Opoczno, 27 May 1926

My esteemed, devoted nephew with your worthy
   name, S. Zissman,

I have already written four or five letters to you, my
devoted one, and my brother-in-law, Lazer, also wrote you a
letter, and until today I anxiously await a letter from you.
I don't know what to think.  I know very well that it is not
your nature to keep your uncle waiting and not answer.  In
addition, you are aware, my devoted one, from my last two
letters that I wrote you, about the deal I made respecting
the mill.  I have been in the mill about three weeks already
and, the way it looks, perhaps I will in time be able to have
an assured income and will perhaps not have to suffer the way
I am suffering...

Devoted Shloyme, I suspect that my letters of complaint are
superfluous for you because you know my biography too well.
Even though you are so far away from me, nevertheless you see
everything and feel everything that happens to me.  I am
struggling with my remaining strength in order to live and
exist in the big world.  My brother-in-law, Lazer, shares in
all my troubles, and he is involved, with advice and action,
to assure that I will have a means of existence, and let us
hope that you, my devoted Shloyme, on whom I place so much
hope and respect, will also not remain unresponsive to my
writing.  Take into consideration, my devoted one, that if I
do not make an additional payment on a timely basis, as I
obligated myself to do, everything will dissolve and fade
away, and I will be forced, chas v'cholilah, to write again
to my nephew for a bit of support at holiday time.

So, my devoted and most beloved, there is much that I should
write to you about, but I cannot because I am now standing in
the midst of the sea and search for and seek from whence my
help will come.  My writing gives me and also my brother-in-
law, Lazer, the fullest hope that you will do everything that
is within your power to do to save your uncle.  Perhaps an
end will finally come to my troubles, and perhaps G-d will,
after all, have mercy on me and my family.  It would be about
time, so that I would not have to suffer so much.

So, devoted Shloyme, in my last two letters I wrote you
everything and, if you want, I can send you a copy of the
contract so that you can satisfy yourself about everything.
But we're left with the fact that time is short, and I have
to make an additional payment, and I don't have any place to
get it except from you, my devoted one, who I certainly hope
will not abandon me standing in the midst of the sea and
drowning.  I suggest, no matter how sizeable the help is,
that it would be best to telegraph it because money takes a

lot longer by mail than does a letter; also, don't send it in
my name, but to Uncle Lazer's address.  And, with the help of
G-d, I promise you, Shloyme, that if the Holy One, blessed be
He, will help so that the business is successful, you may be
certain that your money which you send me now will be
returned to you with heartfelt thanks.  But, Sol, if your
uncle is beloved and dear to you and, after all your efforts,
you haven't been able to "cure" your uncle up to now, today
the most favorable moment to achieve it has arrived.

Pay attention to my words, Sol, that I express from the
depths of my heart.  With tears in my eyes, I end my letter
with heartfelt regards for you and your worthy wife, Esther,
and I send my best regards to your in-laws, father, sisters,
et al.  Uncle Lazer, Aunt Estherl and family send heartfelt
regards to you, your wife and family.  With respect,

                              Your uncle,

                              Wolf Lewkowicz

I anxiously await a letter from your father too.  Write me
about when your father-in-law arrived back home and what he
reported about his trip in general and about me in
particular...


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