Shulamit Dragetzki, My Family — Association of Jews of Vilna and vicinity in Israel

In 2000 I went on my first visit to Vilna after an absence of 28 years, during which I lived in my country, the State of Israel. I went to see the synagogue. It reminded me of the days I spent there during my childhood, on festivals or at the wedding of a relative. When I arrived, there was hardly a Minyan (quorum) of men praying there.

One of the men asked me where I was from, and he was surprised to hear I was the granddaughter of Nisan Komaraz. My grandfather was highly respected by everyone, and thanks to him, I felt that they honored me, too.

That was really an honor! My grandfather and grandmother always showed their love, optimism and joy of life. I am thankful to them for what they gave me! They had a major influence on the development of my personality. Because of my grandfather’s attitude to Zionism, we came on Aliyah in 1972. They are long gone, but they always remain in my mind and in my heart. When I find it hard going, I am reminded of my grandfather’s words of encouragement “Zindig nit (don’t complain, we have to appreciate what we have)”.

After the war life was hard. So many of the houses in Vilna were in ruins, some still standing, some completely destroyed, some partially damaged and able to be reconstructed. This caused a problem where accommodation was concerned. People were homeless and added to this there was hardly any work to be found and many people were simply destitute. In addition, there was no abundance of food, to say the least. A long time would pass before the town would get back on its legs and life would return to normal.

In spite of all the difficulties caused by our neighbor my grandfather would always be polite to household members and to people who visited him on a daily basis. We would lock the door only at night. During the day, people would come to consult with my grandfather, even to hear a good joke from him and receive information about the dates of the festivals. They would call him Reb Nisan, out of appreciation and respect.

Grandfather Nisan Komaraz had a warm personality and was a great optimist. Blessed with common sense, he took care of his extended family, and never discriminated against anyone. He would pray every day at the “Taharat Kodesh” synagogue next to our house. He particularly loved the stories of “Shulem” (Shalom Aleichem) and rabbinic literature, books which were very hard to find. He taught me to read Yiddish.