Lodz, 28 July 1929 My beloved and precious brother, as well as nephew, You will surely wonder why I have made you wait for a letter recently. First of all, I waited in case a second letter from you would arrive, so that I would be able to answer them at one time. I also waited in case I might receive some news from my brothers-in-law concerning my Balcia. The result was that I actually received two letters last week. One was from the in-laws in which they wrote that they were at Shia's on Shevuos and had a very good time there since Shia's son became a bar mitzvah. They also write that, by chance, a letter arrived from you in which you write that you are prepared, with their assistance, to help my Balcia to come to Toronto. However, they write that Shia doesn't want to hear of it and says that he has enough (responsibilities). He doesn't want to bring anyone else. A few days later, I received a letter from Shia himself which I am enclosing. Devoted Sol, surely you know that your uncle is not the brigtest of persons, but I am far from being a fool. I read the letter from my brother-in-law and really find no substance in it, i.e., I have no reply to make. I suspect that he is, perhaps, angry with his brother and takes his anger out on me. He writes that he assisted everyone as much as he was able. Perhaps you know whom (he helped); I don't know; certainly not me. If he assisted his parents and his brothers, why is he telling me? It's true, he helped a great deal to establish Berish on a firm, business footing. But if they're fighting and at each other's throats, who's responsible? According to what the in-laws write, there is a war, a battle, raging between the two brothers. I certainly don't know which of them is right. However, dear Sol, what do I care about their battling? If this were not an important matter to me, I might not write to them for years on end because "it's not good for one's health to lie down in a sickbed." Yet, devoted and dear Sol, as you are already know from my previous letters, while we have corresponded and figured out the whole plan, there remains, nevertheless, a question of whether I, in my role as a father, have the right to send a 17-year-old child who is not yet fully mature to such a distant land where she is being awaited by such unfeeling uncles with such coldbloodedness. It seems to me that (they feel) they are being pressured to carry out the operation. Although, dear Sol, many people approach me and say, "Wolf, don't expect any miracles. You have no alternative. Send her. They will have to see to it that she has a job. They will have to see to it that she has a place to live." My own wife, i.e., Aunt Malke herself, says the same thing: "When she arrives there, they won't be unresponsive to her. They will have to see that she is provided for. For the time being, she will stay with (her grandparents)." So, dear Sol, I wind up vanquished in the battle. Everyone lines up on the other side. I remain standing, defeated, unable to come up with a solution. On the one hand, I would want my child to go, to improve her situation, to make a lifework for herself, to learn about the world of people, and perhaps in time to be able to assist us. On the other hand, I begin to think that I am, after all, a father with paternal love. How do I have the right to send a child to a foreign country with an unfamiliar language at a time when her own uncles write that they are not in agreement with our plan and act quite coldbloodedly to the whole affair? I swear to you on my honor, devoted Sol, that the issue has tormented me so recently that I don't sleep all night, and if I were able to find another course of action that would not be as risky as this one, I would certainly be more pleased, and my nerves and heavyhearted spirit would be appeased. I place great expectations, dear Sol, on what you will write because I know well that the matter will not materialize there without you. And since I know that you are logical in everything you do, I hope that this time you will again be logical and determine which direction you should take..."Who is a wise man? He who anticipates the consequences (of his acts)." It's particularly difficult to read their letters. The in-laws are trying to convince Shia to have the necessary documents issued to him on her behalf. And that's all. We have to keep in mind that, after all, she'll have to stay in their home for the first couple of weeks. Obviously, they have to be her advisers. Are they in agreement as to this? Or will they have to be pressured as they are being pressured as to having the permit issued??? Whatever the case may be, dear Sol, I am anxious to hear from you in a letter what the nature of your correspondence with them was recently and what their answer to you was and how you interpret the situation. Are they serious or not? Will the attempt be successful or not? Write to me. Write everything to me as quickly as possible because I am anxious to hear from you. Your advice, your advice, is like gold to me. I can build a bridge on your advice. On the basis of your advice, I can undertake the greatest projects because I know that if you say "Yes," it's yes, and if you say "No," it's no. Therefore, devoted Sol, write everything with precision to me in a long letter as to what I should do respecting my Balcia's trip, whether I should continue to work on them so that they have to take her out, or whether I should abandon this whole plan of mine. So, how are you feeling and how is business? How is your wife? How is your precious one, your Mendel Leib? How are Ruchele, Bryndl and family, Rifchele, father, in-laws, family, et al? As of now, there is nothing of importance here with us. Heartfelt regards to everyone and from everyone, without exception. From me, your uncle who is waiting for a speedy reply, With respect, Wolf Lewkowicz I am, especially, enclosing a newspaper article to show how money is requested for summer homes just as we ask for our Balcia to be taken out to Canada... All material Copyright 1995 by Marshall L. Zissman and Sol J. Zissman.