Letters from Lida

Dear Fanechka!

I have not received anything from you for a long time. Thank God, at least Dorochka is writing <to me>. We are very grateful for the letter from Manfred’s father and, if it’s possible, (1) I will try to respond to him. Congratulations from all my heart on X’s (2) birthday, let God her/him to flourish for <your> joy and comfort. We are trying to imagine how wonderful she is, look at Gitel – she is only 4 years old and she is doing so much! She is all over the place and is talking without stopping. It seems that we are having the frost already, but the devil is not so scary as they paint him <Russian proverb, here means that the frost is not so bad >. This is not our first winter and let’s hope is not the last. We often receive letters from uncle Chaim, he is very happy, especially about that Adasa (3) lives well. How are you all? Are the things getting better? We wish you all the best in the new year and many-many <naches> from your daughter. Be healthy and happy, loving you mama Revekka,

Dear Fanechka!

In few days your child is going to be 6 years old. Please accept my very best wishes, let God give her health and for you to have many <naches> from her. Gitel always is asking us if X could come here, she wants to meet her/him very much. At home everything is the same. How are you? How is everything? Hope it will get better a little.

Here things are not so good. Lisa’s Boria (4) probably already closed his business <most likely Frida’s, Dora’s, and Fania’s sister Lisa and her husband Boria in Grodno>. I really don’t know what they are going to do now but there are too many things to write about it.

Circumstances here are getting worse. Meilach has a job. Although I am not happy with his job, T<hanks> G<od> for it. Be healthy, my regards to Manfred’s father. With kisses, Frida.

(1) Manfred (Fanya’s husband) Liebermann’s father was Rabbi Aharon Liebermann. He was Rabbi in Berlin before making aliyyah. The difficulty in responding is because Revekka would have to write in either German or Hebrew rather than the Russian she preferred.

(2) Name removed for privacy reasons.

(3) Dora’s uncle Chaim Abba, who has moved to Mexico. Adasa is his daughter.

(4) Boris Shapiro. He, his wife & two children were murdered in the Holocaust.

Note: this letter has blank paper, which has not been the case yet.

Letters from Lida - 19