Zivi Varsano, Alex Anski, and Gizela Anski in Vratsa

In the photo from left to right are: Zivi Varsano (nee Nusan), Alex Anski, Gizela's son, and Gizela Anski (nee Nusan). In the back of the photo there's an inscription saying: 'To our loving mother from her three Vratsa children - Gizela, Zivika and Alexander. 20.09.1943, Vratsa. At that time Zivi was pregnant with her son, Sabitay, and she used to live with the big family of her husband Isak Varsano. My youngest sister Zivi was shy, meek, caring and a great housewife. She graduated from the Romanian school. It was situated behind the Central Synagogue. She was deeply in love with Isak. They went to live with his family a year before they got married. Isak was a very handsome and ambitious man. His family was poor and as a student he had to both study and work in order to provide for his family. Until the third grade he used to work as a shop assistant and a barber's assistant. But as ambitious as he was, he finished evening classes and later the Institute of Ecomomics with honor. Finally he became the director of the 'Stalin' technical school. Zivi worked for many years as a typist in OJB 'Shalom.' They have two children: a son, Sabitay and a daughter, Ruth. Isak died in 1981. In 1992 Zivi left for Israel and currently she lives with her daughter. My eldest sister Gizela knew many people from Sofia's artistic Bohemian circles. These people often visited us. She was always the center of attention in these merry companies: she sang, told funny stories, recited poems by Smirnenski, Botev, Vaptsarov, and others. She got married around 1939 to Eliezer Asher Anski. He was a Sephardi Jew. His family was well-off. They owned an apartment on the corner of Tsar Boris and Tsar Simeon Street. He was always quiet, reticent, and uncommunicative; maybe sort of a calm background to the 'bright' Gizela, who always shone. Probably it was due to his character that he couldn't achieve a good career as a director. Later, when in 1948 their whole family moved to Israel, he changed his profession and started making art mosaics. Gizela and her husband were two complete opposites. Eliezer adored Gizela and immensely loved their son Alex, who was born in 1940. In Sofia they lived at first in a lodging on Sofronii Street and after that they moved to Eliezer's own apartment. When they left for Israel, their son Alex also started appearing on the theater stage as early as a little boy. He also made a good artistic career and now is a famous actor in the Abima National Israeli Theater of Tel Aviv. His artistic talent, a continuation of his parents' gift, was also revealed when he starred in a radio show addressed to mothers of Israeli soldiers which was meant to keep their spirits high.