Lodz, 18 September 1928 My devoted and beloved brother, I received your short letter of August 20 the eve of Rosh Hashana. It's worthy of noting how fittingly timed your letters to me are. I remember that I was in Opoczno a year ago. I was reciting the Mussaf Service. I was in the midst of the Unasaneh Tokef prayer, just finishing "who will live and who will die," when suddenly I heard the postman call "Lewkowicz. A letter from America." You can imagine how happy your letters made me and my sister. It was exactly the same this year. It was the day before Rosh Hashana, Friday afternoon. We were about to light the candles, preparing to go to the synagogue, and I said to Aunt Malke, "I'm really surprised that Sol hasn't sent a letter for such a long time." It wasn't five minutes until I heard a shout, "Lewkowicz. A letter from America." So, Sol, you can gather that your letter was on my mind during the whole holiday, both when I was praying and when I was eating. When I prayed to G-d that He inscribe us for a year of life, a year of blessing and success, I also had you well in mind. I am more than certain that, by the time you receive my letter, you and your family will have already prayed there to be inscribed and sealed for good and for a happy year. And if you go to synagogue on Hoshana Rabbah for your "ticket," take a favorable "ticket" so that everyone will be satisfied, you and your wife and family, and so on. In a word, may you all, without exception, be sealed for a good year... Now, my devoted brother, as to your writing me that you are anxiously awaiting a letter from me, I can write that you surely received the same within the next several days because your uncle doesn't like to make you wait for an answer. It seems to me that, in fact, two letters are in the mail. Who can remember? Further, my devoted one, as to your writing that I should let you know how I feel, and so on, I can write that I have nothing important to relate. You are already aware of my "successes" from my earlier letters! Your most recent letter disturbed me a bit, even though I was not completely sure that you would come, i.e., I believed and waited to see what time would bring with it. However, now all my fantasies have vanished. I have abandoned hope of your coming to Europe in the next several years. On the one hand, I am really pleased that you can't tear yourself away from your business affairs, family, etc. On the other hand, I feel bad. I think to myself, "G-d knows whether I will again see before my eyes my devoted brother with whom I desire to meet in my lifetime." Imagine, Shloyme, your uncle hasn't seen you before his eyes for sixteen years, and don't forget that these sixteen years have provided us with a little material... No matter how much we write to each other, no matter how well we know each other, it is, after all, only on paper... Sometimes I think about you and your past, and I see before my eyes how quickly time passes us by. Past my eyes float Shloymele the Torah student, Shloymele leaving for America, Shloyme the bar mitzvah boy with his phylactery for his head on the picture, Shloyme the storekeeper, Sol the businessman, Sol the partner of Mr. Anker, Sol the groom, Sol the husband of Esther, Anker's daughter. And now, I visualize Sol the father of...a son or a daughter. How pleasant it sounds and how harmonious the life of the family is made when good fortune brings them a baby. I can't express this for you in words, my devoted one. This you have to experience for yourself. Then, my devoted one, if your life was embittered when you lost your young mother, I hope that your new born child will make your life sweet again. As to your apologizing that it's not your fault that you're not coming because a spirit came between you and your..., I am amazed at you, Sol, that you think your uncle is such a fool as to believe that you permit a spirit to enter...your home... You didn't have to apologize so much. According to my calculations, you are three years late. We still express wishes for a child, with the help of G-d, after 3/4 of a year. Well, for you it's already 3 3/4 years, and I still don't hear (people saying), "Congratulations." Well, Sol, I think that I've written enough on this theme. You are anxious to know what sort of letters I receive from Toronto. My answer is "just about nothing." I neither write nor receive letters. In fact, I did receive a letter from the in-laws recently in which they write that they would very much like to bring us there, but they can't. However, they themselves are not content with their being there. They also write that recently the immigration office has not issued authorizations except for parents of children (living there). Berish and Shia don't write to us at all. In a word, devoted Sol, I have recently become convinced that I can quite boldly give up (hope) of my going for several years... Nevertheless, I do as you ask and, as you request, write you my age and my date of birth according to my passport. I was born in Kinsk on April 15, 1886, i.e., I am already 42 years old. Write me why you need to know how old I am. What else should I write to you, my devoted one? I really have nothing good or important to report. So, Aunt Malke is still not well. She keeps going for medical help; however, as to Rifkele, it is not, chas v'cholilah, a serious illness. However, it should have happened to some other wealthy person, not to me. Now then, how are you feeling? How's business? How do things look? How is your wife feeling? How are Ruchele, Bryndl, Rifchele, your father, in-laws, uncles, et al? Perhaps you see Chaiml Marianka on occasion. Needle him for not having written to his parents. His father is very angry with him. I sent him your address. He will surely write a letter to you, and he also asked me to write. I am writing, as he asked. Further, I write that everything is in the best of order with Aunt Estherl and Uncle Lazer. They are well, thank G-d, and make a living. I took their oldest son, Wowche, here and placed him in a bakery to learn a trade, i.e., as a pastry baker. He gets room and board from me. In time, he'll be a decent person; that's the talk in the family. Further, I had a present made which I am now enclosing in this letter. This is a memorial of the death of your late mother, may she rest in peace, although it is inexpensive and not perfectly crafted. Perhaps in America the work would be better and more attractive. Nevertheless, I hope that this present will be precious to you and your sisters and that this small piece of silver will remind you for a long time of your young, deceased and warmly beloved mother. May her soul be bound up in the bond of everlasting life. May her memory be honored. So, nothing more of importance to report. I send you heartfelt regards, my devoted brother, and I send heartfelt and loving regards to your worthy wife. Heartfelt regards to you and to your worthy wife from my wife and children, Balcia, Rifkele and Joseph. Further, regards to you and your family from your aunt and uncle, Esther and Lazer Chmielnicki, Uncle Emanuel, Aunt Dina Raisel and family, Uncle Yankel of Kinsk, Aunt Chaya Rifke. In a word, everyone you know in our family sends regards to you all, without exception, you, your wife, your in-laws, father, uncles, grandmother and family. With respect, your uncle, Wolf Lewkowicz All material Copyright 1995 by Marshall L. Zissman and Sol J. Zissman.