Since I don’t have a letters for each day in January, today we continue with another letter dated January 24.

There appears to be no rhyme or reason to which documents Harry and Eva kept in their possession. Although Harry had the lion’s share of documents, my mother had a handful. Until a few years ago I only knew what my mother had kept and assumed Harry had nothing. My mother’s papers seemed to consist of a random assortment of things that appeared unimportant and unrelated to our family. She seemed to be the keeper of official documents like Paul Zerzawy’s school transcripts, diplomas, and death certificate. She also had an envelope labeled “Otto” which included bank statements and Paul’s correspondence to and from seemingly unrelated people. I’m still not 100% who Otto was since like with so many names, there are a number of different Ottos on the family tree. I’m guessing he may be a first cousin of Paul’s.

Today’s letter is written to Paul from Fritz Orlik and his wife Hanne. I almost didn’t bother having his letters translated because I assumed he was unrelated. It turns out that Fritz was Paul’s step-brother. Paul’s father Julius married his third wife Elise in 1921, 11 years after Paul’s step-mother (and aunt) Mathilde died. Elise was a widow whose first husband was named Orlik. Paul would have been 25 years old in January of 1921.

                                                 Kfar-Ata 24. January 1940, near Haifa, Beth Zinnober 

Dear Paul!

We have been here for 5 months and we are waiting without success for news from you. We have already written to you three times and we assume the letters might have gotten lost because you moved.

We are hoping to learn something through you about what’s going on at home since we don’t have any contact there. Last month Robert sent us a letter of Mama’s which was from November 4th and we think you must have also gotten a copy of that. However, the contents were not entirely understandable. It seems to be some sort of misunderstanding.

We don’t really have anything good to report. I’m healthy. However, Hanne had a gall stones few weeks ago and a gall bladder inflammation. This was really painful and she had to have three morphine injections from the doctor. Now she is better enough that she can at least take care of the household but she is not able to do any machine sewing at all yet. So we don’t really have anything good to report. I still don’t have work, which I can certainly feel in my change purse. The luggage costs quite a bit. I had to pay £39 customs on that. So I am about at the end. Our plans with our brother-in-law didn’t pan out so I am just doing little side jobs and I am waiting until I can get work. If we had money here, like maybe £500, we could really participate in society and live very well. But I guess we are living very modestly here. Please write to us soon and give us all the details.

With my best greetings, your Fritz.

How are you doing with the Stopford campaign*?

P.S.: Sincere greetings. Let us hear from you soon! Hanne

[*Note: Apparently Britain was less helpful to Jews from Czechoslovakia than to those from Germany or Austria. Robert Jemmett Stopford is mentioned in the chapter on “Refugees from Czechoslovakia” in Whitehall and the Jews, 1933-1948: British Immigration Policy, Jewish Refugees and the Holocaust by Louise London, Cambridge University Press, 2000. From November 1938-August 1939 Stopford was Treasury Liaison Officer for treasury and refugee questions with Czech government]

This letter reminds us that there was no easy pathway to safety. Whether one fled to the U.S., England, Palestine, Cuba or other places that allowed entry (often reluctantly), there was no guarantee that life would be easy or straightforward. In a new country with a new language, one had to figure out how to maneuver new bureaucracies, find a place to live, and find a means of employment, often competing with others in the same situation. It also is interesting to think about how one defines “family”. Fritz was likely a few years younger than Paul Z, and as far as I know, they never grew up or lived together, yet Paul and his brother Robert are Otto’s only connection to his own mother. Note that there is a censorship stamp on the envelope, as well as a notation that the contents were written in German.