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Ala Gertner
Letter to Sala Garncarz, in German, Bendsburg, Poland, October
16, 1941
NYPL, Dorot Jewish Division, Sala Garncarz Collection
Little, beautiful Sarenka [little deer]!
Please excuse me for not writing to you in such a long time.
I am so busy and have so much work. If only you knew how tired
I was when I got home. Now I live on my own, my dear mom is in
Sosnowitz. I don’t know how many times I’ve been saying, “Oh
dear, if only Sala were here; oh my, I miss Sarenka very much,” particularly
now that I live on my own.
Just imagine, the two of us on our own! Sarenka! You won’t
recognize the room: newly painted, the furniture rearranged, clean,
pleasantly warm—only, I’m all alone. I brought the
[gramophone] over here last Tuesday, so I brought back my music
world. Our photos, the new ones with you and me and the one with
Bernhard [a prisoner in Geppersdorf who became Ala’s boyfriend]
are all over the place, even though I look so ugly in them. Everybody
admires how beautiful you are. I look like a witch, really, no
kidding! Your cream sits in the drawer, I didn’t have a
second to take care of it, but truly next week…. Are you
angry?
Your sister came to see me in Sosnowitz on Monday.... We talked
for a long time. I thought you might be offended since the vacation,
but she reassured me that this was not the case. To the contrary,
you supposedly said that you could not live without Ala. I am very
happy, little, beautiful girl! I also like you very, very much.
Do you know that? I love you and shall never forget you. Our time
together in the camp—your kindness to me, all that you did
for me—I have not forgotten, Sarenka. For the time being,
however, things have to be as they are, but you will convince yourself
that I am neither bad nor ungrateful....
Now, I kiss you, beautiful Sarenka, write soon.
Yours, Ala
Sarenka! Patience! It’s good that you have a job! Send
me a certificate right away that you have been working there
for a year.
