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| [Russian] January 31, 1911 |
For links to other posts in this series, scroll to the bottom.
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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18 January 1911Polonnoe, Volin. G. [Volhynia Gubernia]
Addressed to:
Mr. J. Simberg55 Broome Street
New York C.
for Morris Liderman
Translation
[To save space and postage, Levi Yitzkhak wrote the letter in one block with no paragraphs. For ease of reading, I have broken it into shorter paragraphs.]Translated by Esther Chanie Dushinsky
[footnotes are mine]
[Date in Russian] January 31, 1911[1]
To my beloved and endearing son Mr. Moshe Shalom
My dear, beloved son should live. Parshas Shemos, I was in my house for Shabbos, and we were worried and sad that there was no letter from you.[2] Not in Polonnoe and not at home. And when I came back, there was a letter. It gave me back my life to see a letter from you. In Nezhvin [?], went and came back to _____. He is one of the bosses of _____ [Mavad?], and went to his home in Koretz, via ____ [Anfal?].[3] I sent the letter with him to mother. It also gave her life.
But what's up that in the same letter, you will write that you are surprised I haven't received any letters from you from time to time? For some reason, letters from you are so appreciated. My soul wants to know what's going on with you.
On Sunday, I got a letter from mother, should live, she writes that she received a card from you, and in the letter you write to her the same. It shouldn't be a surprise that I haven't written in such a while. It is over a _____ [Frutchneh] that the _____ [Frutchneh], when the [Frutchneh], you are not writing. You should know the pain of mother and all of us have because of it.[4]
What did you write, please write what it is about, Moshe'leh, in my letter that I wrote you that you should at least send 4 cards. I need it so badly. When I left my house, I took along 1 card and I only have 1 card left at home. I am asking you, what should I do? Zaivel [usually a version of Zanvil/Zavel] was upset that I took it with me because he also wants a card separately.[5] Faiga'n also wants a card, Avraham Aba'n should live, must also get a card.[6] Perel'n _____ also wants.[7] What should I do? And so, send at least 4 cards, we will have enough to divide it.
Moshe'leh, it is very cold here. What's going on for you? Is it not cold? What do you wear? Are you warm when you sleep? Overall, how are things for you in detail, and in general?
Write to me, write to me, word after word. From me, your father that loves you, your beloved who is signing with his heart.
Notes:
1. The British colonies, in what is now the United States, converted from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar after Julian date 2 September 1752 (the next day was 14 September 1752 Gregorian). The Russian Empire maintained the Julian calendar until 1918. As a result, there are at least two sets of dates (three if one counts the Hebrew dates) on most of these cards.
Levi Yitzkhak's cards were postmarked with the official Russian Julian calendar date. Levi Yitzkhak, perhaps because he was aware that his son Moshe was living in the US where the Gregorian calendar was in effect, dated the letters in the Gregorian calendar system. Thus, we see the postmarked date of 18 January 1911 (Russian Julian calendar) when the message was actually written on 31 January 1911 (Gregorian calendar). In fact, Levi Yitzkhak mailed this card the same day he wrote it.
To play with date equivalents between the two systems, see Steve Morse's "Converting between Julian and Gregorian Calendar in One Step" page: https://stevemorse.org/jcal/julian.html .
2. The Torah reading for Parshas Shemos is Exodus 1:1 - 6:1.
3. "Anfal" is likely Annopol where Levi Yitzkhak and his wife Frieda lived. "Nezhvin" may have been Netishyn. If they were in Netishyn, then Annopol would, indeed, have been on the way home to Korets. And his boss could have easily stopped to deliver the letter to Frieda.
5. Zanvel or Zaivel was Levi Yitzkhak's eldest son (Moshe's brother).
6. Faiga was Levi Yitzkhak's oldest daughter (Moshe's older sister). Avraham Aba was Avrum Garber, Levi Yitzkhak's brother (Moshe's uncle).
7. Perel may have been Avraham Aba's 2nd child (his eldest daughter and Moshe's 1st cousin). Perel was born about 1888. She never left the old country and lived in Labun (about 10 miles west southwest of Polonnoe). She married Itzik Zabarsky with whom she had four children. She and her daughter Khana were murdered in Labun in about 1941.
Posts in this series
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 27 December 1910"
"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, 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, 25 March 1911"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 27 April 1911"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 27 April 1911"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 28 November 1911" "Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 27 December 1911"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 13 August 1912"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 28 November 1912"
"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 28 November 1912"
Again this letter begins in Hebrew and then switches into Yiddish. Any insight into why?
ReplyDeleteLara: I have no idea. I will ask Esther if she has a clue about this.
DeleteHi, I find that some writers did this simply out of habit. I don't think there is any specific reason for this. Just like it's common to find that some writers started off their letters in Romanian and then would switch to Yiddish, or vice versa. I do see patterns, and this writer clearly did this often enough, as many of his letters start out that way and then switch. Some only write the greeting in Hebrew and the rest in Yiddish.
ReplyDelete