Opoczno, 28 November 1926

To my most beloved and devoted brother and nephew
   and his worthy wife, E. Zissman,

I sit now and think about what the significance can be of Sol
not having answered two letters.  My sister says that
something must have taken place; it isn't Sol's nature not to
answer.  And really, Sol, your silence is wholly
incomprehensible to me.  You know very well that a letter of
yours is awaited by us with great eagerness.  According to my
reckoning, I should receive a letter from you every two weeks
because I also write you a letter every two weeks, but I
haven't received a letter from you for the last five weeks.
And this Sabbath, I was overcome by a great longing for you
and for your letters, so I decided to write you a third
letter without waiting for an answer.  And in my third
letter, devoted brother, I beg you as your devoted uncle to
heal my heart and answer my letters.

You will certainly think to yourself there, "My uncle sits
there in Opoczno and writes me such long, foolish letters,
and this is the busy time in America (the "season") when one
should see to making a dollar for the future.  I suppose I
should put everything aside and write answers to such long
and foolish letters."  Of course, it isn't nice of me to
interfere with your business during the season.  However,
dear and devoted Sol, I know you too well.  Your character
and consideration toward me and toward my sister have been
well known to me for a long time.  I know very well that when
you work the hardest, that when you slave away the most,
nevertheless you do not forget about your devoted uncle.
Furthermore, there is really always an ache there in your
refined, kosher heart...and, except for your beloved wife, I
don't believe you have anyone there to whom you are able to
unburden yourself.  Therefore, when you write and unburden
yourself of what pains you, it seems to you that you feel
better.  I felt the same way, my devoted and beloved one,
whenever I was depressed.  I immediately wrote a letter to
Sol, and I was immediately relieved.

I believe, Sol, that there is no closer and better brother
and friend in the world than I have found in you.  And since
we are so bound together by friendship, we have to make sure,
at least, to nourish our friendship, if not through visits to
one another or through getting together, at least in writing,
through correspondence.  "Ah," you may say, "there's nothing
to write.  I've already written everything."  But, Sol, this
is no excuse for your uncle and for your aunt.  Just as you
want to have good news from us here, that we are "all-
rightniks," even more do we want to hear from you that you
have made progress, that you are well, that you do business,

etc.  As to us,  there is no need to ask any questions
because we live in Poland which is a land that is always
ready for the punishment (of Jews)...but you, Sol, you are in
a land of opportunity, in a country that didn't suffer
through a war and doesn't suffer today from its after
effects.  According to the newspapers, today America is the
wealthiest and most fortunate country in the world, and
how anxious I would be to see you a wealthy, fortunate person
among your countrymen.

Believe me that not a day goes by, not an hour, without our
thinking of you and speaking of you.  So, for example, there
was a discussion here today.  There is a late winter this
year.  Tomorrow is already Chanukah, and we still have
springlike weather.  There is no snow, no frost, as in other
winters at this time.  Many people complain about the season,
and I think to myself, "G-d knows, there might be the same
climate in America as there is here, and what is Sol thinking
there?  How is he doing there with his 200 stoves that he
prepared for the winter?  Did he sell them or, chas
v'cholilah, not?" Yes, your concern is my concern, your
joy is my joy, and yet, dear Sol, no matter how much I want
to help you with your work, no matter how much I would like
to make things easier, provide a healing for your wounds, I
don't have the means other than with a letter because we are
too far from one another in order to be able to converse with
each other.  We must, after all, content ourselves with
writing letters, whether foolish letters or wise letters.
It's all the same.  But we have to write letters to each
other, as many and as often as possible, because this is our
nourishment, our food, with which we feed ourselves.

Therefore, dear and devoted Sol, pay attention to what I am
writing and do not consider it a minor matter because just as
a person cannot live and survive without food, so I cannot
live without receiving a letter from you from time to time.
I hope, and I am confident, that your delay in answering me
was only a fluke or a misunderstanding.  In the future, it
will certainly be put in order to the benefit of both of us!

Now, dear and devoted Sol, you are surely anxious to hear
something good, something new from your uncle.  Yes, Sol, I
have a great deal to write, but I don't know where to begin.
Obviously, you can see that I am still in the mill in
Opoczno.  Up to the month of Wrzesien (September), i.e.,
up to Succoth, I have already informed you.

During the month of Wrzesien, there was a renovation and the
mill was at a complete standstill.  During the next month,
Pazdziernik, we had to pay for the renovation, so that for
two months we worked for no return...and we had to eat.  And
this month, Listopad, also doesn't look like it's going to be

a great one because corn here has risen in price from $2.50
to $5.00 per meter.

The large mills, which had significant reserves, made money.
However, mills like mine with 100 meters of corn, what are we
to do?  There's just enough to operate the mill for half the
week.  At the beginning, I really thought that I had found my
good fortune in Opoczno...recently, we have worked so
intensively and we are all still working, right up to now,
with all our strength.  So, for example, we have already
succeeded in pulling in a businessman from Danzig with $500
who pays us in advance for flour.

But it's all like a drop of water in the ocean.  There's
really a question of whether or not I will continue to remain
in the partnership until the new year.  From my point of
view, I have no complaint against the partners because they
agreed to provide the mill and to take 80%; I take 20%.  I
agreed to do the milling...not aware that corn would rise to
such high prices during this period.

In any event, we have to suffer and tighten our belts and
wait until the new year.  At new year, we will make a
general balance so that we will determine where we are in the
world, whether we had a profit or a loss, whether it's a
business or not, whether I will be a resident of Opoczno or
of Lodz.  I will write you about everything that takes place
with me.

My wife is not too happy with the business, first of all
because of my absence; secondly, I send her a weekly sum of
money, naturally in accordance with my understanding and in
proportion to my earnings.  But she is not satisfied with my
frugality and doesn't care about me, but criticizes me in the
family saying that I am untrue to her and don't send her
enough to live on.  I am enclosing two post cards, one from
my wife to her husband and one from Uncle Emanuel (Lewin) in
which he accuses me of being a stingy husband...

My wife has made me so impatient that I have completely
stopped writing letters home, and I don't go home, but I send
a weekly allowance in accord with my understanding and my
earnings.  It's true that it's hard for her, but it's not too
happy a situation for me either.  All my work is only to
secure a career and an existence.  The assistance of my
sister and brother-in-law is considerable.  With all their
strength, they want to help to set me up on a firm
foundation.  At present, I must think of no one but myself.
My wife and my children will willingly pardon me.  And to
defend myself against them, perhaps better times will come...

So, I send heartfelt and loving regards to you and your
worthy wife and also heartfelt regards to your sisters, in-
laws, father, uncles and family.  My sister and brother-in-
law send their heartfelt regards.  My wife and children send
their heartfelt regards.  Please answer promptly.

                              With respect,

                              Wolf Lewkowicz
My address is:

   Lazar Chmielnicki
   Kaluzna 11
   Opoczno, Poland
   Att'n:  W. Lewkowicz


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