Lodz, 18 May 1937 My dear and devoted nephew, as well as brother, and dear niece, Zissman, I received your letter almost three weeks ago; I also receive the newspapers regularly. Further, two weeks after Passover I received $10 from you, and now as I write an answer to you, I think to myself how poorly, how tactlessly, I treat you... People say that Americans answer only ten percent of the letters received from Europe. From my perspective, I would say that something is out of balance. I don't remember the time when you were not punctual in this regard. The lack of punctuality and answering tardily has occurred recently on my end. Although it is provided that: ...Thou shall not criticize your brother until you stand in his place... It's the same with me, dear Sol. You know very well that it's not my nature to make you wait for an answer. To the contrary, you don't deserve to have me make you wait for an answer. It's only that the last two months resulted in my receiving letters, money and newspapers from you and my not even answering you with a post card. Well, Sol, when an accused admits his guilt, his penalty is cut in half, and as to the second half I ask you to forgive me for my tactless treatment of you. I will only write you in a brief format, devoted Sol, that the last two months involved my losing my job because they dismissed twenty men at our factory, and I was among these twenty who were dismissed. Due to a great deal of effort and in spite of many difficulties, I won the right to work for another six months, i.e., until October 1. I don't want to know what might happen by then because the times are such in Poland these days that one can't foresee what tomorrow might bring... It seems to me that it's unneccessary to write about it because you read The Forward just as I do and doesn't The Forward provide an accurate picture of Jewish poverty in general? Further, dear Sol, I can write you that I received a picture of you, your dear Esther, and your darling Leonard. You may want to know under what sort of circumstances I received your picture. So, I write you the whole truth, without exaggerating. It was approximately two weeks after Passover on a Saturday morning when I awoke my Joseph from sleep in order for him to go to synagogue to say Kaddish. My Joseph said to me, "Father, I happened to be dreaming a pleasant and sweet dream, and it's too bad that my Father woke me up because I would have liked to experience such a dream for as long as possible." I anxiously asked him what sort of dream he had been dreaming, and he told me that, while he doesn't know you personally, nor does he know your wife or your son, nonetheless with his own eyes he had seen the door in our home open one fine morning and you, your Esther and Leonard came into our home. You didn't find anyone at home except for him, Joseph. You asked whether he recognized you, but instead of answering he embraced and kissed you. He was so excited by the happiness and surprise that he wanted to run to tell me the news of your arrival, but I woke him up in the midst of the dream, and he was very saddened that the dream hadn't gone on to its end. This was at about 8:00 a.m., and the postman knocked on the door an hour later and handed me a picture of all of you. Well, Sol, how do you relate my Joseph's dream to the picture that you sent? Is there a connection, or is it just a coincidence like other coincidences? I note for the second time that everything that I write to you here is the exact and pure truth, not a word of exaggeration. Now, my dear ones, my children and I thank you sincerely for the picture that you sent to us. You look a little older, Sol; your dear Esther looks unusually nice. Leonard is a picture of beauty, resembling his father with his clever eyes and his mother with his good looks! The picture will be a treasure in my home. Further, I can write you that two weeks ago, i.e., on Lag B'Omer, we had a wedding here. Pinya Lewin was married. In fact, he gave me an invitation for you, but realizing that you would not manage to come and that it seemed a waste of money for you to send a telegram because he received enough telegrams without yours, (I didn't send you the invitation). Therefore, when you send an answer, write that you received a card but, since it was written in Polish not in English or Yiddish, by the time you had it translated it was too late to send a telegram. Congratulate him in a letter to me. Further, I can write you that Wolf Lewin of Belgium, Pinya's brother, came here especially for the wedding; he was here for two weeks. The whole family got together for several hours, and we had a very good time. We also spoke a good deal about you and your childhood. Wolf (Lewin) is sending along a short note in his own handwriting. My cousin, Esther Goldberg, is also enclosing a note to you; it's important to answer her each time because she is a very bright and practical woman. She reads your letters very eagerly and with great satisfaction! Further, Sol, I can write that, next week, I am planning to send my daughter, Rivkele, over to Aunt Esther in Opoczno because it's extremely hot here, and she feels very weak in Lodz, so the doctor advised that she should go away for a while to rest her nerves because she looks very bad. Imagine, a child of the war, overwhelmed with so much trouble, now assumes the burden of running a household. In addition, she does not cease to mourn for her mother. Further, what's new with you as far as health, business, etc.? I suspect that now, summertime, business must be a bit weaker. I am anxious to know how you wound up with your former partner, with the Greek. Are you completely finished with him, or does he still live in your building? (sic) In any event, be careful because Greeks have a reputation for being clever swindlers. Further, what's new with Ruchel, Ruth and Bryndl? Are they all well? Are they all making a living? What's new there with your family in general and with Uncle Sam's country in particular? As to me, I have nothing of importance to relate. We are well, thank G-d. We hope to hear the same from you there along with those close to you. My children and I send our heartfelt and loving regards to you and your worthy wife and dear son. The whole family also sends their heartfelt regards to you. Special regards from Uncle Lazer and Aunt Estherl. Their son was in Lodz three weeks ago. He was taken into the military service, and he is serving in Piotrkow. With respect, your uncle who awaits a prompt answer from you in spite of the fact that I made you wait. I ask you to answer me immediately about everyone and everything. Wolf Lewkowicz Lipowa 44 Lodz, Poland All material Copyright 1995 by Marshall L. Zissman and Sol J. Zissman.