Object numberM2009/059:003
DescriptionHandwritten letter dated 01.04.1945, in Polish, written by Helena to her cousin Matys Gwircman in Palestine. The letters tell him what happened to his family who was murdered, as well as giving him news about her immediate family and how they all perished. In the letter, there are subtle references for the cousin to try and arrange something for her to get out of Poland and go to Palestine.
Helena comments that there was no normal correspondence between Poland and Palestine at the time and that the letters were hand delivered by people going to Palestine, not sent by mail.
When Matys died in 2008 his son found these letters in his wallet. Matys had carried them around with him all these years, from 1945 until 2008. The son didn't realise their significance because they are written in Polish. When Helena's niece went to visit in Israel, she brought the letters back to Helena in Sydney.
See translation in inscriptions/marks.
Helena comments that there was no normal correspondence between Poland and Palestine at the time and that the letters were hand delivered by people going to Palestine, not sent by mail.
When Matys died in 2008 his son found these letters in his wallet. Matys had carried them around with him all these years, from 1945 until 2008. The son didn't realise their significance because they are written in Polish. When Helena's niece went to visit in Israel, she brought the letters back to Helena in Sydney.
See translation in inscriptions/marks.
Production placeWarsaw, Poland
Production date 1945-04-01
Subjectsigns of life, survivors, liberation, families, victims, loved ones' fates
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 210.00 mm
height: 298.00 mm
Language
- Polish Dear Matys and yet unknown to me, but lovely, cousin
Thank you so much for your warm words. I’m glad that we’ve initiated contact through correspondence and hope that it will not stop with those few letters. After all, who else is left to us of all our close and dear to us. No wonder that every letter from you brings to my life something warm and affectionate. Truly it is so hard for me to write this first letter, but indeed I have to write to you of all that interests you most and which you have asked me for. But these are all matters which are nothing but sad.
However, I guess that you are not only interested in the way they perished, your dearest and nearest ones, but also the way they lived before their tragic end. I shall try to describe it in all its details. As you know, conditions in the ghetto were nothing but hard. The main burden of providing livelihood for the whole family fell entirely on the shoulders of Mina, Berta and Sarenka. Mina, on her own, ran a prosperous biological laboratory. Berta and Sarenka both had jobs in the Jewish Council. Shifra attended a nursing school attached to the Jewish hospital. Shlomek earned a little [as an accountant], but only casually.
Yitzel escaped to Brest as soon as the war started, however he never came back. He left Brest for a small village, fell ill with typhus and died. He was the only one lucky enough to die a natural death.
Financially the family was doing alright, which considering starvation was the norm in the ghetto was very important.
Summer of 1942 your family celebrated 2 weddings. First Shlomek and Mina Gwirtzman and second Sarenka and Israel. Both couples’ happiness was cut short very soon. In June 1942 the deportation of Jews from the Warsaw ghetto started. Your family and Uncle David’s kept together. On the 9th of August they were all deported together, except Auntie Bella who was murdered a few months later.
Matys dear, there is no consolation here except maybe the fact that they all perished together would be of some comfort.
It would make it easier on me to know that all my dear ones perished together. Unfortunately they all perished on their own. First my mother, 3 weeks later my father and then Salek. Matys perished far from his dear ones in Brest together with his wife and 2 day old daughter. Each one of them had time to grieve the death of their dearest ones before their own deaths, which is more dreadful than death itself.
Matys dear, I cannot continue to write any longer. These are wounds that cannot heal. Allow me to turn to other matters and to living people.
You probably know all about me from the letters to uncle Izaac. I wish with all my heart to be able to see you all and if you could arrange something for us and Fela and Ignatz we would be extremely grateful. Could Barlas be of any help?
My husband has a cousin in Palestine but he cannot get in touch with him as he does not know his address. His name is Baruch Peczenny, in 1932 he was the secretary of the left wing of Poale Tzion in Poland. Maybe you could locate him somehow? My husband’s name is Olek Goldstein.
Please write in detail about yourselves and send photos. Again, thanks for your lovely letters and I look forward to the next ones. If it is too difficult to write in Polish or English you can write in Hebrew, somebody will translate it for us
Warmest greetings and kisses
Hela
PS. I have not received any parcels from you yet and hope they will come soon as parcels from Uncle and Izaac have arrived already. Kisses for Uncle, Auntie, Chaya, and her husband and baby, Mina and the Gryffs. Best regards for your family
Hela
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Helena Goldstein