Two more letters to Regina

Today's post brings two more letters to Regina, one from Lily, dated December 24, 1945, and the second from Lily's husband Isidor, dated January 27, 1946.

Again, we have Chuck to thank for the translations.

From Lily:

24 December 1945

My very dear Ryfka!

Many heartfelt thanks for your dear detailed writing of 2 December, for the enclosed little picture, stamps, etc., which we have received in order. I have sent it all on to Heinele, who is still in Prague and who cannot separate himself from his uncle and the beautiful city of Prague. My brother (he is 60 years old) is alone there, since his children were removed, he cooks only for the child, Russian food as he learned it in Siberia, he goes walking with the child and feels wonderful.

 I have, however, already sent for the child, and he should be with me again in a few days. Meanwhile, I have put together an entire wardrobe for him, a fine overcoat, two pairs of socks, a wool vest and shirts, all very good quality, he will certainly be very happy with the things. I ask you and your dear brothers to send us no more small packets of clothing, we have also gotten various things for us, so that we are no longer in need. Also, no package arrives and many get lost, so that it truly is a shame for every last cent. We need food [Lebensmittel] but we also ask you not to send, first until I authorize something, in the end it simply makes no sense in the world to send, it is a shame for the great efforts and the money. I have written the same to Gusta and begged her for now not to send.

I hope that you, dear Ryfka, have received my last letter and also the letter from my husband. Now your pretty little picture has come, so that my husband can have an image of how you really appear. You write as sweetly and fondly as our Gusta, and when we read your letters it is as if they were written by a sister.

 I have thought of you the whole long year, but I didn’t know where I should look for you, but I cannot forget one thing, as Mori [Morris Funk] our brother-in-law (Gusta’s husband) was in need, that is, in Dachau, you helped immediately in Palestine, even if it was to no avail. Can you remember? It was long ago, but I will never forget it, just as I will not forget the entire time I spent with you. Now I also know how you have arranged your life in America and certainly the work you are engaged in brings you joy.

I am busy all day, and today on December 24, which we have somewhat free, I have for the first time in my marriage cooked lunch for us, it was much better than in the soup kitchen [Volksküche], and I will so arrange things when Heinele comes home that that we will not be embarrassed by it.

 My husband is frightfully decent [anständig] and helps me even there. The clothes for Heinele, for us, he takes care of everything, he is loved very much, and people bring him this, and he is happy if he comes home in the evening with some object, and almost every day he brings something. Heinele is also very capable, and if he heard that something is received he was immediately there. I can hardly leave the bureau for a minute, it is very difficult, since I sit by the card index [Kartothek] where the assistances are paid out and if I am not there it stops. Now we are fewer in the bureau, the repatriated unfortunately no longer come, so that 70% of the employees were discharged. We have two rooms, very neatly arranged, a second colleague has the other part of the dwelling.

I have written to Heinele in Prague, that he should interest himself [follow up] with the USA consulate whether he is already registered, since we hear that a new quota was fixed. Meanwhile, I await my niece Anny and her husband from England and will together with them try whatever happens to send the child to England, from there it is certainly quicker to go.

For this time I close my writing with many fond greetings and kisses

Leonie

Dear Rifka!

I will add only a few words. Many heartfelt thans for your dear letters, which we always enjoy. All good things and fond greetings.

And from Isidor:

            Dearest Regina!

I gladly take the opportunity to write to you.

 First of all, I inform you that Heinele’s health is good. I am with him almost daily. I bring him mystery novels, which he likes very much, and I have enough of a selection. I have predominantly Jewish and secular books by all Jews of Slovakia. In the year 1942, the books from all deported Jews (74,000) were collected in Bratislava in town halls [Rathauser]. Today they have been, through me, divided among the surviving Jews. I am secretary of the central association [Zentralverband] of all Jewish communities in Slovakia, not from [only] today but already for 13 years. My brother, who unfortunately is dead (he died from blows [durch Schläge]) was head [Präses] of the country and, I say without boasting, he belonged among the first citizens of Jewry. This only in all brevity, although I could write much about it. My other brothers, who were also killed, were doctors and school professors. My sisters, all teachers, are one and all also dead, unfortunately. But enough of that.

            You ask how dear Lily’s cooking tastes? Unfortunately, it is only of short duration. First, for days there is no gas, and besides we had so many concerns about Heinele that we renounced cooking, since Lily was with the child every free minute. I and Heinele get on very well and are often two against one, that is, against Aunt Lily, if she is too given to exaggeration [or overbearing, übertrieben], but she always means only well.

We have a very pleasant dwelling, and Heinele has a room for himself. It is for the moment very cold and there is little fuel, but one day even these times will be passed. At the next opportunity, we will send you pictures also, of Heinele. – We are truly moved by your dear lines and think of you in love and friendship.

            With very fond geetings to you and all you dear ones, I remain

Isidor

Bratislava, 27 January 1946

A Letter to Chaskel (Uncle Henry)

Lili's letters are mostly to my father (Dago) or Regina (Ryfka), but there is at least one to my Uncle Henry (Chaskel).  What I find interesting is that Lili's writing changes depending on who her recipient is; she's pretty much all business to my father, whom she clearly respects.  She has a much warmer relationship with Regina (Chuck pointed out the "du" vs. "sie" difference in the pronouns she uses), and in this letter she obviously feels a good deal of affection for Uncle Henry.

This letter also tells us more about her experiences during the war than any of the previous letters have.  

The translation is, thanks again, to my cousin Chuck:

19 November 1945

Dear Chaskel

Many thanks for your truly detailed writing, about which I am extremely happy. However, I do not yet always know how busy you are, because I do not understand the expression, the same pertains also to Schulem [my Uncle Sam, the youngest brother].  Only with Dago am I in the picture.

Your house I can imagine precisely, and today, which is after the war and we no longer must fear for our lives, I can appreciate how very important this is. We, for example, have no house at all, and it will perhaps with great difficulty succeed that we will get a home where I have my office, two small little rooms, one for us and one for Heini. However, it can easily happen that we get a house and after days or weeks must leave it, since it is appointed for more important purposes and confiscated by the council. Therefore, and also on the grounds that we in no way want to remain here, we do not at all settle down and only take care of the most important things, and it will be a problem to take care of the covers that we need for blankets.

 It will perhaps sound comical to you if I inform you that I (for the good) have been married already for three years and I have still not been able to cook any lunch for my husband. All of us who have lived bunkered (hidden in the woods) we have in the hours-long delirium of hunger counted [anticipated?] what we will all eat when we are freed and I will cook everything. We were freed, praise God, but the beautiful and good things that we then counted up we have not yet eaten, only tasted. It doesn’t matter, but even these will come in time, it is important for us that we were not killed and burnt.  Everything else can somehow be borne.

Please send us pictures of you, these are important. I have gotten delightful little pictures of my sister’s children.

Chaskel I can remember exactly, since the last time we saw each other, it was on the tracks of the electric railway in Beuthen and you then said that I definitely will come after [follow  in emigrating to the US?]. It seems to me that meanwhile 100 years have passed, so much lies in between, and then I remember that on the ship you got to know a clothier, who offered you a position, this you wrote home [to Marta?], at that time I read the letter. If only our poor unhappy dear ones had traveled with you! How closely I feel this, and yet it didn’t happen, unfortunately.

Do you get together with my cousin Tina? What kind of person is she and my remaining relatives. Not one of these will give us an affidavit, but Gusti writes that she already has [contact with] a very rich man in Seattle who will give it. I also have an uncle in Omaha, Nebraska, Bernat Green, but I believe he wants to know nothing of us. Not important, it will also haappen without him, hopefully.

Yet I should ask you one thing, go to or visit my cousin Tina, I was in correspondence with her for a year, and my sister Gusti has helped her much, go to her and tell her everything that you know about us and what I have written to you. I feel myself connected to her, but I can’t write to her since I have forgotten the little English that I learned, and I cannot learn now, my head is not sufficiently rested. Therefore, please Chaskel, don’t forget, visit her in my name,  promise me this.

 Leoni, Isidor, Heini send many fond greetings.

Chuck also reviewed the translation I had gotten of the letter Lili wrote to my father and Ryka the same day (November 19, 1945), and provided translations of the sections that were missing or incorrect.   I am re-posting that letter here, because the changes are significant.  There are some changes throughout the letter but I have highlighted the paragraph that you should read if you don't have the time to read the whole thing.

                                                            November 19, 1945

Dear Dago–

Many thanks for your long letter.  First I want to tell you that Heinele is well.  As I told you he goes in the third grade in the elementary school, plus he learns Jewish and English in private and evening classes.  He picks up very quickly and the learning goes easy. 

On Saturdays once in a while he is called to the Torah, and we eat lunch in the Folkskitchen.  It often happens that he prays as the the third at Mesimen [?? Als dritter zu Mesimen benscht.]  He speaks German in a dialect that he learned at home in Beuthen, but he prefers Czech.  This he learned in 1939 after deportation to Prague, and he kept it as his mother tongue.  With me and my husband he speaks Slovak or Czech, but in a short time he will also learn English.  

As of December 1, we hope that we will all live together.  Up till now he lives with my brother-in-law, Bäcker, who is out of town. I myself have only a small room on the 7^th story far behind the city, but the child is in his free time mostly in my office, which is in the city center and very close to his apartment.  It is all very difficult because he was supposed to go to Gusti, but it is not working out.  Like I already told you I am trying to get Heinele to London. But this has to be done from the outside.  I have seen cases where it was successful, but in my case my hands are tied because I am here.

He writes his name “Jindra” or “Jindrich.”  We are using no German names because everything reminds us of Germany, and we are eradicating the language.  The child likes to go to the movies, normally on a Sunday afternoon.  We haven’t been in the movies in 6 years, and we do not miss it.  We are so tired and we have hardly lived. 

Chaskel [Henry] writes that you have a small jewelry manufacturer.  Here you see it in masses, these articles, there are such things, so it is not of value, apparently Gablonz [a costume jewelry manufacturer in northern Bohemia] is working intensely.  Perhaps I can in this regard give some suggestion.  One sees marvelous rhinestone pins and similar things in all forms and manners.

I am very happy about the letter from Chaskel, he writes in such detail that one can believe one is speaking to him.  My sister Gusti also writes that way, we are so happy if we receive a post from you all.

Did you ever get to know my sister Gusti?  She does not write well, but she is a beautiful person, of which there are few.  Even her husband is very decent and nice.  He wrote me that he has all the Saturdays and holidays free.  This has us very happy and it is my outspoken wish that our child is brought up in the Jewish sense, and so remains. We have seen the big businesses and the wealthiest firms collapsed like a house of cards overnight, by which I mean were robbed, [from] the owner who did not previously allow himself a free minute, since the business would suffer from it.

Ach. There is a lot to talk about, but we will keep it for ourselves, until we can speak in person.  I fear that our opinions may differ, but our views are still unchanging even after all we had to live through. 

Today I got news that a parcel that was sent by you from NY arrived here.  I do not have it yet, but in 1-3 days I will pick it up.  Many thanks for sending that.

Now I have another worry, Gusti [her sister] writes that they sent a package to the address of a nephew of mine, Capitan Bernat, Praha Karlin, Kralovska 59. Now, however, he was transferred and I do not know where he is. Actually my oldest brother who came from Russia was living with him, but it is possible that the son has taken the father, and both are no longer in Prague and the package has gotten into the wrong hands. This will make me very sick, because there are things that are very important for me:  winter coat, boots, and hats, which we need just as much as a bit of bread.

For now I close with many kind regards to all.

Send me please some pictures of yourself and especially of little Frances.  We sent you a picture of Heini and one of my husband and myself, which hopefully have come. 

Again warm regards,

                          Leonie

[she continues….]

Here are a few lines from Heini. He writes in Czech, because he does not like to write in German:

Translation [into German, provided by Lili]:

Dear uncle.  I am very glad about your news.  Whenever I go to aunt, the first thing I ask if there is news from you.  I’m in the third grade in school.  I am busy learning and I am healthy.  I am very happy that you are healthy and have good wives [sic!].  I would love to be with you, but it is very difficult, and God knows how long it will take.  I must learn a lot, because I missed four years, but it is easy and I hope it will all be for the best.

Otherwise I am healthy.  I have a short winter coat, a lumberjack and a leather cap.  And now I am closing.

                          Jindrich Grun, /Heini/

[Lili continues with a note to Regina]

My dearest Ryfka –

From the previous lines you'll see everything concerning us and the child.  Heniele would very much like to know why you left Erez [Palestine] and if it is so that one cannot exist there. Since then, he heard that his uncle is not for Erez, he will not hear of seeking anything there, even though he initially showed interest in it.

He is a wonderful child and is recognized by everybody because he is particularly beautiful.  He truly resembles all, especially Chaskel and very much you, Dago.  I love him very much for he has all good qualities and bases to be a good and noble person.  Besides, he’s very agreeable to everybody.  Today his English teacher emigrated, he [Heini] has completely taken this over by himself and moreover one can accomplish all with him.  He can also be very lively and joyful, and I do not speak about the past with him, even though many times a day he is asking for his parents, in the form, that he says, mamička to tak udelal, albo otecko to tak spravil, which means, dear mother made it this way at home, or dear father said this[.] He eats pudding especially eagerly, and he has even told me the recipe that his mother cooked five years earlier.  I cannot imagine a life without this child, but it is my strongest wish that he soon find a place that will be best for him.  Chaskel writes that he is fighting to get the child, we all want him to have it, but I want to make sure that I give him the basic education before we do anything else. 

Otherwise I don’t have much to tell.  I am very happy for you that you are happy there and hope that you will be even happier when you find a nice man. I wish to you just as I have. He [My husband Isidore] is unbelievably agreeable [anständig], good and characterful.  He is one of six brothers.  He’s the only one that survived, the others were killed.  God helped me to protect him and with the Almighty his help also succeeded with me, although it was often only by a hair’s breadth that we were not destroyed.

Now, in conclusion, I remain sincerely,

         (signed)              Leonie   Isidor    Heini

A Letter from Lili

I'm back to the family history blog!  One of my summer projects was to get back to this, and to try to organize all the material I have (a major challenge, especially since organization isn't one of my core competencies.....).  In the process I uncovered this letter from Charlie's Aunt Lili in Czechoslovakia to my father.  It also has an added note to Regina, who had just emigrated to the US from Palestine and a brief note from Charlie.

I managed to get this translated from the German, with the help of an acquaintance and Google translate.  I've left most of the awkward phrasing because I'm afraid of changing the meaning, some of which I may have unintentionally done anyway.

November 19, 1945

Dear Dago  –

Many thanks for your long letter.  First I want to tell you that Heinele is well.  As I told you he goes in the third grade in the elementary school, plus he learns Jewish [Yiddish?] and English in private and evening classes.  He picks up very quickly and the learning goes easy. 

On Saturdays once in a while he is called to the Torah, and we eat lunch in the Folkskitchen.  He often helps out there.  He speaks German in a dialect that he learned at home in Beuthen, but he prefers Czech.  This he learned in 1939 after deportation to Prague, and he kept it as his mother tongue.  With me and my husband he speaks Slovak or Czech, but in a short time he will also learn English.  

As of December 1, we hope that we will all live together.  Up till now he lives with my brother-in-law, Backer, who is out of  town. I myself have only a small room on the 7^th story far behind the city, but the child is in his free time mostly in my office, which is in the city center and very close to his apartment.  It is all very difficult because he was supposed to go to Gusti [her sister], but it is not working out.  Like I already told you I am trying to get Heinele to London. But this has to be done from the outside.  I have seen cases where it was successful, but in my case my hands are tied because I am here.

He writes his name “Jindra” or “Jindrich.”  We are using no German names because everything reminds us of Germany, and we are eradicating the language.  The child likes to go to the movies, normally on a Sunday afternoon.  We haven’t been in the movies in 6 years, and we do not miss it.  We are so tired and we have hardly lived. 

Chaskel [Uncle Henry] writes that they have a small jewelry manufacturer.  Here you see it in masses, these articles, there are such things, so it is not of value, but Chaskel says he is doing fine.  And Chaskel writes often and writes very well, and I like to hear from him.  Gusti writes me and we are happy to get posts from all these people.

Did you ever meet my sister Gusti?  She does not write well, but she is a beautiful person, of which there are few.  Even her husband is very steady and nice.  He wrote me that he has all the Saturdays and holidays free.  This has us very happy and it is my outspoken wish that our child is brought up in the Jewish sense, and so remains. We have seen the big businesses and the wealthy firms  that collapsed like a house of cards overnight and the original owner who fought to keep the business going and then collapsed. 

There is a lot to talk about, but we will keep it for ourselves, until we can speak in person.  I fear that our opinions may differ, but our views are still unchanging even after all we had to live through. 

Today I got news that a parcel that was sent by you from NY arrived here.  I do not have it yet, but in a few days I will pick it up.  Many thanks for sending that.

Now I have another worry, Gusti [her sister] writes that they sent a package to the address of a nephew of mine, Capitan Bernat Grun, Praha Karlin, Kralovska 59. Now, however, he was transferred and I do not know where he is. Actually my older brother who came from Russia was living with him, but it is possible that the son has taken the father, and both are no longer in Prague and the package has gotten into the wrong hands. This will make me very sick, because there are things that are very important for me:  winter coat, boots, and hats, which we need just as much as a bit of bread.

For now I close with many kind regards to all.

Send me please some pictures of yourself and especially of little Frances.  We sent you a picture of Heini and one of my husband and myself, which hopefully have come. 

Again warm regards,

         (signed)               Leonie

[Leonie continues….]

Here are a few lines from Heini. He writes in Czech, because he does not like to write in German:

Translation [into German, provided by Lili]:

Dear uncle.  I am very glad about your news.  Whenever I go to aunt, the first thing I ask about you.  I’m in the third grade in school.  I am busy learning and I am healthy.  I am happy that you are healthy and have good wives [sic!].  I would love to be with you, but it is very difficult, and God knows how long it will take.  I must learn a lot, because I missed four years, but it is easy and I hope it will all be for the best.

Otherwise I am healthy.  I have a coat, a lumberjack and a leather cap.  And now I am closing.

                        Jindrich Grun, /Heini/

[And Lili continues with this note to Regina]

My dear Ryfka 

From the previous lines you'll see everything concerning us and the child.  Heniele would very much like to know why you left Erez [Palestine] and if it is so that one cannot exist there. Since then, he heard that his uncle is not for Erez, he will not hear of seeking anything there, even though he initially showed interest in it. He is a wonderful child and is recognized by everybody because he is particularly beautiful ["schon" -- "nice" may be a better translation?].  He resembles Chaskel and Dago.  I love him very much and will give him the base to be a good person.  He’s very outgoing and we do not speak about the past, even though many times he is asking for his parents.  I cannot imagine a life without this child, but it is my strongest wish that he soon find a place that will be best for him.  Chaskel writes that he is fighting to get the child, but I want to make sure that I give him the basic education before we do anything else. 

Otherwise I don’t have much to tell, I am happy for you that you are happy and hope that you will find a nice man. 

My husband [Isidore] has a good character.  He is one of six brothers.  He’s the only one that survived.  God help me to protect him.  It was only by a small margin that we would have been destroyed, too.

Now, in conclusion, I remain sincerely,

        (signed)             Leonie   Isidor    Heini


And now some background and commentary from me:



Most of you will remember that it was Charlie's Aunt Lili (aka Leonie Schwarz) who tracked him down after the war ended, and then managed to contact his uncles and get him to United States.

Here's how Charlie describes the experience in his document "A Remembrance:"

In the papers that Charlie left are letters written by Lili to my father ("Dago"), Regina ("Ryfka") and Henry ("Chaskel") between May, 1945 and June, 1946. 

There are 25 of them, mostly typewritten, but written, of course, in German. I've managed to get two translated, this one, which I chose because of the note from Charlie, and the very first one I have, which is dated May 15, 1945, and which I'll reserve for a future post, because this post is getting too long.

I'll end, though, with a photo of "Heinele" and Lili and her husband Isidor, labeled "Bratislava, 1946."  

Kristallnacht

In the papers the Jeannie gave me is a letter from her grandfather, David Grun or Green (actually Grun with an umlaut), written two weeks after Kristallnacht, and providing an eye witness account of what happened in their town of Beuthen that night.

It is a handwritten letter, four pages long, and I have been trying for months now to get it translated.  The major problem is that it is not only hand-written, it is written using "Alt Deutsch"   -- an "Old German" script that was used from the 15th century through the 1930's or 40's.  Here's page 1 of the letter so you can try your hand at it:

And the entire original letter is here.

I finally managed to get the letter translated by finding a translator through an organization called the Leo Baeck German-Jewish Institute in New York.  There are still some names we can't figure out, and a couple of phrases, but the essence is all here.

First, though, some background:

David and Marta and Charlie ("Bubi Grun") were living in Beuthen, in Germany,  in November, 1938.  Daddy and Sam and Henry had emigrated to the US in August, 1938, and Regina had gone to Palestine earlier in 1938.  The Nazis had forced the family to sell its business for a pittance early in 1938, and I have no idea how anybody was earning a living.  The Germans expelled all Polish Jews from Germany on October 27, 1938, and from this letter, it sounds like Erna (my father's other sister) and her family (her husband and young son) had gone back to Poland, probably to Chrzanow.  But Charlie's father was a Czech citizen which probably put him in a different category and they were still in Beuthen.

Kristallnacht ("The night of broken glass") took place on November 9 and 10, 1938.  Allegedly a series of spontaneous riots, these were in fact carefully orchestrated by the SS, so that synagogues were burnt, but nearby buildings weren't, and Jewish businesses smashed, but non-Jewish businesses weren't.  According the US Holocaust Museum, 267 synagogues were destroyed throughout Germany, Austria and the Sudetenland.  And Kristallnacht is considered a major turning point in Germany's anti-Semitism policy, culminating in the attempt to make German "judenrein" -- free of Jews.

Here's a map of the synagogues destroyed in Kristallnacht.  Beuthen isn't labeled on the map, but is not far from Gleiwitz.

Charlie and his family all lived through this, and his father's letter provides an eye-witness account -- both of the events themselves and his attempts to figure out how to keep his family safe. 

The translation below is a literal translation from the German, so it reads somewhat awkwardly, and takes a little work.  I've put some clarifying comments on who some of the people are in square brackets. 

If you have trouble with this, I've tried to provide a more readable version in this link, but I am a little concerned that I may have changed David's meaning in some cases, so try this one first:

Saturday 28th November 1938

My Dears!

Transmit to you that I am since last week Wednesday in Czechoslovakia. I was on Thursday in Bruenn [Brno, Czechoslovakia] and went on Friday to Bratislavia to visit Lili [his sister] and Ida there and I was there over Saturday and go today to Prague where I will probably stay one week.  I would like above all to move to Prague and perhaps wait there for the quota.  Whether this possibility will be available I will only see this week but I hope yes.  In any case I shall still write this week about the result.

 

What we went through in the last few weeks cannot be described in words, because      
finally you too will have heard the different reports but all that is nothing.  About the mass-deportations and over the Polish border sent people, Lev Geiger will certainly have told you because he suffered it also. 
 

Except for Merin [??] and Redner nobody of the Polish is left in Beuthen.  It goes already so far since last week that the police confiscated all the apartments that were left behind and moved the furniture and everything out, ostensibly for the N.S.V., [Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt, or "National Socialist People's Welfare" organization] and one cannot do anything about it.  You will certainly have heard that all synagogues have been burned down to the ground, among them the synagogue in Beuthen, Gleiwitz and in the whole German Reich.  On this day, at 6 o'clock in the morning, the police and S.S men got all Jews out of bed, men, women and children and did not even let them get dressed and one had to stand in front of the synagogue and watch the fire.  One stood thus under the watchful eye of the police and thousands of onlookers 3 - 4 hours. Among them were also Marta and Bubi and all others, no matter whether locals or foreigners. 

In all the apartments all the furniture, crystal, porcelain, lamps, pictures and anything else of value was smashed to pieces, carpets torn, stolen and plundered, also gold and jewelry.  Also at Merin [??] the apartment was completely destroyed and stolen. But thank God, with us nothing happened.   

 

We were then at 9 o'clock in the morning marched through the streets and delivered to the prison.  That was for me the worst hour of my life because it was not on my account but for dear Marta and dear Bubi.  But still the same day in the afternoon the women and the children were let out and that was for me a relief.  On the other hand the men had to spend the night there and were only let out the following day.   I was in a cell with 34 others like for instance: Dr. Sonnenfeld,  Dr. Kennen. Dr. Norwick, Gilbert, Professor Solinsky and persons the likes.  The next day all foreigners were dismissed, also many locals, on the other hand about 130, among them Professor Solinsky, Dr. Freankel, Dr. ??  and so on sent to a camp; one does until today not know where they are.  I believe if you can have an idea of this it is “dayenu” but one cannot imagine anything like this. 

 

Also all Jewish businesses had their windows destroyed and the merchandise thrown about.  The Jewish businesses are not allowed to reopen but have to be sold as a whole.   

But in spite of everything one must not lose one's head.  I was last week in Berlin on account of Cuba because new laws have come out and at the present time per person $800.- have to be deposited and for children up to 10 years $400.-. we would have to have deposited $2,000.-; the money has to be paid  to the firm Eiffe & Co., Antwerpen, Belgium, 240 Meir Agentur of the Hamburg - American Line.

Please however in this case nothing yet to instigate as we are not yet decided because in the end in Cuba one has to wait an uncertain time until one gets the copies taken care of; it can take a year and more and perhaps we would prefer to have the waiting period in Prague because in Cuba one is not allowed an occupation during the waiting period.  However, I do not know what and how will be, perhaps like in Cuba, but one is in Europe.  By the way, one does not know anymore what to do because one always recognizes the mistakes only later.

Well, one cannot reproach anyone because first of all everything occurs sporadically and secondly no one could think that in such a short time such a reversal could come into such a nice life.   

We are however glad that you are out and that Erna went in the last moment     

and will also hope for the best for us.  I talked in Bratislava with a woman who wants to provide the visa for Cuba without depositing money, I believe in the same manner as with Wohl.  She also promised to perhaps be able to help me with the American Consulate in Prague.  In any case I would have to apply in Prague and let the affidavit from Berlin sent to Prague.  It bothers me however that the second affidavit is not here yet.  Also this woman wants to apply for a visa for Panama or a tourist visa for U.S.A.  What do you think of it?

 

What does Wohlen say, did you talk with him? Maybe he has a trick.   As I hear one can also go to Uruguay.  I am now going to Prague and have several recommendations by big people with me and will hope that I get a result. 

 

What else does one hear with you?  When do you think to begin something?  What are the other Weissbergers, Dolly [Dave Ulreich] and Redner [Dave Redner] doing?  What is Lev Geiger doing?  Do they already have an occupation?  Where is Frau Weissberger and how far is she with her affidavit?  From Ryfka [Regina] and Erma we have continuously  mail; self understood that it is there also not easy.  Did Tina [Charlie’s cousin, Tina Green, who was here in the US] make out the affidavit for Lili? In case she did not so speak with her about it and see to it that it will be taken care of. As I wrote to you already the husband of my sister Gusti ? is in ??, look perhaps one can there stay or is there a possibility through HIAS to speed up the affidavit in Vienna. 

 

I think that for today it will be sufficient.  So be cordially greeted and be well and write me your opinion.

 

Best regards,     

              David

For the Weinbergers,  Dolly and  ?? many regards.

Be so good and see to it that the second affidavit possibly is sent right away direct to me in Beuthen.

 Best regards,

             David

________________

Here's a picture that includes most of this cast of characters, taken in Beuthen before Daddy, Sam and Henry left:



 

Standing (L to R):  Erna's husband Yesheskel (Henry) Hochbaum, Erna, David and Marta, Lili (Leonie) Green
Sitting:  Sam, Daddy (Dago), Charlie, Henry

And one of Charlie's Aunt Lili and her husband, Isidore Schwarz, taken in 1943:

 

Lili, you will remember, was the person who tracked down Charlie after the war ended, and got in contact with Daddy to get him to the US.

Charlie's father was trying to get affidavits to get his family out of Europe from this time on. I have a letter from March, 1941, that just talks about the logistics and frustrations of trying to get affidavits.  It may be the last letter my father received from him.  There are two more letters -- short ones, and undated -- that I will try to get translated.


   

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....