This post continues translation of letters and postcards in Yiddish (and, sometimes, Hebrew and a little bit of Russian) 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. There are quite a few places in this particular letter where the exact meaning could not be discerned.

Company name printed on address side [side 2] of the card:

контора Office

Жарской Лесной Дачи и Лесопильн Завода Zharskoy Forest Dacha and Sawmill

Addressed to:

America

Mr. M. Liderman

Lynn, Mass.

108 Blossm Street [Blossom Street]

Postmarked:

27 December 1911 (Russian/Julian date), Kiev

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, January 9 English, 27 December Russian 1911

My dear and beloved son, the sweetness of my soul Mr. Moshe - Shalom - Mordekhai, should live.

_____ already don't want to send you my letter because I am so troubled now, and there is not a single hour that I can _____ _____ I wrote home to mother, should live, that she should apologize to you in my name. From home they already wrote to you that I have changed to a different job. _____ Eishenberg _____ [torn; second half of word transliterates as krataglov]: _____ [transliterates as grifaren] the third _____ big _____ [forest?] in _____. And next to Polonnoe _____ to Polonnoe.[1] _____ and got this job, like a son, through my son-in-law Shakhne, should live.[2] Because _____ his _____ [the word translates as easel or tripod]. _____ but until today there was no room here and it was full. But now one person left his job and I took his place. Pay is 40 a month, and on the side there is some income. But _____ on the side there is no _____ and a few more. And there is _____ [transliterates as kassur] - "And from the day that comes [torn] border will multiply [?] _____ and the light of day until the light of night, because _____ border cries without eyes. _____ because there is not a minute _____.[3]

Moshe, I didn't write to you the entire time and now it is Yom Tov for you [faded] and I set times and moments to write a letter to you. Thank you and praise _____.

[written on the sides]

It is possible that you can find excuses regarding letters. Mother sent the letters that you wrote to Feiga and it revived me.

My son, when you will want to send a letter to me, you can send it to _____ in my name. If you can send the address printed here so _____. This is my address.

[side 2]

May God help and we should live in fellowship, with strength and goodness. I haven't been home since Succos because when it happened and they called me _____ [transliterates as frendfellin] to come here, it was [Av?] erev Shabbos, _____ [erev Khanuka?].[4] They sent me a telegram to Polonnoe that asked that I come right away from Polonnoe and that I shouldn't look at the fact that it's Friday. _____ left here and came to _____ erev Shabbos with _____. And that's why I haven't been able to travel home, even with _____ they haven't allowed me to travel. _____ [most of sentence is illegible] 6 _____. And it is still ten days _____.

Your father that worries about you _____.

Notes:

1. I have been unable to determine if these words refer to particular forested areas. And I have been unable to find a map that names the various forested areas still extant in this area of Ukraine. Any help with this would be appreciated.

2. Shalom Skakhne Grinfeld was married to Levi Yitzkhak's oldest daughter, Feiga. The Grinfeld family lived in Baranovka.

3. There is much that is unclear in trying to translate this letter. What is clear was that Levi Yitzkhak was employed in the forest and the work was overwhelming, with little time for anything else - let alone traveling home to see his family in Annopol.

4. In 1911 (Hebrew year 5672), Succos (or Succot) which falls on 15-21 Tishri, was on 23-30 September (Russian/Julian calendar) and 6-13 October (USA/Gregorian calendar). So, Levi Yitzkhak had been away from home for about three months.

Posts in this Series

"Bond of Brothers"

"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 10 December 1910"

"Letters from Levi Yitzkhak Lederman, 17 December 1910"