This
post continues translation of letters and postcards in Yiddish (and, sometimes, Hebrew) 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. By September 1911, Morris had moved to Lynn, Massachusetts.
For links to other posts in this series, scroll to the bottom.
Several people have noted that Levi Yitzkhak's cards and letters include both Yiddish and Hebrew. Translation is an art. Any comments or clarifications by Yiddish and/or Hebrew speakers/translators are welcome.
Addressed to:
Mr. M. Luderman [Levi
Yitzkhak probably mixed up a letter in the Cyrillic alphabet with one
in the Latin alphabet. The letter that looks like u in Luderman is pronounced as an i
in Russian]
108 Blossm Street [Blossom Street]
Lynn, Mass.
America
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]
Tuesday, Bracha, September 21 Russian, October 4 English [1]
My honorable son, who warms my soul, Mr. Moshe Shalom Mordekhai.
Since we were home for Rosh Hashanah, when we received a card from you, we haven't had a letter from you. It's possible that there's a letter at home, but they haven't sent it to me. It's possible that they think that when I will be home for Succos, I will read the letters that are there.[2]
There have been no letters from Zavil either.
There is no news here since I have written to you prior to Rosh Hashanah. I gather that mother, should live, Sarah, should live, wrote to you from home. You can rely on mother. She doesn't forget about you, whether she's walking or standing, her mind is full of thoughts about you. Moshele, Moshele, I am telling you, such devotion is very rare.
I am coming to wish you Gmar Khasima Tova, you should be well and happy.[3] We should see great nakhas from you, amen.[4] A good year to you, it should always be good for you.
My son, my son, did you write to Faiga? Faiga says that if we want to come over, she will give the rooms.[5] What do you say, Moshele?
The story is as follows: sadly, I am here in Polonnoe for the job [?], and I am wandering around. Aside from that, the expenses doubled. It costs her. And mother, should live, we can't manage on our own. What should we do? Should we move over to Polonnoe, together? On the other hand, there's the issue of having to share with the apartment costs, etc...As you know, I have rooms. What do you say?
Moshele, write me all the details about everything, about your friends, do you send them letters sometimes for example? Moshe Gershon's Chaim Yudel revealed to me that you are not happy in America. I traveled with Chaim Yudel'n on the train. And he
[side 2]
said something that it isn't too pleasant for you in America. We spoke a lot about it. I told him that at the most, it isn't pleasant for you because you don't have people of your class, your equal. And _____indeed, home.
Write to me, my child, what's going on? With what type of people do you meet? Who do you room with? Do you read? Do you learn? Moshele, do you have _____, do you have good food? Do you have a good bed? Do you have money? Don't think, God forbid, that I want to pull money from you. But I simply want to know what your pleasures are, and "money" is a pleasure.
Moshele, Moshele, bottom line Moshele, I am ending my writing and am wishing you a good blessed year, it should always be good.
Your father who is waiting to see you in real life _____.
[side 1, upside down]
Moshele, Succos is coming, and I am wishing you a happy Yom Tov. Simkhas Torah is coming, and I am wishing you a happy life.[6] Be well, live a good life, your name, until 120 years. We gave you the name Moshe, [for the] Parsha Vezos Habrakha, "And this is the blessing with which Moshe blessed." And may your name be blessed and so it shall be, amen, amen, _____ Moshele, amen.
Write something to Zavel'n, write to Faiga'n. They have cards that you have already written _____. What's going on with uncle Yosef [?]? What's with Nakhum'n? Do you hear anything from Mottel, Reuven, Perel?[7] Do you write to one another? I am wishing you again all the best. Celebrate at home and drink l'chaim for us and we will do the same at home and respond with l'chaim and shalom.
Notes:
1. The Torah reading for this date would have been Parashat Vezot Haberakhah (which Levi Yitzkhak also cites in the second to last paragraph of this letter when he discusses the significance of Moshe's Hebrew name). This reading discusses the blessing that Moses gave to the Children of Israel before he died at the age of 120 (Deuteronomy 33:1-34:12). For more information see: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/vzot-habrakha-a-summary-of-the-parashah/
2. Succos (or Sukkot) is a harvest festival that also commemorates that God provided for the Jewish people after they left Egypt. In 1911, Succos started on the evening of (American date) 6 October and ended on 13 October.
3. It is the custom on Yom Kippur to wish others gmar chasima tova - "May you be sealed in the Book of Life." The belief is that on Rosh Hashanah one's fate for the coming year is decided and on Yom Kippur it is sealed.
4. Nakhas means pride or joy.
5. Faiga, Levi Yitzkhak and Frieda Lederman's oldest daughter, lived in Baranovka with her husband Shalom Shakhna Grinfeld and their children, Leah, Wolf (after immigration to the US, called Robert), and Raya. Baranovka is about 14 miles NNE of Polonnoe, where Levi Yitzkhak was working. Annopol, where Levi Yitzkhak and Frieda had their home, was about 35 miles (straight line distance) from Baranovka. However, roads did not directly link the towns and the trip between them would have been a arduous and time consuming.
6. In 1911, Simkhas Torah started on the evening of 14 October and end at sunset the next day. Simkhas Torah celebrates the annual cycle of Torah readings. It marks the end of the previous year's and the beginning of the new year's readings.
7. I still have not figure out who uncle Yosef was. While in NY, Morris lived with his uncle (his mother's brother), Jacob Simberg. Nakhum, Mottel, Reuven and Perel have been mentioned before. Nakhum (Nathan) Garber and Mottel (Max) Garber were Moshe's first cousins (my grandfather, Jacob's, older brothers, who immigrated to the USA in 1910 and 1908, respectively).
I have been researching Reuven and Perel and, while I am not prepared to hang (or eat) my hat on this, I believe they were brother and sister: Reuben Resnick and Czarne Perel (Pearl) Resnick Flikopf/Flikoff. I think the Resnicks were Morris' first cousins (children of a brother of Levi Yitzkhak Lederman named Yakov Resnick). They seem to have been from the Zaslav area, perhaps from the town of Slavuta (about 10 miles south of Annopol). Reuben immigrated in 1903 to New York City. Shortly after he married in March 1911, he moved to Plainfield, New Jersey and opened a cigar/stationery store. Pearl was already married to Benjamin Flikoff when they immigrated. He arrived in the US in 1901 and she in 1905. They lived in New York City, Chicago and, finally, Denver, Colorado. At the time of this letter, they still lived in New York City.
Posts in This Series
