Lodz, 10 March 1935

My dear and devoted brother, as well as precious nephew, Shloyme,

I am impatiently awaiting a letter from you.  I really don't
know what to think, what your silence connotes.  Might something
have happened there, chas v'cholilah?  Might one of you be ill,
chas v'cholilah?  My heart palpitates and beats too strongly.  I
worry a great deal about you there.  I know very well that it is
not your nature to make me wait for an answer.  Six weeks ago, I
received a letter from you with which was enclosed a letter from
your sister, Ruth, written in English.  You wrote me in that
letter that you, your wife, and son were going to New York where
you would see my old friend, David Skorka.  Further, you wrote
that in your next letter you would write me important news. 
Three weeks later, I received $27, i.e., 130 zlotys, sent to me
by mail via Warsaw.  

I won't write you now of the nature of the circumstances that
existed, and of the particular time, when the money you sent
arrived here because my steel pen is too upset right now for me
to relate everything about the sort of difficult winter we are
living through and the sort of circumstances under which it is
our lot to live and exist.  However, I beg you, dear brother, to
write to me about everything that is going on there with you as
to health as well as to making a living.  However, I beg you,
Sol, not to make me wait for an answer because I really can't
make sense, Sol, of your making me wait for an answer for such a
long time.  I am even more surprised that, having sent the money
through the mail, you didn't find it important to write a few
words to me.  This is not a simple thing, Sol.  I beg you, dear
brother, don't cause your uncle any pain, and don't make me
prematurely gray, for I wander about as if crazed and worry
about you a great deal.

About four weeks ago, I wrote you a long letter with which there
was also enclosed a note for Ruth as well as a note to David
Skorka.  I have already received an answer from David Skorka
indicating that he has received my note through you.  He writes
me that you, your wife and son visited him five days earlier.  I
also have newspapers dated up to January 19.  This permits me to
conclude that you have received my letter, but I can't grasp the
reason for your not having found it necessary to answer me.

So, dear and devoted brother, I beg you for the tenth time to
let me know about everything and everyone as soon as you receive
my letter.

		Lodz, 16 March

Dear Sol, 

This letter has been lying here for six days already.  I delayed
mailing it not because I didn't have the money for a stamp but
because I wanted to write you all about important news
concerning me.  First of all, I wasn't sure about my job until
today because a cut-back in workers has occurred at our factory,
and the owner wanted to toss me out of work completely,
motivated by the notion that I am already too old and weak to do
such physically demanding work.  After I applied a great deal of
effort and labor, I was fortunate enough to remain employed at
the factory.  Don't you know the expression:  The worker has a
sorry lot, but even sorrier is the lot of one who has no work. 
I had sat around for almost three months without a job when I
started to work on March 12.  I work four days a week!  

Further, dear Sol, I can tell you that my brother-in-law, i.e.,
your Uncle Lazer, was here in Lodz the day before yesterday.  He
came with his son, Wolfche, to say goodbye, and the very next
morning Wolfche left for the Land of Israel.  His father
accompanied him to Warsaw.  Further, I write you that my
daughter, Rivkele, was sick with a severe case of grippe during
which she was in bed for four weeks.  Now, thank G-d, she is
already feeling better.  She is up and around, but is still
quite weak.  Further, I write that Aunt Chaya Rifke is no longer
living.  She lived for 72 years, and passed away...  May she
rest in peace...  

Now I write that yesterday I received newspapers dated from the
8th to the 20th of February along with models of lamps for
Joseph and a note to Joseph.  This calmed me somewhat, but not
completely.  I don't understand, Sol, why you didn't answer my
letter.  According to my analysis, a letter as well as a packet
of newspapers from January 19 to February 8 were surely lost. 
So be it.  Whatever the case may be, just write me now about
everyone and about everything.  

My Joseph is no longer working at the lamp trade.  The reason
that the handwriting was not his own is that he injured a finger
at work and wasn't able to write to you.  Now the inspector of
workers won't permit him to work because the law provides that
one can't work before he is fifteen years old.  For the time
being, he's not doing anything, but he has prospects to do
something.  He thanks you for your efforts on his behalf.  He
always wants to write something to you, but he's not confident
enough to be in contact with you.  Forgive him.  In time, you
will both be more friendly and more comfortable.

So, nothing else of importance.  Heartfelt regards to all,
without exception.  With respect,

		Your uncle,

		Wolf Lewkowicz


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