This
post continues translation of letters and postcards in Yiddish (and,
sometimes, Hebrew and a little bit of Russian) sent
to Morris Lederman, who immigrated to the United States in 1910. Most of
the postcards, such as this one, were sent by Morris' father Levi
Yitzkhak. For further background, see the first post in this series.
Translation is an art. Any comments or clarifications by Yiddish and/or Hebrew speakers/translators are welcome. Despite the best efforts by a talented translator, there are always places where the handwriting is challenging or the meaning confusing.
Postmark:
30 August 1912, Baranovka, Vol. [Volhynia gubernia]
Printed on address side of the card:
Л. Лидерманъ. [L. Liderman]
Addressed to:
Translation
Translation by Khane-Faygl Turteltaub, z'"l, with recent input from 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]
With God's help 1912 Wednesday, the eve of Rosh Hashanah.[2] Let the year and its curses end, and may the New Year and its blessings commence.
My dear, beloved Moshe Shalom Mordekhai, long may you live.
I am now home. Today is the day before Rosh Hashanah, 10 [o'clock] in the morning. I went to slikhos [and said] Zakhor Bris last night.[3] First and foremost, even before eating or drinking I am writing you this postcard. It is more important than anything else to give you my blessing and your mother's blessing to all: to bless you all with a good and sweet year. May the Master of the Universe fulfill our wishes for you.
From Zanvel [we heard that] Shimon Galperin called him to a job. But we already told you. Zanvel is wasting all his time. It's been 2 or 3 weeks since Zanvel was written and he can't make up his mind. Perhaps he is deciding whether or not to go see Galperin.
But at this time I know nothing. I should write him my ideas, but I can't do this either because I do not know the details. I wish I had enough vacation time to go to Galperin and Zanvel. Of course it would be good to know, but I do not have time off. I cannot leave the woods
[side 2]
since this is our livelihood.[4]
[This last section includes contributions from translator Esther Chanie Dushinsky] We received a postcard from Yakov recently, and we answered him. What is going on now with him? You wrote to us that you will still write all the details about what happened to him. Write, please. Usually, we don't write anything to him about it because it is not appropriate.[5]
My son, my dear, a few times I already asked you to write details about yourself and you aren't writing. Write, write, my child.
Your father, who wishes you blessings and tranquility for the New Year.
_____ _____
Notes:
1. H. Berger was Harris Berger. For more about him, see this post, footnote #5.
2. The eve of Rosh Hashanah in 1912 (1 Tishrei 5673) fell on Wednesday evening, 11 September, in the Gregorian calendar in use in the United States and 30 August in the Julian calendar then in use in the Russian Empire.
3. Slikhos (or selikot) are prayers of forgiveness said in the days before Yom Kippur and other fast days. For more about them, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selichot. Zakhor Bris is one of the slikhos prayers and involves remembering the Covenant.
4. Levi Yitzkhak had been working in the Zhary Forest for a forestry concern in Polonnoye: the Zharskoy Forest Dacha and Sawmill. See this post for a map of the approximate location of his work.
5. There were two men named Yakov, that I am aware of, related Morris. One was Yakov Simberg, Levi Yitzkhak's brother-in-law (his wife Frieda's brother and Morriss uncle) who lived in New York City. When Morris first arrived in the United States in 1910, he lived with his uncle and his uncle's family. The second was Yankel Garber, my grandfather. Yankel left Libau, Latvia (now called Liepāja) on 20 August 1912 aboard the S.S. Birma and arrived in New York on 3 September 1912 (Gregorian), about eight days before Levi Yitzkhak wrote this postcard. It seems possible, although perhaps unlikely, that a postcard from Yankel Garber had already reached his uncle, Levi Yitzkhak, in Baranovka. But, maybe.
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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