Letters from Lida - 23

Dear Dorochka,

 

The only thing you are writing in your last two letters is that I have to get ready for my departure, but I think it is too early – it is not clear if I even will get permission (1). Dorechka, I did not understand your letter – why are you not writing clearly? Write me if I understood you right and <unclear> you like the guy and you are waiting for me… and cannot decide. The news in the newspapers are not very good, the terror is still going on, when it is going to stop? At home everything is the same, Papa probably will go to the dacha for a few weeks, and most likely Mama will go too. Gitel still remembers you, she is developing, thank God, well and is a very nice girl. 

 

Fanechka, my dear, you are not writing too much lately, how are you and how is you health? Dorechka wrote that X (2), thank God, got better and looks well. I am very happy that Dorechka already is getting along with her. Kiss you with love, loving Frida

 

Dear Manfred, Fanechka and X,

 

I was very happy to learn from Dorechka’s letter that X, thank God, got well, and that <Dora> got closer to her.  I am only sorry that you spent money on Dorka’s dresses, we thought we gave her everything to last for the time being, and  only 3 months have passed and you already made <for her> so many dresses, God give you health to wear them for you as well as for Dorechka. My letter you will get probably after the court hearing, may God give you good results of it.  About the rest and not very important news you will learn from my letter to Dorechka. I would be happy to write a letter to all of you but I know how easily she gets upset, although she wrote that now she is absolutely calmed. Be healthy, I wish you a lot of happiness and peace, your loving mama Revekka.

 

July 19, 1936

Dear Dorechka!

 

Finally, in one week I received two letters: one from July 7^th I received on July 15^th, and the second letter from July 8^th I got yesterday, i.e. on 18^th, which made us all happy <because we worried a lot>. In yesterday’s newspaper they wrote that Tel Aviv was shelled as well as some colonies and Raanana, is it right? You must be scared a lot. From the little pieces of fabric that you sent us we could see that you got very beautiful dresses – wear them to your happiness.

Last week we were able to get some <cotton> fabric, about 40 meters, so that would be enough for everything that you mentioned in your letter. I think I wrote to you in my previous letter that Lisa (3) visited us. She spent more than a week with us and the time passed so fast that we “did not have time to turn around” <Russian expression>. She left this morning, and she started to write you letter but has not finished and took it with her, so she will write to you from there. Lisa wanted to stay longer but Boria did not leave her in peace, wrote everyday that she should go to Belostok to his parents. They rented a dacha <summer house> with two rooms near Belostok, so there would be a room for Lisa and Musia, and she was very reluctant to go there. By the way, I am giving to you as well as to Fanya the news that she is expecting and because of that from time to time she is not feeling well and getting nauseous. <Unclear> now it is getting more often. Boria’s mother is a midwife so she could help her a lot, but she is not sympathetic to her. However we suggested her to come here to Lida with a boy and rent a dacha here in Minojta or somewhere else, and Papa would stay with her, and maybe I would go because they want me to, but I doubt very much that Lisa would come back to us. I am very, very happy that you are doing well in your classes, God give you  success  in everything.  It is the busiest time here now, everybody is at the harvest and therefore it is very quiet in the store,  sales are very slow but not as before. Gitele, thanks God, is a wonderful girl and is developing very well. Aunt Chaia (4) should come from Cechiciniki (5) any day now, and after that uncle Shimshel (6) will leave for Krinicha (7). Uncle Chaim-Abe (8) still planning to go to Drusckiniki (9). Do not have any more news. Be healthy and happy by the wish of loving you mama Revekka.

 

(1) Permission to enter Palestine was generally granted only to young men & women, so Revekka’s doubts are realistic.

(2) Name of Fanya’s child removed for privacy reasons

(3) Lisa is one of Dora’s and Fanya’s sisters, married to Boris Shapiro

(4) Wife of Revekka’s brother-in-law Shimshon Pupko

(5) Ciechocinek is a spa town in Poland, and has a Wikipedia entry  

(6) Revekka’s brother-in-law

(7)  Krynica, now Krynica-Zdrój, is another spa town on the South of Poland, and has a Wikipedia entry .  

(8) Another of Revekka’s brothers-in-law

(9) Drusckiniki is another name for today’s Druskininkai, now in Lithuania, near the border with Belarus. It’s still another spa town with a Wikipedia entry