Lodz, 9 March 1933

Devoted, beloved brother, Sol Zissman, 

I have received your dear and devoted letter as well as a check
for $10.  You are surely wondering why I made you wait so long
for an answer this time.  If I am not mistaken, I believe that I
have made you wait for an answer for five weeks.  It's really
not nice and not courteous of me to make you, my devoted
brother, wait so long for an answer.  However, however, if you
knew, my devoted brother, everything that has been happening to
me here recently...you would surely not be critical of me for my
silence.

I want you to know, Sol, that since I was thrown out of (work
at) the factory, I have been struggling and scratching and would
really like to accomplish something, but unfortunately...  I
discovered a secret...that it's difficult these days to be a
businessman with money, you can imagine that without money it's
really hard...

You sent me the few dollars.  You're certainly entitled to
thanks for your generosity which you demonstrate to me.  I well
understand, dear brother, that you carried out your
responsibility in proportion to your ability because the
terrrible crisis which is growing around the world has also
found its way to America.  However, however, such terrible times
as we are having these days were not even experienced in Poland
during the time of the war...  Quite simply, people are dropping
in the street from hunger.  Lodz is a city of workers.  As long
as the factory chimneys are smoking, then the common laborer,
the craftsman, the businessman, et al., earn money, and as long
as the factories stand silent and a half million unemployed are
wandering idly about, everything comes to a halt, work,
commerce.  Furthermore, Sol, I don't have to write you anything
because you are aware of it all.  My writing to you is
completely superfluous because I don't have the honor of being
able to share any pleasant letters with you, and my tearful
letters must be sickening to you by this time...  Isn't that
right, Sol?

However, dear Sol, no matter how much I write of to you, you
must always have in mind that your uncle's situation is even
sadder than I portray for you in my letters because I don't want
to make you very sad and don't want to cause you any
unhappiness.  I feel that when you read my tearful letters, I am
stabbing you in the heart.  I would very much like not to cause
you any pain and very much like not to write you any tearful
letters, but what can I do when I spend all the years of my life
in worry and tears.  

It's not enough that I've been wandering about for more than
three months and haven't succeeded in earning a cent; it's not
enough that I owe the landlord rent, the stores for food; it's
not enough that from day to day I see life becoming more
difficult because I am swimming in a sea of debt from which I
will under no circumstances be able to free myself.  My troubles
and my worries are not enough.  So now a new trouble has
appeared.  Last week, my only devoted sister suddenly arrived in
ill health to see a doctor.  She has already been here with me
for ten days.  She has already seen three doctors, and all of
them are certain that the pain which she has in her head  is
(due to) rheumatism in her head.  She gets terrible headaches. 
Up to now, nothing has been done.  It's possible that they'll
have to conduct X-ray treatments or electrical treatments on her
head.  In the next few days, I will ask the doctor to come again
and will seek his advice as to what to do now.  I will have the
opportunity to write to you about this again.  As of now, dear
Sol, we're not lacking any "pleasure."  I have a lot of
aggravation because of my sister's illness.  She takes on too
many responsibilities, worries about everything.  She left a
household and a business almost abandoned and came here to Lodz
to deal with doctors.  And now it's four weeks before Passover,
and one has to do business in anticipation of the holiday. 
Well, is it any wonder that a person's head begins to ache?

Therefore, dear Sol, I am using all means in order to help cure
my sister of her serious illness because she has suffered from
these headaches for over ten years.  This is a sort of common
illness in our family.  Your mother, may she rest in peace,
always had problems with her head too, and I myself also have a
problem with headaches from time to time.

Therefore, dear Sol, you will no longer be surprised that I made
you wait so long for an answer since I did not want to cause you
any pain.  May G-d help so that in the next letter I will be
able to convey better news to you.  In any event, Sol, in the
next few days I will accompany my sister home to Opoczno and, at
the same time, counsel with my brother-in-law about my
situation.  It's also not decided whether I will have to move to
Opoczno...  I will write you everything, everything, in my next
letter.  

So, nothing more of importance to let you know of.  Heartfelt
regards to you, your wife, child and family from me and my
family.

		With respect,

		Wolf Lewkowicz

At this opportunity, I come to my devoted nephew and ask
forgiveness for my silence toward you even though I am guilty of
silence for such a long time.  However, dear nephew, there is
never any pleasure.  The Sanitary Commission has begun to
persecute me so recently.  They closed the bakery.  I had to
comply with all their requirements.  It cost me a lot of money. 
Thank G-d I did not lose the business.  Then we had to rush
about in order to have a few measures of various grains.  After
all, there are eleven mouths to feed; seven children and with
Lazer it's nine; a helper and a female servant is eleven.  I
suspect, my dear nephew, that you blamed me for suddenly
forgetting about my dear nephew.  

Then, when I put a spoon to my mouth and think of my only
brother who swallows saliva, I feel "very good."  I became so
concerned in my weak head that I made myself ill.  I am writing
this letter while I am ill.  May G-d cure me.  

Dear Shloymele, don't be angry.  Write me a long letter, and if
G-d helps me I will answer you immediately.  Write me about how
Ruchele is feeling, and Rifchele, and Bryndl and her husband and
son.  Write me about how your dear wife is and how your dear son
is.  I send heartfelt regards to all.  Please reply.

		(Esther Chmielnicki)


All material Copyright 1995 by Marshall L. Zissman and Sol J. Zissman.