This post continues translation from Yiddish and analysis of letters sent by Levi Yitzkhak Liderman to his son, Morris, who was settled, initially, in New York City. For further background, see the first post in this series.
As noted previously, translation is an art. Any comments or clarifications by Yiddish speakers/translators are welcome.
As an aid in understanding, I have included a family tree at the bottom of this post.
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Image on card
This card includes a company logo for the Shuriev smelting/forging works - gray-iron casting - in Polonnoe. The machine pictured is some sort of steam engine.
Addressee
Mr. J. Simberg55 Broom Str.
N.Y.
Postmark: Polonnoe, Volin. Gub. [Volhynia Gubernia]
17 December 1910 [Julian calendar date used, then, in Russia]
[The date on the letter is the Gregorian calendar date used in the United States. For further discussion of the Julian and Gregorian calendars, see the first post of Levi Yitzkhak's letters.]
Translation
Translated by Esther Chanie Dushinsky[footnotes are mine]
The 6th Chanuka night (candle)
Parshas Miketz, 30 December 1910
To my dear and beloved son, Mr. Moshe Shalom (?) Mordekhai. Yesterday, on the 29th, I received your letter from December 12. The card (usually a photo) that you wrote and sent as well. I also received Reuven's letter. I will write to Reuven one of these days as well. I was at Mr. Avraham Nachum's brother-in-law this past Sunday and received regards.[1] He only arrived this Shabbos. He sadly went with Etap and lost 50.[2] Your Moshe'len, he says, I haven't seen him since Simkhas Torah.[3] Why, he says, didn't Nachum say that he's going home? _____is Nachum... Your cards are written very shortly. Why don't you write details. I want to know how your winter is. Whether it is very cold. Here it is quite warm. We don't even need a lining, just a coat. In the beginning there was a bit of snow, a bit frosty and now it's warm. Moshe'leh, buy yourself a warm layer (?). Most likely you can get a warm layer at cost price, a good coat. Do you have a good coat? And where is your older one from ____? Are you warm when you sleep? Moshe'leh, why don't you write whether you learn, whether you read? Moshe, Nu, don't neglect it. Learn, read and so on. My brother-in-law, you haven't written in a while.[4] Perhaps you wrote to Fraidel'n in Annopol. But no, if you would have written, she would have sent it to me. A tough question - why don't you write? Be well. Zaidel Yitzkhak Meir's - there's a hope that on ____ 21 he should ____. Moshe'leh, from Faiga'n.
[on top]
Do you have any money? Bottom line, stay well and strong and happy and we should see Yiddish nackhas and God should help us and we should see each other with great pleasure. Your father _____.
Notes:
1. "Avraham Nachum" likely means that Nachum was Avraham's son. In the previous letter, Levi Yitzkhak related the story of Nachum Garber's brother-in-law who had been taken by the Etap.
2. 50 of what item is not specified. Likely, it was 50 rubles (the monetary unit used in the Russian Empire). It is difficult to estimate monetary equivalents across time and space. I have seen an estimate that in 1910 each ruble was worth about 40% of a U.S. dollar. So, 50 rubles would have been about $20. That was actually a large sum. Low level factory workers in New York City in 1910 probably made only about $20 a month.
3. [UPDATE] In my initial reading this passage did not make sense if read literally. Simkhas Torah in 1910 fell on about 25 October. Moshe (Morris) arrived in New York on 29 August 1910. So, there was no way they last saw each other on Simkhas Torah. Since publishing this post Alexander Fine sent me a message explaining that this is a common expression indicating that a long time has passed. He believes it derives from the long stretch between Simkhas Torah and Hannukah when there are no Jewish holidays. So Nachum's brother-in-law was essentially relating that he'd not seen Moshe in what seemed like a very long time. Thank you for the explanation, Alexander!
4. This sentence was directed at Jacob Simberg, Freida (Fraidel) Simberg Lederman's brother, with whom Morris was staying at 55 Broom Street, NY, NY.
Posts in this series:
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 18 January 1911"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 4 February 1911"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 21 February 1911"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 8 March 1911"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 27 April 1911"
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