NYPL, Letters To Sala

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Raizel Garncarz
Postcard to Sala Garncarz, in German, Sosnowitz, Poland, December 16, 1941
NYPL, Dorot Jewish Division, Sala Garncarz Collection

Sala!

Chanukah! The first day of Chanukah. Our dear father kindles the lights. He’s singing “Ha-neros halolu” while crying all the time. Oh, Sala, you know how he would like to see his children together, and we—our dear mother, Blima, me, and even the candles themselves—weren’t exactly cheerful either.

Our dear father looks at the clock … yes, the time has arrived when I can write to you, and so, I’m writing. Now, Sala, what’s new with you, are you well, are you still working? I even didn’t want to write because we all believed that you would come on vacation. Isn’t it so? Or maybe you want to surprise us. How nice! Shall we not believe in that? Why? Maybe they told us the truth, that you will come home again, but when will that be?

Don’t be angry that we didn’t send you what you wanted. We can only send something once a month, not when we want to, and thus we’re excused. Meanwhile, we hope to hear good news from you. Here, things are as usual, nothing special. We are, thank God, well. There was a big wedding here, to which I wasn’t invited.

Raizel