Letters from Lida

Translated by Lena Gorina-Black with help from ViewMate

Saturday night, October 17 (1)

Dear Fanechka!

We received two of your letters at once, one via Feinstein and one by mail at night, the one that you sent <unclear>. Feinstein arrived on Wednesday night but we did not feel comfortable about seeing him right away. Thursday night he invited Meshle Poliachek (2) and gave him letters from you and Olia and <Sedar?>. Meishl right away brought us your letters and pictures. We are grateful to you for pictures and <Seder?> but at the same time I have to notice that it is silly to spend money on it, you have to spend it on something important. For example Sedar costs you 20 piastrs, that is 1 dollar, and in Lida we could get it for 1 zlot, but that is not the problem, the problem that you need it for yourself. Saturday night Papa and I went

to Feinstein to find out more about you, but he had a house full of people, and we could not talk about everything. The money that you took <from him> we returned with gratitude. We would like ir very much if you would find another job, not as hard, but I also am not happy about the classes you write about. This week Lisa wrote you a letter about everything in detail. Recently David-Yidel Tatarsky stopped by and asked if you gave his regards to <some people> that he asked you about when you were leaving. You are surprised why we did not send you letters with people from Lida <who went to Palestine> but we asked Miskaya’s mother from Lida to say hello to you. We did not know about anyone else leaving. Now Zelikovich, Chasman, and Tatarsaya, our neighbor, are planning to go. Be healthy, my dearest, next time I will write you more because it is already late and I have to go to send a letter. Give a heartfelt regards to Olia and say thank you for her regards. Write us more often,

Loving you, mama Revekka

They decreased payment for Dora thanks to <Dora?< and Tanya Grigirieva.

We gave a postcard for Dodick.

I want so much to be next to you. A:; the best to you and with you a lot of happiness. How are you? How is your health? Write about everything. Yours Frida. Waiting impatiently.

Polish section of letter translated by Beata Kalinska, thanks to ViewMate:

Dear Fanya,

I am very sad that now I do not have God in my heart, nevertheless I hope that in a short while He will be there and then I will write. Be happy. Greetings to Lola (?) Dora

Fanechka, Fojansky sent you his regards. He’s angry with you because you did not write him a single word. By the way today he was terribly angry. Just imagine, we all are sitting, Gnechka with her husband, Idochka, and he suddenly got angry, I could not resist and burst laughing. Say hello to Olia from everybody.

(1) October 17 was a Saturday in 1925, 1931, and 1936. 1936 is way too late – by then Fanya was married & had a child, and Dora had also been in Palestine several years. Likewise, 1931 is also too late, because Olia is in Palestine, whereas from letter 24 we see she came back to Lida in 1926. Thus, 1925 seems the most plausible date for this letter, which is consistent with its tone that Fanya had only recently left home.
(2) Is this possibly the Meishel who was Olia’s correspondent?

Letters from Lida - 39