Bolechow, 16 January 1939

Dear Joe and Dear Mina and dear children,

You’ll be wondering, dear Cousin, why I’m writing to you after so many years; I’d have written you continuously if you’d only wished it…I’ll hope that you and the dear family are well, how are things in the business?  I don’t know, and I’ll hope that the answer is “good” – my siblings aren’t doing well, and the worst of all is that all of them are sick; anyway I hardly need to tell you what you yourself know best.

 Since by now the times that have arisen can only be called strange, if not indeed hard to believe, with respect to the troubles of the Jews, I’ll hope all the more that you’ll be able to help me if only with a letter in response, if you can’t help me with anything else—

 Naturally, I come to you with the following entreaty only if it’s something you’re able to do; an accident—no, a disaster—has recently befallen me, namely one of my trucks has been burned, the one for which I had a permit, and I simply must have another and it’s not possible any more for me to get so much money together, and I can’t write to my siblings, since they’ll only get terribly worried, and at any rate they won’t be able to help me out.

 On the one hand I’m not even sure, dear cousin, that you’ll respond to this letter of mine, but I’ll hope you will.  And so I’m begging you: help me out of this, as far as it’s possible for you. & if possible get in touch with my Schneelicht brother-in-law and get him involved in helping, too.

 I will note for you that in the event that I don’t buy another Truck by March 1^{st , 1939 my state permit [to be in business] will be taken away, and also that I’m the only Jew in our community business board who even had a permit for a truck.}

 I won’t write to you a whining lettter about how until now I had a permit, and am the head of a beautiful household, and have four well-brought-up beautiful daughters, don’t let me go on about all that, I just want to go on working and not be a burden to anyone.

 Consequently, since I know that an American busniness man doesn’t have time to read so much, I won’t write too much, and will hope that you and your dear wife have understood me here, and I’ll wait for a call from you, my dears—to whom should I turn in times of need but to my own?—I embrace you and kiss you and dear Mina and the dear darling children.

My wife and dear children hug and kiss you many times over,

   Your Cousin

     Sam

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