MY FAMILY DURING WORLD WAR I

Rogovin: The family went to Tarabe, and after some time went to Vilna where they stayed until the end of the war. While my grandfather Mordechai was separated from his Vishnive family, he lived with other family in Devenishky for over three and a half years until all the family could come back to live together after the war.

Elishkevitch: Avram, Sara-Dvora, and their 4 daughters went to live with their relatives in Olshane. After a period of time they moved to Volcovisk in the Grodano district. The Germans decided to move the newcomers between the towns in the area, and the Elishkevitchs moved to Vehodnize where they received a house from people who already left the town. They lived mainly off the revenue from growing tobacco. Avram, the father of the family, died in Vehodnize from typhoid. Sara stayed with her daughters in Vehodnize until 1920, after the family reunited, and returned back to Vishnive. Yakov-Hirsh, the oldest brother, was forced into the Russian army at the beginning of the war. The family bribed some officials in order to try to save him from serving. He went to Vilna, which was occupied by the Germans in 1915, and when he searched for a job and saw an advertisement by the German army looking for intellectuals, he received an interview. When he showed the Germans his passport, they saw that he was a Russian soldier, and they captured him. They sent him to work at a prision in Alzas-Luterniya. He worked hard labor in a mine, oil factory, and kitchen. He returned to his family in Vehodnize only in 1920. Leibel, the second son, went to Oshmane, and there the Germans forced him to hard labor in the Panny-Battalion. They beat him, and he almost received no food. After 2 years of serving he received vacation, though he didn't return to the Panny-Battalion. A German officer came looking for him, and the family bribed the man to free Leibel.

Link to: "THE SHTETL AND I"
stories about life in Vishnive as reflected through the Elishkevich family saga.