Letters from Lida

Warslawa <as in text>, January 1, 1927

Dear Fanechka!

Another 2 weeks have passed, and I did not write you. I received your last letter, very long one, for which I am endlessly grateful. You write that I forgot you. I did not expect it from you. Fanechka, you just cannot understand how much harder it is to write letters here. That is how the life here is. To write you a letter in two words – I am not going to do this. I know it will only irritate you. Again, to write a long letter one has to be in the mood, and especially, find enough time. I am very busy. From morning to 2 pm I practice. From 5 to 9 I have evening classes. There is so much work that it is hard to imagine. The headmistress is not nice and actually, is a terrible fool. They give us a huge amount of homework. Every day we have to answer questions during the lessons. You can imagine how much I study and how am I discouraged because of that. Another thing that made me sad is that everyone showed that they notice how I speak. Even the headmistress made a comment about my speech. You can imagine how badly I felt about it. But now they all got used to me. I make very good and accurate class notes. So they come to copy them from me. Today I did not go to the practicum because I have “tavos” <?>. That is why I can write you. You don’t know how educational method gets a person down. I am not used to it anymore. All this would not be so bad if I would be sure that I will receive a diploma. Everybody is very afraid of the exams. But, may God be with all this, I already got used to all this and resigned to it. Only now I count every day so the time goes faster. My aunt <?> is happy that I will graduate. In Lida one spinster from Grodno, who did not graduate, opened a kindergarten with Polish and a little Hebrew. She got 25 children each 20 zl. per month. Many are not happy because she does not know Polish and “Ivrit” <Hebrew> well. Mama took <back> an apartment of the Portnoy family for me so I could open a “garden” over there <kindergarten>. Now it is being renovated. I am only afraid that because of my speech I won’t have children <in the kindergarten>. Maybe some people would not want to give me their children <because of that>. This also stresses me a lot. Benia and a Polish guy bought in Warsaw <rozliv – possibly a wine store where wine is sold from barrels>. Today he has to come from Lida and start working. At home everything is the same. Mama is still in bed. Sonia had a fever all the time, and she left for Novoselno to Polonskys. At Christmas, Monia Beliamina visited Lida. Although she is a <unclear – “glomp”> but is a very nice girl. Taiba and Yudel live as before. Eiria Pesina calmed down, works where she used to. A few days ago I went to Vilno to make a fur coat. My Mama thru your Papa was trying to make a match for her with Mitka (1). But Meilach (2) refused saying that he is angry with Archik. It happened that he offered Anuta (3) and a big part of the factory to Archik but Archik responded very rudely. This is a huge secret. At your house, except for your parents, nobody knows about it, neither Frida, nor Lisa (4). Eria and Pesia themselves do not know. Do not say a word about it to anybody accidentally. Archik is courting Bronia Zeliger. Anutka is pregnant <Note: that probably explains of offering a big part of the factory and a rude answer>. Retra Poliachek is in her last months of pregnancy. How do you like that? Morucha has a nice apartment that sure is very dirty. Meischl (5) saved a little money for himself doing summer odd jobs. He and Morucha started some business <?>, but don’t know if they will be successful? After my departure Meischl badly cut his hand. I worry very much. Since that time he sold a train carload of wood <desks>. Maya is getting older and therefore angrier. She did not have a winter coat and wore a light coat in the cold. Chaschke spends all the time spends at Berta’s as he used to. Berta is very upset that Maya has a good opinion of me. Meilach’s wife’s brother is courting Rachele. But nothing is clear yet. Frida Stolickaya is doing nothing. Chaska works at the store and spends time with Zalman. Now, it’s your house’s turn. I will start with Avreml and Scheina (6). Everything is very clean. They house is always taken care of. Their boy is incredible. It is hard to describe. He is well fed, pretty, already smiling (7). Dorka spends all her free time with the baby. At your house, as always, at day time everything is “Farchlumert” <in disarray?>. Lisa and Frida (8) walk in their infamous attire and <unclear>. At night everything is in order. The house is not comfortable but everybody is happy. Especially, Frida. I have never seen her in such a good mood. Every day they are on the sleds. Annochka often has dinner with your family. For the groom they got a golden watch and a silver cigarette case. In Lida, there is one guy that your Frida likes. I don’t know him. Your Mama and Papa are happy and praise the groom. Yours do not like Scheina too much. Taiba (9) does not like her either. But I like her. Now, about Shimshan. His wife Chaia (10) is very cheerful and is not afraid of anything. She arranged all of this. It is very pretty in their house. They bought new furniture. Fridochka became a beauty. She is dancing wonderfully and dresses very well. She studies in the 4^th grade of the local gymnasium <Polish>. Yudka (11) got in the 6^th grade of Dvoresky’s gymnasium and going to the 7^th, working in <Polish>. Noska (12) works in some business, dances wonderfully, chamula <?>. Our Sonia is accepting his courting. He is in love with one girl from Grodno and does not want Annochka at all, although aunt Chaia is trying to convince him to take Anuta <Annochka and Anuta is the same name>(13). Your Dorka goes in the 5^th grade of Dvorecky’s gymnasium. Elia lives very good with Tanya and Dodick (14) in Knishint (15). People say that Dodick got not so pretty but is very talented and studies excellently. Grandma aged a lot <Note: that probably means that Fanya’s father and Olia’s mother are siblings, or Fanya’s mother and Olia’s mother are sisters>. As for me I have no idea what is going to happen? Sure I would like to get married. Do not know myself what is going to happen? He must start to study. Write me what do you think about it. As about you it is hard to say anything. In fact there is nothing for you to do here at home, only to help with the housework. Although you could open a private “K” <probably means Kindergarten?> . Even so. While you have a position “tama” <or slang Russian “over there”> you can stay in Palestine. You have friends. This is so pleasant. I can tell you that after long thoughts I

decided that I would not return if it would not be for Meischl. He was pulling me back so much. In your place I would try to get married. By that you would make sure that you would be provided for. Mirsa-Raidov, I would say myself is dangerous, and also he has a child. Anyway, he had thousands wives and left all of them. As for the other one, what is he like? What type he is? Why did you refuse to marry him? I would want very much that you marry someone well off. You cannot imagine how am I happy that you got pearls. Schimek does not write. Your letter reminded me a lot of things. We lived together through different times and came to the conclusion that a human is like a stone. It is a pity but that how it is. And maybe it is good. If all our worries and feelings left their footprints, we would live much shorter and would be sick all the time. Nature probably is taking care of it. Sometimes I recall a time of flowers. It is a pleasant memory how Dunka started visiting us. Remember how we admired him? His was hellishly handsome. The more we saw him, the more we liked him. He had a noble face and he was far from stupid. Do you remember how he brought some chocolate and how he and Kalman brought us oranges? Do you still have Dunka’s things? Too bad you did not take his sweater, if he did not get his stuff back and you don’t see him anymore. The memories of Schermant are pleasant. He was a very nice guy. Do you remember how joyful it was and how much we laughed with him? How you fell asleep when he was reading his writing and he got upset because of that? It is pleasant to recall how Naumchik sang and how Shochana sang the funny songs <in text “chastushki”, which is in Russian usually funny songs usually made up by the singers >. You know, Fanechka, she sang and read poems wonderfully. She sang and read the same things over and over and sometimes it was boring to listen to her. I pity her. She slipped from the straight path. I remember mademoiselle Dupre, that you forgot, with her constant Gashamer, Gatsaur (16). How many times did we make fun of her? Remember how Rivka ran after Arabs and Katselejnbogen? I imagine she must be mad at Ania Varneiyskaya? How is Schifra? I am sorry I still did not write her. She is such a delicate girl, remember how she was with us? Olia (17) most likely, is not going back to Palestine but you, for God’s sake, don’t say a word about it. Aunt Fanya told me that in secret. Shulem I don’t want to remember. You know, Fanechka, I never trusted him. Don’t think that you are so bad. Sure, everyone has some bad part of the character, even the best people. But you have this bad part much smaller than others and I love you very much. Only love me as much as I love you <customary ending of girl-to-girl letters> Fanechka, I love you very much and think, very often think about you. I know that the time with Shulem costs you a lot of emotions and sadness, but, thank God, it ended that way. Fanechka, you know, you like only men like him.

Olia's handwriting

(1) Mitka is probably Mordechai Pupko. also known as Mark, son of Meilach Pupko, owner of the Pupko Beer Brewery. Eventually he married Rosa Shapiro, who studied pharmacology in Czechoslovakia.
(2) Meilach Pupko, owner of the Pupko Beer Brewery. He was Fanya’s father’s uncle.
(3) Anuta Pupko, daughter of Meilach. She eventually married Josip Zaretsky. They and daughter Fruma were murdered at Maidanek, according to family information.
(4) Lisa & Frida: Fanya’s sisters
(5) Meishel – Meishel Poliacheck, who wrote letters to Olia when she was in Palestine
(6) Avraham & Sheina are Fanya’s brother & sister-in-law. Pages of Testimony list only two sons, born much later, as Holocaust victims with their parents.
(7) This child probably died before World War II, as he’s not listed in his family’s Pages of Testimony
(8) Fanya’s sisters again
(9) Poor Sheina – see 4. Taibe is her mother-in-law.
(10) Shimshon and Chaia – another Pupko uncle and aunt. The beauty Fridochka (nickname for Frida) was their youngest child and only daughter. She was a Holocaust victim.
(11) Shimshon & Chaia’s second son, Yehuda. Both cousins Frieda Moll and Ze’ev Pupko submitted Pages of Testimony for him and his wife Frida nee Gober.
(12) Shimshon & Chaia’s oldest son, Nosson. Both cousins Frieda Moll and Ze’ev Pupko submitted Pages of Testimony for him, and Moll also testified to his wife Rivka’s death. According to Moll, he was killed at Ponar.
(13) Obviously nothing came of either of these “relationships”. Probably Anuta was the second cousin in (3). This would have kept the brewery in the family.
(14) She is still talking about Fanya’s immediate family. We have no idea who this might be – possibly Kaplan side cousins?
(15) Knishint – ShtetlSeeker offers no clues.
(16) Hashomer Hatzair, a Socialist Zionist movement associated with the left wing Meretz Party in Israel, and the kibbutz movement.
(17) It appears that Olia is writing about herself in the third person as a joke. "Aunt Fanya" is probably Fanya herself, who may have predicted, as Olia was leaving, that she wouldn't return to Palestine. Now Olia is realizing she was right.

Letters from Lida - 41