Lodz, 20 November 1924 My esteemed and devoted nephew, worthily named Sol J. Ziss- man, I received your dear and devoted letter ten days ago. The reasons for my failure to answer you immediately are numerous. I was sick for a while, and for a while I was busy with nonesense, and so on. I hope my dear (nephew) that you will excuse me this time for holding up my answer for several days. That is why, dear Sol, I'm writing you a long letter now, so that you won't be angry with your uncle. I am also aware of the fact that you don't really have much time for me. You are moving into a new store, putting everything in order, and things are busy now before Christ- mas. And here I am bothering you with a letter. Now, ten days after having received your letter, I read it over again. That is, I didn't just read it, I devoured the sweet words that you wrote to me. If I were a poet, I would write a song about our love. I learned much from your last letter. You write to your uncle with such an ardent love, with such fidelity, with such devotion, that I am not able to respond to your love for me with my mere steel pen. On reading your letter for the hundreth time, I am still amazed, like the naive young man who, enthralled by the love of a girl, nevertheless, remains naive, not understanding why the girl loves him as she does. Fortunate Shloymele, how good it is for you that you can love. You will also make your wife happy. I can imagine how you will love your wife who is near you, if you love an uncle as much as you do from afar. Dear Sol, in your last letter you wrote that, even though my letter to you was written in a humorous vein, you neverthe- less sense in my writing a sadness, a worry. In all truth- fulness, I have nothing to say in response to your wise, clear-sighted words. I can only say that your eye sees far. You have a clear grasp of things. You consume me with your love, and I must remain as naive as that young man (of my tale). Perhaps the time will come when I will be able to respond to your love with love. Now, I wish you luck in your new business, my dear child. I am delighted that you bought a large store in a good neigh- borhood. May G-d help you to be so successful in business that in a short time you will be able to write and tell me that you are buying the building in which your store is located. Yes, my dear child, you are young enough to be happy yet. You have energy, will and ability. I am con- vinced that all your undertakings will bring good results. Above all, don't be afraid. Have courage, hope, and a well conceived plan of what you hope to do, like the ship's cap- tain, who was responsible for the ship for the first time. Dear Sol, when a shipping company entrusts its huge ship to a captain, it entrusts him not only with a sizable fortune, but also with thousands of souls. The captain, however, is burdened with the concern that he will command the ship as he is supposed to and will not, G-d forbid, forget anything or, G-d forbid, fail to carry out his duty because people's lives depend on him. The same is true, dear child, when G-d gives you a business, an undertaking. Proceed with cer- tainty, with spirit, with energy, like the ship's captain. But, dear child, I want to point out one thing. I have heard that the captain of a ship should not set out on a voyage without taking his anchor with him. In my whole life, I have not yet seen a ship or an anchor. I've only heard of them. I am, however, convinced that the anchor is a safety precaution. In the event of catastrophe, G-d for- bid, the anchor plays a very important role. In short, without the anchor, the ship is not secure on its journey. Devoted nephew, I compare all of your undertakings to the ship and you to the ship's captain. But, dear child, do you want to secure your livelihood? Do you want to sweeten your life? Do you want to set up a house of happiness and of joy? Then don't forget to take your anchor! I think that you know what I mean and to which anchor I refer. I am not embarrassed to say that I mean your beloved Esther Malke Anker (anchor), who will work with you without pay. She will lighten your burden, heal your heart, calm your mood and all of your undertakings will be secure. Your uncle advises you to get married as soon as possible and to take as much advantage as possible of all the world has to offer, since I don't put much stock in the other world. There is no harm in taking advantage of this world and then waiting to see what the world to come has to offer. To continue--you wrote me that you had had a car accident and that you wanted to bentch goyml (recite the prayer cus- tomarily said after escaping with one's life). I have much to say about that. It is true that if you are driving a car and someone goes right into you, G-d forbid, one second can mean the difference between life and death. One must truly be mindful of one's place in the world. That is why one bentches goyml. Why isn't there a law requiring a poor man with seven children to bentch goyml when he squeaks through the week having only ten gulden and needing seventy-five? Yet he lives and doesn't bentch goyml. Actually, according to my thinking, a poor man should bentch goyml every day. He should bentch goyml when he has earned enough to get through the day. 9 9 Dear Sol, you wrote me that you made a donation of $25 and that you would eventually write me the reason for that gift. Of course, I am curious to know what happened. Perhaps it was the car accident. Perhaps something else. Please write me longer letters and more often concerning your business and everything pertaining to it. When I receive a good, long letter from you, that is my pleasure, my recreation. Also let me know if you are happy with your new President Coolidge. I am not very pleased with him, since he is opposed to immigration. I was for La Follette, but since no one asked me and no one is waiting for my vote on anything, my opinion doesn't count. Now, dear Sol, I want to ask a favor of you. I don't want you to waste any time, effort or expense on it, but (could you) please find out David Skorka's address? I, for my part, don't need it. I am a bit angry at him. We were such good friends. He should have written at least a post card once a year. I've written many a letter to him and he doesn't answer. An aunt of his visited me and asked me to write him a letter. How can I, if he doesn't answer my letters? So, if you have the opportunity to find out (his address), you will have earned (a part in) the world to come. Here is his former address. I don't know if he is still living there or not. D. Skorka General Bookbinder 23 West 20th Street New York After reading this, you will probably think, "I don't have enough troubles of my own. My uncle has to give me some- thing to do involving strangers." So I repeat that if you don't have the opportunity, don't go to any bother. I know very well that you live in Chicago and he lives in New York. I have regards for you from your cousin and your former pal, Shmiel Lewin. He spent this Shabbos in Lodz. He even ate and slept at my house. We spoke of you the whole time, and I showed him all of your letters. His purpose in coming was to see three prospective brides. One didn't like him. He didn't like the second. And, in the third case, they didn't like each other. I asked him several questions, like, "Shmiel, what do you propose to do now?" He answered that he had to get married right away. Then I asked him, "How can you spend a lifetime with a woman you don't love?" He shrugged his shoulders and replied that he had no idea. I asked him, "Is that the kind of foundation on which to build a family life and raise children? What if it were a disaster...as it's sure to be?" Our conversation ended, and he returned home with the same ideas he had brought with him. The matchmaker is waiting for his reply. Dear Sol, I have almost filled up this entire letter with foolishness. I know that the most important thing that you want to know is how your uncle's health is, his livelihood, his business, and so on and so forth. I would love to write you something about myself, but unfortunately I don't have anything to write. That is, I do have something to write, but I find it very difficult. I want to write to you...but only good things. The happier, the better. I have cried enough to you; I have complained enough to you. I would like to get together with you some time. Then our hearts would look into each other, and perhaps (we could) ease each other. Concerning your writing that you want to help me in some way...my dear child, I want nothing of you, and I ask noth- ing of you. It has been determined long ago that is is my destiny to be a poor man. But please write me a letter every two weeks about all of your prospects. Also (let me know) when you will get mar- ried, and whether I may still hope to see you before my eyes. With this, I close my writing. I send you heartfelt regards. My worthy wife also sends heartfelt and loving regards, as do my children. The whole family sends you regards, for example, your dear grandmother, your aunt, your Uncle Lazer, Uncle Emanuel Lewin, Aunt Dina Raizl and her children, Aunt Breindel and her children, the wealthy Yankkl Lewin, and Chaya Rifke, and so forth. Give regards to your sisters, Ruchel, Bryndl and Rifkele. Write to me about each one, how they are and whether Ruchel is well. Also write about what's going on with your father, how he feels and whether you are still angry with him. Write to me about how your uncles, grandmother, and grandfa- ther are, and so forth. Now, heartfelt regards to your dear in-laws and your worthy and beloved fiancee. Let me know how they are feeling and how business is going for them. I would like to see a pic- ture of your father-in-law to see whether or not I would still recognize him. With respect, Your uncle, Wolf Lewkowicz My address is: Wolf Lewkowicz LIpowa 44, No. 11 Lodz All material Copyright 1995 by Marshall L. Zissman and Sol J. Zissman.