(going) The Extra Yad: Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 4 February 1911

This post continues translation from Yiddish and analysis of letters sent by Levi Yitzkhak Lidermann to his son Morris. Morris Lederman settled initially in New York City in in 1910. For further background see the first post in this series.

For links to other posts in this series, scroll to the bottom.

Translation, of course, is an art. Any comments or clarifications by Yiddish or Russian speakers/translators are welcome.

As an aid to understanding, I have included a family tree at the bottom of this post.

Postmark

4 February 1911, Polonnoe, Volhyn [Volhynia Gubernia]

Addressed to:

J. Simberg
55 Broome Street
New York
for Morris Liderman
U.S. of America

Translation

[To get as much writing on the postcard as possible, Levi Yitzkhak wrote on one side of the postcard and then rotated it 180 degrees and wrote between his previous lines. Levi Yitzkhak wrote in large blocks. I have broken the translated text into shorted paragraphs for easier reading.]

Translation by Esther Chanie Dushinsky
[notes in blue as well as those at the end of the post in are mine]

With God's help, Friday, on the eve of Shabbos Yisro ____ Poland 1911, 17 February [written in Russian: Feevral] [1]
My beloved and dear son. Even though I received a card fro you last week, I still don't feel satiated. Firstly, your letters right now are sad and full of pain, you don't leave and you won't burn [Hebrew phrase] ____.

Especially from you, from you, my son. My soul is broken too for your bad situation, every moment and all the pain. And over every issue and with every step you take. At the end I wished to see the beauty of ____, that in your previous letters you wrote that you have a ____ [Prustishna], and you still didn't ____.[2]

Even though you write very few letters, I received a letter from home this Shakos. A card, from mother, should live, and Sarah, and they write that you also send them letters very sparingly. And I have to say, my beloved son and dear son, that almost all of us can't be calm because of this. We want to know everything about you, detail after detail. How are things going, small issues and larger ones. For example, what you eat and drink and how you sleep, eyeglasses, are you warm daily and when you sleep?

Here there is a storm going on for almost the entire month of Shevat.[3] Freezing temperatures, 30 degrees almost all the time. It's been years since we had such cold temperatures. There is also snow.

How is the winter there? How are you doing with work? Are you bored of your work? In one word, my son, my son, write about everything in detail. What's going on with ____ [brefisven] of yours on ____ places? For ____ do you have any chances, or is it zero indeed? Are you learning the English language?

[upside down]
Greetings in my name, in peace, to my brother in law Yosef Yoel [? possibly different name - it's quite unclear] and his family. When I was home for Shabbos, Parshas Shemos, Sarah wrote a letter and asked why the uncle doesn't write and whether he responded.[4] Even the children of the uncle. Why don't they write to us the entire time? I wrote to uncle myself a few times already, that he should write, but he doesn't write. Also from Reuven, does he keep in touch with you like he used to?

Write about everything, with all the details and truth. You should believe me that the entire family comes alive, and is dependent on your letters. We want to know everything, about everyone.

We ask God for you that He should watch over you ad keep you on the right path.

Did you take more photos already? And did you send a photo to Faigel? Because she's not allowed to know that we have your photo and you didn't send to her. If she would know, she would ___.

Moshe'leh, you don't know what Faiga endured. In the card that she sent this week, she writes to me, and asks that I should be her advocate and ask you to write to her often. She asks that I should send your letters and cards to her. She desperately wants to know about you and ____ she and Shachna ____Leah ____.[5]

She writes that ____ Chayka [possibly Chanka, for Chana, but looks quite clearly like Chayka] asks about you.[6] And so, Moshe'leh, I am asking you to write about Mottel'n, about Nachum'n, how are things going with Mottel? When I responded to you, I wrote to you in a previous letter.

About Reuven'n I also wrote that I responded to him. Where is the photo that he wrote about? He must send it.

In general, my beloved son, could you write? Be well and strong and happy. Good Shabbos and it should always be good. Your father that is blessing you ____.

[second side]
I am here to wish you, my son, Moshe, to bring ____ [frutchne], what happened and occurred, what you wrote about, that according to this, from time to time in your letter. As usual, for whatever reason ____ [frutchuneh]. ____ Here, there is no news and I hope I will hear the same from you, and that I will still merit to see you in this lifetime, and you should be blessed with a lot of good.

Moshe'leh, my son, I am writing to tell you that the last months at home we have had to buy wood already. We don't have any wood left from the last purchase. Mother, should live, bought 4 ____ [a weight, most likely] wood from Moshe Zeczenblur. It will cost 12 ____ [ruble?]. From Faiga'n I received a card and she's also complaining why you don't send her a letter, especially after she wrote to you already. Why don't you respond to her? Your father who wants your good, your happiness and good all your days. _____ _____

[upside down]
Mother writes that she tried to sell the home, but there are no buyers. Mother would also like to ____ ____ from the start. What do you say?

Notes:
1. The reading for Parshas Yisro would have occurred on about 17 February 1911 in the Gregorian calendar (the one in use in the United States in 1911). The Julian calendar (the one used in Russia at that time) date equivalent was 4 February 1911 - the same as the postmark date. The Torah reading for Parshas Yisro is Exodus 18:1 - 20:23.
2. The same word was used in the previous letter posted here. Neither Yiddish nor Russian speakers have been able to decipher its meaning. It also appears at the top of the second page of this letter.
3. In the Gregorian calendar of 1911, the Hebrew month of Shevat coincided with the month of February.
4. Parshas Shemos is the 13 weekly Torah reading in the yearly cycle: Exodus 1:1 - 6:1.
5. Moshe's older sister Faiga Lederman Grinfeld and her husband Shalom Shachna Grinfeld lived in Baranovka and had three children: Leah, Wolf (after immigration to the USA known as Robert), and Raya (Rae).

6. Judging from the content of the next few sentences referring to Mottel and Nachum, it is possible that the name is actually Chanka rather than Chayka. Chana Mazevitsky Garber was the mother of Mottel and Nachum, who were also living in New York. She was the wife of Avrum Aba Garber, Levi Yitzkhak's brother.

Posts in This Series

"Bond of Brothers"

"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 10 December 1910"

"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 17 December 1910"