Lodz, 8 June 1939   

My devoted brother, as well as nephew, and niece, sisters and
brothers-in-law,

I have waited for a period of ten weeks to receive a reply from
you there.  Every week and every day I expect the letter carrier
to bring me a letter from you.  Unfortunately, it's to be
regretted that up to today, June 8, I have not received a
response to my letter to you all from Opoczno.  On the other
hand, I receive the newspaper deliveries on a normal basis. 
Once there was also a short note enclosed from you, Sol, in
which you write that you are busy, that you have no time to
write, etc.

As for me, dear brother, I don't want to pester you because
"Business before all else."  However, I can't believe, dear Sol,
that you don't want to set aside time to send a reply to your
uncle's letter.  I know very well that it is not your nature to
make me wait so long for an answer.  As I know, you're an honest
man and never persist in owing me an answer.  Therefore, devoted
brother, after ten weeks of waiting, I am writing a second long
letter to you since I have not yet received an answer to my
other letter and since, once and for all, I want to clarify for
you what is choking me, what is putting me under a strain...

In my earlier letter from Opoczno, written during the
intermediate days of Passover, I made clear to you, Sol, what my
situation is, so that my daughter, Rivkele, and I had to go to
Opoczno for all of Passover.  Whether we had a good time there
or not is not important.  The only thing that is important is
that there was no other way out...  With the few dollars that
you sent me for Passover, I was forced to pay rent; if not, I
would have been put out on the street...

Before I begin to describe the sort of conditions and the sort
of times we are going through here in Poland, I want to make
clear to you that, by writing, I don't want to put you in a
position in which you will immediately send me another few
dollars...  No, Sol, personally I would prefer that things get
worse, that the situation become darker, although it is very
dark already...  In the event that a war is going to break out,
let it break out now.  In a word, Sol, I no longer pray or hope
for good times.  However, if things are to be bad, let them be
very bad...  

You once complimented me for being a specialist in writing.  I
tell you, Sol, that I am completely unequipped, unqualified, to
write you a letter which accurately describes my current
situation...  You will think to yourself there, "Uncle is
talking and writing about his problems.  Things must not be
going too well for him..."  And then you will again think,
"Perhaps I can ease his problems and torment with a few
dollars."  So, I write you, Sol, and emphasize to you again that
I request nothing of you now because you are a little too far
away from me to be able to examine my heart with your mere
glance...  

I don't consider myself to be such a bright fellow.  However, in
our family they say that I am far from being a fool, a
simpleton.  Somehow my (inner) eye always sees further than a
normal eye.  My mind operates a little too keenly.  Up to now,
there has never been a situation in which I have not anticipated
the nature of the times that are approaching.  I don't know
whether I am a diviner, a graphologist, or simply a prophet, or
just a pessimist.  I am so pessimistic about everything that I
see only the bad, the sad, the gray, the dark.  In addition, I
am saturated with so many troubles that there is no end to them.

There is no other person in the world who can adjust to his life
as well as I.  If you only knew, Sol, how we have been managing
our home recently.  Since my wife died, my children and I have
adjusted our lives to the conditions.  Contentment and harmony
reign in our home.  No one knows what our situation is, whether
we are full or hungry...  I worked a bit and sometimes earned
ten zlotys ($2), fifteen zlotys ($3), or twenty zlotys ($4) a
week.  Joseph was also working and, recently, has earned $4 a
week.  Even though all this didn't serve to provide a living, we
nevertheless saw to it that peace and contentment would always
reign in our home.  Admittedly, an indigent life, but a content
life.  

Some people considered me a fool because I dedicated my whole
life to the children (and didn't remarry)...  On the other hand,
many people used to say that I am smart, a person with a
full-blown intellect, because I have adjusted to my life and
live separately with the children, so that it is pleasing to G-d
and to other people.  I myself am quite pleased that I didn't
allow myself to be influenced by anyone and have not left my
children, up to this very minute.  

Unfortunately, it's to be regretted that the times and
conditions in Poland are such that one can't figure out what
tomorrow will bring.  Starting at the time of Purim, the sort of
mood that has been growing in the country results in no one
being certain that when he gets up in the morning a war will not
have begun.  We are living in an eve-of-a-war mood.  Naturally
it affects trade and manufacturing.  Lodz is a manufacturing
city.  If a factory operates, the worker makes a living.  If the
worker is earning a living, the economy flourishes too.  One
depends on the other.  Imagine, Sol, I have not been working
since before Passover, and I am on Relief.  However, this is
running out too.  Joseph is working only two days a week.  My
daughter, Rivkele, always used to go to Opoczno for two months
in the summertime.  This year, she doesn't want to go away for a
number of reasons.  

Devoted Sol, at the mention of my daughter's name, my hand
begins to tremble because I am not capable of describing with my
pen the nature of the situation in which my daughter finds
herself.  She is not able to provide proper clothing for
herself; she is not able to have a social life.  She is not able
to help herself, and I am not able to help her.  As you already
know, recently she has been going out with a young man, but to
what result when he is poor and I am destitute?  The young man
would be suitable for our home, but "how does the cat get across
the sea?"

I appeal to you, dear and devoted brother.  I also appeal to
your sisters with my plea to you all that you help me arrange
for the marriage of my daughter while I am still alive because I
have a powerful premonition that I will not live to give my
child's hand in marriage under the current situation and
conditions which we are living through in Poland.

You recognize, Sol, that all the plans that you devised for us
have resulted in naught.  I am not blaming you, chas v'cholilah.
 Your intentions were good, but the times and the circumstances
were all responsible for our not being able even to see each
other and to talk to each other face to face.  I blame our
bitter luck for this.

Therefore, my devoted and dear ones, make an effort to
understand me because, Sol, I have never addressed you as
frankly as I do now.  I have never made such an open demand of
you as I do now.  While I know very well that it is not so easy
for you all there to withdraw a certain amount of money and to
send it to me for a dowry for my daughter because I don't put
you in the class of Rockefellers there...nevertheless, I hope
that my appeal to you all will not be as a voice calling in the
wilderness.  My heart tells me that you will not remain
unresponsive to my writing and that you will certainly help me
in my current time of need.  Calling to you and appealing to you
is a devoted uncle who is alone and helpless.  Making this
demand is a devoted father who would still like to live to have
a bit of joy in his lifetime. 

With tears in my eyes, I end my letter with many heartfelt
regards for you, Sol, and your dear wife and dear son, as well
as dear sisters and family from me and my children, Rivkele and
Joseph, and family.  Uncle Lazer and Aunt Estherl send heartfelt
regards to you all.  They signed an engagement contract for a
daughter of theirs.  They will surely write to you.  Write about
what's happening there as to everyone and everything.  Please
don't make me wait for an answer.  With respect,

		Your uncle and brother, 

		Wolf Lewkowicz


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