Opoczno, 15 March 1927 To my worthy and most devoted brother, as well as nephew, I have received your 6-page letter of February 21, and now thank you for your precious writing to me. Devoted Sol, if you knew the joy that you evoke from me and from my sister with your letters to us, you would put all your work aside and merely send us a letter every day. I do not tire of reading your letters. I read a letter when I receive it, later when I eat, when I rest from a day's work, later in my bed, and so on. In order to answer a letter of yours, my devoted one, one has to be very bright and perceptive. I read how you extend yourself to relate to me all the details concerning the fellow from whom you bought the building, and I think to myself, "How remarkable it is; how well we know each other." That is, from time to time, I have moments when I feel coerced and pressured. I feel cornered. One seeks a friend, a savior, who will understand and, perhaps, even extricate one from a critical situation. However, dear child, not everyone finds in a friend of his a true savior who will assist him at such critical times. There are a lot of people who even back one up against the wall and use the advice for themselves. Therefore, dear brother, when one finally finds a good and true brother, when one finally locates such a person somewhere in the world, whether in America, whether in Australia, or in Europe, one has to establish an eternal bond with such a person, not undervalue his letters, consider every word and the meaning of the words with all the generalities and details because in each word of such letters lies an ocean of emotions and passionate expressions. I read and sense that you want your uncle to acknowledge you as a successful businessman in Chicago. You want your uncle to close his eyes and remember little Shloymele of fifteen years ago who, after working hard, has finally battled his way to a business, a building, etc. Yes, Sol, I see everything. I not only see how you have prospered; I also see how you carry a stove up to the fifth floor. However, Sol, you have to take one thing into consideration, that at last your fate took you to a land of opportunities and sweetened your life when you also found a wife there; you also showed the ability in the first third of your life to make a bit of progress. So, you may be certain that your fate will from time to time bring you higher and higher. It's just a shame that your sainted mother, may she rest in peace, was not granted the honor by G-d to see her only son successful. While wealth has no limit, nevertheless you should consider yourself fortunate and (be) happy that you find yourself in such a land to which the whole world rushes. The problems you had with the fellow undoubtedly were translatable into money. Surely the building remains yours, and may all your undertakings be with good luck and good fortune. As to a newspaper article I was supposed to send you about how the four million Jews are getting along in America, I figured that it would aggravate you that the correspondent only witnessed the good things, the good food and the good life, but the second half, the unemployment, the hungry, the poor he didn't see. My good sense permits me to understand and to grasp that 90% of the people suffer and are plagued in G-d's little world, and only 10% make more or less of a living. But, dear Sol, how does one become a part of the 10%? I myself have already been creeping up the ladder for about eighteen years and am not able, under any circumstances, to achieve anything, although I should write you this letter today not with ink but with tears of joy when I recall how wretched I was one year ago. I was poor, naked, out of work, without earnings, dependent on you, Sol, on your payments to me. Currently, I'm still not as successful as you picture it there. The best indication of that is that our lives are not centered in one place; I am in Opoczno; my family is in Lodz. Nevertheless, my devoted one, I can write you that, for the last few months, I am not on as shaky ground as I was. So, for example, I have contracted with my partners until January 1, 1928. I make a living, more or less, from the business; there's no roaring success here. I work hard, and earn my own way, sometimes better, sometimes worse; it's not bad. If G-d helps me and I will have repaid all the debts that I owe, then I will be able to laugh at the world, for you know that I never strove for a killing, I never chased after a fortune but rather I sought, and still seek, a minimal existence. I leave to others more fortunate than I the crowning prizes of this world. I'm now ready to make do with very little and am content to spend my few remaining years this way. May G-d grant that I be able to start the children off in a conventional way. My older daughter, Balcia, is learning a trade and, by summer, she may be earning something, perhaps for clothing. Rifchele is still going to school, but it tears at my heart. Such a dear, modest child, with so many good traits, like your sister, Ruchele. She suffers from a weak heart, an illness that costs me no small sum. Joseph goes to Hebrew school and is a good student. He sends heartfelt regards to you and your worthy wife. In two days, I will be with my family because I am going to Lodz for Purim. I will be there Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I will also be home for Passover. On the one hand, my wife is happy that she is rid of a hard-luck husband. On the other hand, she receives regular payments from me, the whole salary that I take from the business, because food and shelter don't cost me anything since I eat at my sister's. She won't accept payment from me; I have eaten with them for ten months. So, I close my letter with heartfelt regards for you and for your precious wife, Esther, your in-laws, family, father, sisters, et al. My sister and brother-in-law and the whole family send heartfelt and loving regards to you and your wife. They have no time to write to you, and they tell me to write to you. So, I follow their orders and write regards from her, from Uncle Lazer and from the children. With respect, Wolf Lewkowicz My permanent address is: L. Chmielnicki Kaluzna 11 Opoczno, Poland Att'n W. Lewkowicz For the eight days of Passover: Wolf Lewkowicz Lipowa 44 Lodz, Poland The story about the disinterred soldier close to Opoczno is all true as written. All material Copyright 1995 by Marshall L. Zissman and Sol J. Zissman.