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 in 1910. For further background, see the first post in this series. With this letter, we find Morris has moved to Lynn, Massachusetts.
As noted previously, translation is an art. Any comments or clarifications by Yiddish speakers/translators are welcome.
Addressed to:
Translation
Translation by Esther Chanie Dushinsky
[Notes in blue as well as those at the end of the post are mine. For ease of reading, I have added paragraph breaks in the translation.]
[Side 1]
Wednesday, Netzavim Vayelech, 31 August 1911, 12 September English, aproximately 10.[1]
My son, my dear and loving _____soul Mr. Moshe Shalom Mordekhai, should live. _____didn't write to you in a while because I did not know your address _____. I am wishing you that it should be to life and to peace, in your new home [?]. When you change your place, you change your luck.[2]
Mother writes from home that Sara writes letters to you every week. Most probably they wrote to you already that they have sold the home already, Gershon'n, for 440 _____ in _____ [unclear town or city].[3] I still don't know what will be, whether we will move to Polonnoe or Baranovka. I don't know yet. I will travel home for Rosh Hashanah, and we will decide.[4] What do you say, Mosheleh? Write to us about your _____[thoughts? opinions?].
We received a letter from Zavel'n and a card. He writes that he has a job for a Christian and he is a very bad person. That _____, in one word, he isn't happy with him, and his wage is very low [?], approximately 25 a month. What does it bother him, the bit of earnings? _____, food and _____, it is barely, barely enough to live on. He writes that he is asking and looking for a new job. There is a rich person there and his name is Madaniski [written in Russian].[5] This Madanski is from Polonnoe. He writes that he will be here with his family, that _____married a brother. He had protektzia here in the city, in order to have protektzia _____, sent him.[6] May God help that these efforts should bear fruit.
There is no news here. We are all praying for the new year that is coming.
[upside down]
Last night I went to the people to work on the protektzias and didn't find them. I will go home already, meaning, to _____[Zavad?]. I will go back especially, and will still have to come _____ for this to the city until I can receive the protektzia and send him there. I would then write to you of Zavel's address. I don't have Zavel's address here. I will write about it another time.
[sideways]
I am blessing you, my son, to a good and blessed year, amen.
[top]
I stayed here overnight in the city, because of the protektzia. But sadly I still haven't taken care yet, in Polonnoe, in the house of Yitzkhak Meier [?].
[side 2]
First I was at 9 pm, that the person _____ Zavel'ns protektzia. I didn't find the man. To _____ I will have to be in the city a second time because of this.
Why don't you write to Faiga'n or Zavel'n? They have _____. You have Faiga's address already, and I sent you the address of Zavel.
Mosheleh, write to me about your life, in detail. What is your job, how much do you earn? What do you do with your time? What's going on with your "Tefillin?" Moshe, Moshe, I am asking you, mother, should live, is asking you in 100 languages [?]...Mosheleh, I am wishing you that the new year should be a good year and full of blessings.
Your father who is blessing you with heart and soul. _____ _____
Notes:
1. The letter was posted in Polonnoe the same day it was written: 31 August 1911. For a summary of the Torah portion read on this date, see: https://www.chabad.org/parshah/default_cdo/aid/53151/jewish/Nitzavim-Vayelech.htm
2. This is the first postcard sent to Morris after he moved from New York City to Lynn, Massachusetts. We do not know what Morris was doing for a living in Lynn. The community was known for its shoe factories and Lynn, at this time, also had a vibrant Russian Jewish immigrant population.
3. Levi Yitzkhak's house was in Annopol, Ostrog uyezd, Volhynia gubernia.
4. In 1911, in the Julian (Russian Empire) calendar, Rosh Hashanah fell on 9 September. In the United States, it was on 22 September.
5. We do not know enough to identify Mr. Madanisky/Madansky. I have searched through the 1906 and 1907 Novograd-Volynskiy district (which includes Polonnoe) Duma voters' lists and and located three Maidanskiys: Bentsion and Froim Gersh, both sons of Srul Ber, and Yankel Maidanskiy. It is not clear in which Novograd-Volynskiy town they resided. The voters lists were published in Volynskie Gubernskie Vedomosti, 1906 and 1907.
There is a listing in Vsia Rossiia 1895 Business Directory for Ester Maidanskiy of Polonnoe, who was listed a haberdasher/grocer and fabric merchant. "Visa Rossiia 1895 Business Directory," index, JewishGen https://www.jewishgen.org/databases/vsia/vsiaweb.htm .
There is also a burial for Yenta Maydanskiy (1871-1957), daughter of Yosef, buried in the the Jewish cemetery in Dnipro (previously named Ekaterinislav), where Zavel was trying to find work. Yenta Maydanskaya gravestone (1871-1957), Zapadnoye, Dnipro; image, Mizvat Emet, https://mitzvatemet.com/en/burial44469 .
6. Protektzia is preferential treatment. So, Levi Yitzkhak was trying to contact Mr. Madaniskiy (or Madanskiy), a wealthy businessman with ties to Polonnoe, who could possibly help Zavel get a good job.
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"
Please contact me Denise Lederman
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