Historic Material from Virbalis

Supplied by Martin Miller of Syracuse, New York, USA


 

From: "Martin Miller" <millerm@mailbox.syr.edu>
To: "Joel Alpert"
Subject: Virbalis
Date: Thu, 22 Apr 1999
 
Dear Joel,
 
Putting the picture from Virbalis on the web site is just wonderful!
 
I am very grateful for the Virbalis page.
 
I have a letter from my grandfather's brother Mendel from Virbalis in 1921 that could be attached to the Virbalis page if you think they would be of general interest, as well as a letter from my grandfather's mother Tsivya Kamelsky, nee Salinger. Mendel's letter (see below) is full of names and facts and historical perspective. Tsivya's letter (see below) is remarkable in that it was sent days before the Nazis rounded up the Kaunas (Kovno) Jews. The envelope has the Nazi postmark complete with swastika (see below).
 
My grandfather William Miller (Wolf Kamelsky) came to the US from Virbalis in 1911, and his sister Ida (Chaya Dina) followed about 1914. His sisters Rifke, Itte Leah and Tsiril and brother Mendel remained in Virbalis. Rifke married and lived in Kaunas. Sister Itte Leah lived with Rifke and her family. Mendel remained in Virbalis. Itte Leah and Mendel were unmarried. It is believed that Tsiril left Lithuania before the war, but no one knows where she may have gone. Rifke and Itte Leah perished in the Kaunas Ghetto in 1943, but Rifke's son was smuggled out of the ghetto and sheltered by gentiles and today lives in Prienai, Lithuania. He was located through the help of a JewishGenner and reunited with family he never knew he had.
 
Marty
 
Martin Miller in Syracuse, NY


Mendel's Letter

 
28 October 1921

To my dearly beloved brother William, may he live and be well.

First of all, I can write you that I am thank God in good health. To hear the same of you.

I can write you that we are not working now since the 9th of May. I can write you that we worked for 18 months. The whole time Hershel Pesach Gringard and his brother Chaim Feivel ran the factory. Lev Adarsky came from Russia after Pesach, and he took sick with typhus and was in bed for 2 weeks in Naishtat and died. Mendel Adarsky came from Russia and went to America to his wife, and Nissan is now in Virballen, and Zelig came and is now with his sister Basha in Berlin, and maybe Zelig will begin to peddle again.

And you ask where I have been all this time. I can write that on 10 November 1916 the German occupation higher-ups took me away to forced labor, and I spent 13 months. The whole time I worked in the forest. In the very beginning they sent me to Vilna, and I spent 2 weeks in the Antakaler Prison in Vilna. That was the collection point for all the forced laborers, and later they sent 420 of us men to Podbrodzhe, 3 stations beyond Vilna, and there we worked for 7 months in the forest on a highway detail. Thirty degrees below zero, and we remained outside and worked there. They ended the work there and sent us to Yevye, 2 stations from Vilna in the direction of Kovno. There I worked for 6 weeks, and then I worked near Neiman for 5 months. Then I was released, and I peddled for two years. Then we found work and earned 900 Marks a week.

Further, with regard to what you write about coming to America, I should ask you why should I come to America when you're not setting the world on fire there either, and when there are 4 million unemployed.

I can write you that in Lithuania they drafted up to age 23. This year they only took 21 year-olds, and I didn't have to go to the military. Now we have a horse and wagon, and we peddle.

I can write you that many Lithuanians come from America and bring much money. There are people in Virballen that do nothing and receive a lot of money from America and live on that. I can write you that Layzer Adarsky came after Pesach for a visit from New York with Feivel Gringard from Stockholm.

The 500 Marks Ida sent for Rifka we have not yet received. The way she writes things are good for her, but she has shown us no generosity. In a whole year she sent us 2 dollars. We only know what others receive from America. I can tell you that everything is expensive now in Lithuania. An egg costs 4 Marks, a pound of butter 20 Marks, a sack of potatoes 40 Marks, a liter of milk 4 Marks. One room costs 80 Marks a month, a pound of bread costs 120 Pennies, a meter of wood 150 Marks, and it's hard to get along.

I have no more news to write you. Be well. From your brother Mendel, who wishes you and your wife and children long life and good health for the New Year.

 


Tsivya's Letter

 

KAUNAS, 13 June 1941

To my dearly beloved son, may he live and be well.

What is the reason you haven't written me for so long, it's been two years' time that I haven't received a letter from you. I would really like to know how you're doing and how you are, also the same of your wife and children. I, my dear son, am very sick and weak. I can barely get around any more. I have experienced enough sorrow in my life! Your father recently was ill, for several weeks he lay in bed, his heart had become very weak. He died on 18 Nisan, Holhamoed Pesach. I have only one request for you, when you can, if time allows, say Kaddish for your father. I am now at Rifke's in Kovno, and now only Mendel is left in Verzhbalov. Whether or not he says Kaddish, I can't tell you for sure, probably not. I believe you know him very well. I am bitter enough at having two sons, but not one Kaddish. I hope, my dear son, that you will be able to fulfill my last wish.

For now I have no special news to write. I wish you and your wife and children good health several times over. I hope for a prompt reply.

Regards from your sisters, Itte Leah, Rifke and Tsirke.

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
From: "Martin Miller" <millerm@mailbox.syr.edu>
To: "Joseph Rosin"
Cc: <alpert@ll.mit.edu>
Subject: RE: Virbalis
Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999
 
 
Dear Joseph and Joel,
 
The letter (above) is dated June 13, 1941 but the postmark is 6/20 or it might be 6/26. digit after the 2 is not clear. I looked at it under a magnifying glass and still can't be sure, although I'd say it was 20 rather than 26, but history would be the final judge.
 
Here is the front and back of the envelope. Many have expressed surpriset hat any mail got out at all at that late date [after the Nazi invasion of Lithuania on June 21, 1941].
 
I also have a picture postcard (see below) from Virbalis, mailed in 1911 or 1912. The scene depicted is the marketplace, and the postcard says, "Greetings fromVirbalis" [Gruss Aus Wirballen ] in German and Russian. What's more interesting is that the couple of post cards were both dated a certain number of days after the postmark. I finally realized that they had apparently gone to the modern calendar style ahead of Russia, which had to wait until after the Revolution I believe.
 
Regards and thanks for all your help and interest.
 
Marty
 
 
Picture postcard from Virbalis, mailed in 1911 or 1912
 
 

 
 
From: "Martin Miller" <millerm@mailbox.syr.edu>
To: "Joel Alpert", "JosephRosin"
Subject: RE: 1927 Picture from Sudargas
Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999
 
 
Here is the one postcard. Those that know Russian will see a misspelling.
The card was from my grandfather's sister Chaya Dina Kamelsky. She says that
she sews in Kibartai from Sunday to Friday night for two rubles a week plus
board.
 
Marty
 
Martin Miller in Syracuse, NY
mailto:millerm@mailbox.syr.edu
http://web.syr.edu/~millerm/index.htm
 
 
 

From: "Martin Miller" <millerm@mailbox.syr.edu>
To: "Joel Alpert", "JosephRosin"
Subject: Another postcard
Date: Sat, 24 Apr 1999
 
 
Here is the second picture postcard from Virbalis. At least I believe it is a postcard, as I don't think it's a family picture (see below).
 
I've never been able to decipher the message completely, although Chaya Dinah mentions that one Sarah Ettel had written to my grandfather. A girl he left behind. In another letter his mother asks about Feyga Leah and her son
Kalman Yonah.
 
The ship's manifest said my grandfather was going to an uncle Jacob Sternstein in Brooklyn. I researched the name and address and the family did live at that same address from 1910 to 1920. Never heard of them and haven't found a trace. We always thought that he was going to Altoona, PA, but don't know if he ever got there either. These cards are addressed to him here in Syracuse, the first within several months of his arrival in the US in November 1911. There is an address for a Carl Sokolsky in Altoona in his address book. Otherwise everything is a mystery.
 
Thanks for listening.
 
Marty
 
Martin Miller in Syracuse, NY
 
 
 

 
From: "Martin Miller" <millerm@mailbox.syr.edu>
To: "Joseph Rosin"
Cc: <alpert@ll.mit.edu>
Subject: RE: 1927 Picture from Sudargas
Date: Sun, 25 Apr 1999
 
Dear Joseph and Joel,
 
By all means use anything I've sent. Your writings on Virbalis, Kybartai and Sudargas have given me much comfort. Since I know so little about my grandfather and have found so little, it feels good to know more about the places that were familiar to him and the folks among whom he lived.
 
Regards,
 
Marty
 
Martin Miller in Syracuse, NY
http://web.syr.edu/~millerm/index.htm
 

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Compiled by Martin Miller

Updated by JA December 18, 1999

Copyright © 1999 Martin Miller