Druy (Druj) (née Zislina) Meri Shmerkovna (10 December 1924, Dvinsk [now Daugavpils] – …) — teacher.
Meri Druy was born in the family of Shmerka Itzik‑Mendelevich Zislin (1891, Kraslava – 1945, perished in a concentration camp in Germany) and Raisa Davidovna Zislina (née Moina) (1894, Liepāja – 1941, murdered in Riga ghetto). She completed primary education in Krāslava (1938), then attended Krāslava Gymnasium (1938–1940) and Riga Secondary School No. 16 (1940–1941).
During the war, she was evacuated to Perevozsk District of Gorky Oblast, where she worked on the Kolkhoz “In Memory of Chapaev” (1941), then relocated to Novosibirsk and worked as a knitter at the “Red Record” artel (1941–1943). She later moved to Moscow and studied at the Stanko‑Instrumental Institute (1943–1945). After returning to Latvia she graduated from the Latvian State Pedagogical Institute (1945–1949).
In Riga, Druy served as an English language teacher at Secondary School of Working Youth No. 18 (1949–1952) and thereafter at Secondary School No. 18 (1952–1955). She paused her career to be a homemaker (1955–1957), then resumed teaching English at Secondary School No. 15 (1957–1973).
She married Meyer Semenovich Druy (born 1911, Krāslava), and they had two sons: Semen Meyerovich Druy (1951, Riga) and Alexander Meyerovich Druy (1954, Riga).
In 1973 Meri Druy received permission to emigrate to Israel, where her cousin, Resia Yankelovna Gelvan (née Zislina) (born 1920, Krāslava), had lived since 1957, and her brother‑in‑law, Boris Semenovich Druy (born 1918, Krāslava), since 1966.
Family
Shmerka Itzik‑Mendelevich Zislin (1891–1945) — father
Raisa Davidovna Zislina (née Moina) (1894–1941) — mother
Golda Shmerkovna Zislina (1923, Riga) — sister
Bella Shierkovna Zislina (1926, Dvinsk – 1941, Riga) — sister (murdered in ghetto)
Resia Yankelovna Gelvan (née Zislina) (born 1920, Krāslava) — cousin
Meir Semenovich Druy (1911, Krāslava) — husband
Semen Meerovich Druy (1951, Riga) — son
Alexander Meerovich Druy (1954, Riga) — son
Boris Semenovich Druy (born 1918, Krāslava) — brother‑in‑law