Letters from Lida - 44

  

May 24^th  (0)

Dear Fanechka, Manfred, Dorechka, and Dudele (1)!

I am sorry for not writing you for so long. What’s is going on with the court case? How is Dudele doing and how is your health, Dorechka? Did you get used to life over there already? Are you happy? Do you get to know some people? Are you happy with your dresses, are they good and acceptable over there?  I made myself a very pretty summer coat. I do not stop thinking about you and every day tell myself that I have to write you but it all ends right there. Thank God that everything is quiet over there, we were worrying about you a lot. How is it now, is it more peaceful? You all went through a lot, and now it is not so good either. May God let you all be healthy and not to have any worries. I received a letter from home inviting us for the Holydays but we probably won’t go. I was very busy lately because of the apartment renovation. I don’t have any maid now, but hire a woman to help me sometimes. I worked <on the apartment> very hard. I thought that the guests will come and was in a hurry with the apartment. Before, we thought that Yudka’s wedding will be in Grodno and I was expecting some of our family here, but it was decided that the wedding will take place in Lida, on Sunday after Trinity <first Sunday after Pentecost, or Whitsunday>, so it will be a lot of fun in Lida. Aunt Chaya (2) is already getting ready for the wedding.. He is marrying Tania Gobera’s sister. Dorechka, you know Tania, and this is her sister Frida. The aunt was very unhappy. Our apartment looks very pretty now, not everything is finished, now but soon I will be done with everything. Frida wrote that she wanted to make mama to visit us but it is not so easy. Even if she spent a couple of days here,  it would be a big happiness to me. I would love to see my family, but to leave Boria alone on the Holydays is no good. Maybe we should go on Saturday for 3 days. I don’t know, have not decided yet. Be healthy, write me more often. I promise to be more accurate than before. Sales at the store aren’t getting better yet <?>. Let’s hope for the best. I wish you joyful Holydays.

 Your loving Lisa.

<Note1> Heartfelt regards and best wishes. Write us more often. Your loving Boria.

<Note2 in pencil> Send us Dudele’s photo.

Letter written by Lisa Shapiro, with pencil greetings by her husband, Boris

 

May 24^th

Dear children!

I expected a letter from you about the court case’ results but did not receive it yet. We are learning from the newspapers that it is not quite yet over there. In the newspaper there were reports about damaged trees in Raanan on the 20th and 21th – about 830, and also about bomb-throwing. Did you have any losses? May God give you peace – this is the first, and the second that your court case will be finally over. Over here newspapers are sold immediately, everybody is waiting for the newspaper to learn how is it going over there. Here everything, thank God, is going the same way.. In couple of days there will be Shavuot, and next Sunday after that, on May 31th there will be Yudel’s wedding in Lida. There is no any specific news, everybody, thank God, are in good health, and we wish you the same. Our regards to Manfred’s father.  Be healthy and happy by the wish of your loving mama Revekka. 

 

Dodick Ilich came home today from Vilno after an appendectomy. The operation was last week and everything went well, but later he developed complications and he had <throat inflammation?>. Still, despite that he still has a fever, they brought him home. Frida will write you about everything else.  Be healthy and happy, loving you mama Revekka. 

 

Dear Dorechka

I am very surprised that you do not respond promptly to our letters, although we write you on Sunday every week. The hot weather came to us too, and many are renting their dachas < house or room in a vacation area rented usually for the whole summer>. Tomorrow we will have a market day and next day after Tuesday there will be Shavuot, so we are going to have a long festive time. On Friday we will have a break and then will have celebrations for another 3 days. At the same time, Yudel’s wedding will be on the next Sunday in Lida in their house downstairs where Natan (3) lives. The apartment is renovated already and they will move in after the wedding. Almost every day we prepare the milk as you told us, and it gets ready next day on the window <a desk on the bottome of the window>. It comes out very good. We also tried making pastries using your recipes. Now, if you will be in a mood, write us how to make a butter tart, the one that Fanya was making when she lived in Lida. I think you cannot complain that you don’t have enough letters, we write you often and in details. Yesterday I visited Frida (4), she got wonderful apartment and beautiful furniture, may God let you have no worse. Chaim-Abe (5) stops by us often, even yesterday he and the aunt were sitting here until late. Today Revekka stopped by. They visit us often and are very interested in your life and ask to give you their heartfelt wishes.

 

Dear Dorechka

We are grateful a lot for your detailed letters, although they are not very happy, but for no fault of yours.  It seems that you are destined to live through such sad times, may God end all these troubles and give you more light and joyful time in a future.. When all this comes to end, you will start thinking differently about yourself. You were interested why I asked you about the watch. As the matter of fact, before your departure I did not see them it you and also could not find it at home, so I assumed that it got lost or stolen. But as it was found, there is nothing to talk about. It seems that because of Yudel’s wedding  Frida (6) won’t have time to write you even few words. You remember how Chaya and Frida were working to death at Lisa’s wedding. I should not be entirely egotistic, and will start telling you the whole of last week’s news. On Monday we had  market day, on Tuesday we were preparing for the Holydays <Shavuot>,  and on Wednesday and Thursday we had Holydays. Thank God, we did not have guests and did not go anywhere ourselves. On Wednesday aunt Chaya came and we decided to go to the Kino-<movie theater> where they were playing Bar-Mitzvah <movie, 1935, directors Henry Lynn and Boris Thomashefsky>, it was quite interesting. On Thursday we went to bed earlier because we had to prepare for tomorrow’s sales. On Friday we got up early and went to the store to prepare everything. Thank God, sales were good – about 400zl.< unclear - or 400 hundreds?> despite that Meilach (7) had to leave the store on business twice, and Frida was working instead of him. All day from morning to night, everybody was busy in the store. We did not make chala bread <Jewish white bread for the Shabbat> because still had some left from the Holydays, only cooked the fish and nothing else. On Saturday Yudel was supposed to go to Beis-Amedresh ( Beit Hamidrash – upper level religious school) but imagine, on Friday  at the factory he made a wrong step and hurt his leg. Everybody was stunned by what happened, but the fact is the fact and he had to get in bed. The doctor said to stay in bed for a few days, and at the same time everything was ready for the wedding. Although he did not go to prayer but Mazal Tov was made in his apartment. He was lying on <unclear> at Rivochka who is visiting her parents. Natan also went there for the Holidays, but this morning they already came back home, as well as all <Yiddish>. Mazal Tov was luxurious and all <Yiddish> were there, altogether from forty to fifty people, everything was good. Yudel was taken on a chair, but for the crowning, (8) they will have to hold him by hands. The wedding will be next to the house, next time I will write you all about the wedding. To prepare everything he took Rudnichicha < possibly the wife of Rudnick> and still everybody is working. Luba, Revekka, Nachim, Chaina (9). Frida could not participate in the wedding until now. On Saturday she got up at 5 am, woke up Shishin’s Frida (10) and they both went over there to prepare for Mazal Tov, and by 11 am everything was ready. By noon everybody came and stayed until 3 pm., so not only we did not eat the dinner <midday meal> but even did not want to have a supper, all of us and all of Abram’s alike, As soon as we came home we stayed at  home because the maid went to Govie <or Tovie> for the Holidays and promised to come back on Tuesday. We are happy with her. We  had to clean up in the store after Friday’s sales, so Meilach and Papa early in the morning, about 6 am, left for the store and cleaned up a little, e,g, hung <unclear>, salt, soda and everything else. Gitele did not feel good but now, thank God, is walking around the house because she is not allowed outside yet. When Frida had put Gitele to bed, she left for Shimshin’s to cook for the wedding feast. Everybody left and I stayed at home to wash the dishes and write a letter afterwards. Don’t know if you will be able to read it because Gitel already got up and does not let me  write.

 

Dear children!

 

The last news from the newspapers about your land are very sad, especially about Raanan.  From Dora’s letter we also see that things are not too good. May God let everything be quiet and peaceful, and let you forget all your worries. Why is your court case is postponed again? I assume that you received this letter after the court hearing, if it wasn’t postponed again. I pray to God that the court case, as well as everything else, will be over. Today Frida is busy with Yudel Shimshin’s wedding, it is unlikely she will have time to write you even a couple of words. There is no special news at home, and about family news I will write in the letter to Dora – everything <memories?> is still very fresh for her and she wants to know everything. How is X (11) doing? Does she remember us yet a little? We talk about her a lot, comparing her with Gitel. The latter had bronchitis but now thank God, is well already. The doctor did not permit her to get out of bed until today, but it was very difficult to keep her <in bed> and on Friday we let her out. How did you spend Shavuot? Has Manfred’s father visited you? Be you all healthy and happy, with kisses, loving you mama Revekka

 

Note on the top of the page: Meilach found a temporary job, he will write you about it. Be healthy and happy by the wish of your loving mama Revekka.

 

(0) The year is 1936, as we know from letter 27
(1) Nickname for Fanya & Manfred’s child
(2) The groom is Yehuda Pupko (1908-1942), son of Shimshon and Chaia Pupko. The bride, Frida Gober, was the daughter of Golda Gober.
(3) Probably his older brother, also known as Nosson.
(4) Probably Fanya & Dora’s sister Frida, but possibly also a cousin.
(5) Dora & Fanya’s paternal uncle, married to Reizel.
(6) Although Chaya also had a daughter Frida, who might be expected to help her mother on such an occasion, it was sister Frida who was the frequent correspondent.
(7) Meilach Trotsky, Fanya & Dora’s brother-in-law, married to their sister Frida.
(8) Here they’ve borrowed a term from Rusian Orthodox ceremony, where bride and groom stand in church, under two cronwns, for standing under the Chuppah
(9) These don’t seem to be Pupko relatives, but the groom’s mother must have had nieces & nephews who could pitch in, and there’s all the bride’s family to consider, as well.
(10) Her first cousin, (1911-1942), later married Kavensky.
(11) Name removed for privacy reasons.