Poor Orphan Heinele

In among Charlie's papers, I was surprised to find this letter to my father from someone I had never heard of in England.  It is undated, but it was obviously written not long after the war ended.

I'm hoping you can read this by clicking on this link to the original, typewritten on fragile yellowed airmail paper,  but just in case you can't, here's my re-typed copy:

Mrs. Hana Lefkovits

1, Smith Street,

WATFORD, Herts, England.

 

 

 

Dear Mr. Hochbaum,

 

I suppose that you have heard about me already, but unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure to meet you personally yet. David Gruen, your brother-in-law is the brother of my mother. Well to cut a very long story short I have heard from my aunt Leonie Gruen about the poor orphan Heinele and got immediately in touch with the Rev. Solomon Schoenfield who is trying to get the child over here to England.  I should be only to happy to have him here and do everything for him as it is not only my duty but I know the child well and love him too. You see there are not many of our relatives over in Czechoslovakia alive, we ourselves cannot trace my mother and brother up till today and for the few who were spared, we must do all in our power in order to help them heal their terrible wounds. It is really too tragic to think that we shall not see dear David and Martha and so many others again.

 

 

 

Please write to me Mr. Hochbaum, and tell me if it is at all advisable to get Heinele over here, what I mean to say is my husband is in the Royal Army Medical Corps in the British Army in Burma since 26 months, he is due back in England any time now -  when he gets back, we shall go back to Czechoslavakia in order to straighten out a few things and then we shall consider where we intend to finally settle down. Leonie writes and tells me that you are trying to get the child over to the U.S.A.--  which would of course be the best for him as the food rations are very severe here and I am really afraid that I should not be in a position to offer him everything he should have after the inhuman hardship he had to go through.  Do not misunderstand me. I should be only too happy to do everything, it is not the question of money, as my husband is a Doctor and my allowance would be enough for all the care the boy needs. I am only stating the facts to you as I am sure you will understand me. If it is easier to obtain the affidavit for Heinele from here than of course there is no question about it all and he shall come to me to stay for the time until everything is ready for him to go to you. Please do tell me all that so that I am informed about these things. The child as I am informed is in the Tatra at the moment and is recovering very well indeed, he seems to have put on a good deal of weight and Leonie writes, that he is really doing fine -- how happy I should be to be in a position to offer him a proper home and care which he needs so much.

 

 They say the poor thing has been in 6 Concentration Camps and has seen my mother and brother in Auschwitz, where his poor parents died. It is too horrible to think about the life and suffering Heinele had to go through and believe me - we have to see that he will grow up in the way David would wish him to.

 

I shall wait for your answer then Mr. Hochbaum and please let me know

what would be the best for Heinele and I shall be only too pleased to help him.
 

 

 

With best regards to you,

 

yours,

 

 (signed) Hana/Basker (?)/Lefkovitz

 

 

P. S.

 

I am writing to you only about everything as you, I am sure, understand

our position better than our people in Czechoslovakia, you see they imagine
that we have everything over here and do not know that we have so few houses, after having been bombed out several times. and the food is scarce, etc.  l have not a house myself but am staying in a furnished room and a kitchen
until my husband comes back.  At the moment I am working in an office,  but should give up my job up immediately the child would come to England.   Please understand that financially there is no worry at all - there is only the accomodation and the food problem.

If you have seen Foyle's War (a PBS series about the home front in England during WWII, which I highly recommend), this letter absolutely captures the England it portrays, with its food rations and lack of housing. 

When I asked Alice about this letter she said that Charlie was not happy about the description of him in the letter as "poor orphan Heinele."  She added: 

 I don't mean he erupted in any way.  Not Charlie.  He just looked VERY peeved, which was so uncharacteristic of him.  I don't remember him actually saying anything much about it.  I think he understood and appreciated Ann's good intentions, but HATED to be characterized as a poor orphan, needing to be taken care of.  And who would want to go to England when America was open to him?  I know he was asked if he wanted to go to Israel and he turned it down.

 

So just who was Hana Lefkovits?  I asked Alice about that, too.  And that turned out to be another story.....stay tuned....

A Letter from England

In among Charlie's papers, I found this fascinating and mysterious letter from England, addressed to my father.  It is undated, but obviously was written not long after the war ended.

I'm hoping you can read this from this link to the original, typewritten on fragile yellowed airmail paper,  but just in case you can't, here's my re-typed copy:

Mrs. Hana Lefkovits

1, Smith Street,

WATFORD, Herts, England.

 

Dear Mr. Hochbaum,

I suppose that you have heard about me already, but unfortunately I haven't had the pleasure to meet you personally yet. David Gruen, your brother-in-law is the brother of my mother. Well to cut a very long story short I have heard from my aunt Leonie Gruen about the poor orphan Heinele and got immediately in touch with the Rev. Solomon Schoenfield who is trying to get the child over here to England.  I should be only to happy to have him here and do everything for him as it is not only my duty but I know the child well and love him too. You see there are not many of our relatives over in Czechoslovakia alive, we ourselves cannot trace my mother and brother up till today and for the few who were spared, we must do all in our power in order to help them heal their terrible wounds. It is really too tragic to think that we shall not see dear David and Martha and so many others again.

 

Please write to me Mr. Hochbaum, and tell me if it is at all advisable to get Heinele over here, what I mean to say is my husband is in the Royal Army Medical Corps in the British Army in Burma since 26 months, he is due back in England any time now -  when he gets back, we shall go back to Czechoslavakia in order to straighten out a few things and then we shall consider where we intend to finally settle down. Leonie writes and tells me that you are trying to get the child over to the U.S.A.--  which would of course be the best for him as the food rations are very severe here and I am really afraid that I should not be in a position to offer him everything he should have after the inhuman hardship he had to go through.  Do not misunderstand me. I should be only too happy to do everything, it is not the question of money, as my husband is a Doctor and my allowance would be enough for all the care the boy needs. I am only stating the facts to you as I am sure you will understand me. If it is easier to obtain the affidavit for Heinele from here than of course there is no question about it all and he shall come to me to stay for the time until everything is ready for him to go to you. Please do tell me all that so that I am informed about these things. The child as I am informed is in the Tatra [Mountains] at the moment and is recovering very well indeed, he seems to have put on a good deal of weight and Leonie writes, that he is really doing fine -- how happy I should be to be in a position to offer him a proper home and care which he needs so much.

 They say the poor thing has been in 6 Concentration Camps and has seen my mother and brother in Auschwitz, where his poor parents died. It is too horrible to think about the life and suffering Heinele had to go through and believe me - we have to see that he will grow up in the way David would wish him to.

I shall wait for your answer then Mr. Hochbaum and please let me know

what would be the best for Heinele and I shall be only too pleased to help him.

 

With best regards to you,

yours,

 (signed) Hana/Basker (?)/Lefkovitz

 

P. S.

I am writing to you only about everything as you, I am sure, understand

our position better than our people in Czechoslovakia, you see they imagine
that we have everything over here and do not know that we have so few houses, after having been bombed out several times. and the food is scarce, etc.  l have not a house myself but am staying in a furnished room and a kitchen until my husband comes back.  At the moment I am working in an office,  but should give up my job up immediately the child would come to England.   Please understand that financially there is no worry at all - there is only the accomodation and the food problem.

If you have seen Foyle's War (a PBS series about the home front in England during WWII, which I highly recommend), this letter absolutely captures the England it portrays, with its food rations and lack of housing. 

So just who was Hana Lefkovits?  I called Alice to find out.  And that turned out to be another story.....stay tuned....