Dear cousin Sala! From our new apartment, I already wrote you a postcard. I don’t know if you received it. We received the 5 [some currency] that our dear child sent. I also thank you dear Sala for the “poln?” words. Dear Sala, you have certainly missed a lot of the “olhun” that happened in our city. How awful is our destiny! I haven’t yet stopped crying and it still pains me because I couldn’t speak with you when I had such a good opportunity, but what can I do, the bad thing is that there is nothing new for us. I would be surprised if something good would happen. Dear Sala you would probably want to know something about our situation, but as you know, we live in “Sikorko”. That is a village not far from the city, but we are not allowed to walk [there]. If there will be some way of earning, I don’t know, only I beg you, don’t say anything to our dear brother, because he doesn’t need to know about it. In the meantime, I have a little work, but I know that Rosa will be p. 2 envious of Blima’s sister, I know that she will not even wish that she gets together with her, so my dear Sala, imagine that. Imagine, when I lived in the city, I once complained that I wrote to you and how I missed you, it’s hard for me, and so forth. When that happened that bad thing, I have no words today to describe what I feel. Last week, Leon wrote to me that he will come for a vacation, and I should prepare for a “chupe” [wedding] ??. Imagine my joy. I prepared everything necessary for 8??, because that is important, but, as you know, no vacation happened. Sala, you will probably wonder about what I will write you, I preferred that he shouldn’t come, if it will only be for 4 days. I don’t see what for, when he needs to go back, it is much worse than before, it is so dreadful and horrible, you dear Sala can’t know anything about it, because I have so missed him, and you are anyway together with them, my heart still weeps and longs so badly. You understand me? Not about the same person. Imagine, that I haven’t even p. 3 said that I wanted 10 years granted from my loved one, that I haven’t even “apgeliebt” that I should only see for a short minute my dear Leon, when I remember that he must go back I feel so horrible that I would rather not even write about it. I have no words for how much the merest thought brings me such pain. If I knew that he would come to take me with him, I would do it without question, because I don’t know how it will be in the future by Rosa. Dear Sala. I haven’t yet written to you about the room we have. The “schule” is actually small but pleasant with a large window that has sun. Sala! I spoke a lot with H.K, but to write about all of it, I can’t any more since I have known he is very much in love with Blima’s sister, I only want to know if that is [Polish??], then I wanted to know that [this is very difficult to understand something like - don’t imagine that you are very satisfied], it is only a shame that I couldn’t speak with him more because on the day that he had free we had to relocate. I haven’t spoken to him only if you dear cousin want to know, I like him very much, and not because of a word he had spoken about ?? and the p. 4 tears came to my eyes, because I can feel and know it. I hardly spoke to him again. He also told me very little about my dear Abram and old “ibrol” had comforted us that we didn’t need to worry. Abram has a cousin, everyone said. Dear Sala, we thank you all a hundred times for everything. God will repay you for your goodness with much, much happiness in the future, because what would our dear child have done if he didn’t have Sala, we don’t send him much and Sala knows already, I believe, that he is a noble and not “deveist” child. Dear Sala I beg you to tell only about the good things to Abram and if I write something bad, don’t tell him. I don’t’ want him to worry and you dear Sala, don’t worry either. I thank you again because you don’t forget about my dear brother. Forgive me for my bad writing, only we have no light and I am not used to a petroleum lamp, which is what we have here. I greet and kiss you very warmly as well as your mother, father, and brother. I wish you and my dear brother a happy year, we should soon be able to be joyful together. We greet very fondly our dear child and kiss him, he shouldn’t worry. D. your faithful cousin Different handwriting, p. 5 (starts in the middle of a sentence) Should come to her. Of course, as always, I came home, and went right away to family Gaertner. They are very nice people. However, when I asked for the letter, that they should give it to me, she said that it only had a greeting for us from Miss Ala. I was so surprised that everything else she said to me my brain turned off, and God forbid, I saw in my imagination “chalile” the worst. Everything she said I accepted as true. When I came home and told Blima what I heard at family Gaertners (because mother was not at home then) she was very angry with me, why I hadn’t taken the letter. And she laid such heavy stones on my heart it depressed me, because really it was not understandable. Ala went away to another camp, why, if she was supposed to come home, but I misheard, she meant a greeting, and I thought a letter, and then, Mr. Gaertner asked me what I had written to you, so the whole thing was for us a misunderstanding. They said Ala wrote that you are not to be comforted and so bitter. Should we have believed that if we had known that she would come home. Under no circumstances! It appeared to us that everything was preparation for God knows what. But finally, Ach! Thank God, your postcard assured us that you 6. are well and nothing happened to you. And now we must cope with the loss of Ala for you. It hit us like a thunder clap, the news that Ala is gone from there. We have great, great heartache about this, but, what can we do! Are we in a position to “ueberzuaddersehn,” no, we must get used to it, as well as to others also and to merely have a good memory of the loving and caring person of good deeds Frl. Ala. I believe and hope that all will continue to go well for you with God’s help. It pains us, but we can do nothing about it. Continue to keep your spirits up, as you have done until now, and the time will not weigh so heavily on you. About us, what should I write you. That we want to see you we don’t have to say, I know you feel how much we would like to already welcome you. But for that the right time will also come, when it will also be your turn. Now, you also wanted to know what is new with us. Praise God, we are healthy and in full anticipation to see you. Ah! Salu when … when… Now we kiss you a thousand times and fond greetings to the dear parents, Blima, and my best regards to family Pocha Rozka, regards from your friends, from L.D. David and children, also L. G. Miss Grinbaum can rest assured that her parents are just fine. They write every week and don’t understand why she doesn’t get their greetings. Good night. 7. Different handwriting I forgot and just reminded myself. Maybe you need something, then write, is Miss Ala already not with you together. We beg you Salu, write often, much and in detail about how you are doing. But the truth. I was just by the Gaertners and they don’t yet know anything more right now, they are waiting for further mail from her. Mrs. Gaertner calmed me so much that you would be alright, and that we shouldn’t worry. Ala also was terribly bitter about the separation. When we see the people arriving from work, I have to say, the longing is doubly intense.