• Shelly Weiner — survivor and narrator
• Raya Kizhnerman — Shelly’s cousin and fellow survivor
• Natalia and Nikinor Palaschuk — the Ukrainian couple who hid and helped the family
• Shelly and Raya’s mothers — central to their survival and recollections