Object numberM2001/001:078
DescriptionLetter, typed, in Polish, from Alexander Sapir in New York dated 27 July 1941. To whom it is written is not indicated. The author of this letter expresses concern about his parents, that one month had passed with no news about them even though he writes to his parents every week. He expresses his hope that they are receiving his letters and he hopes everyday that a letter will arrive from his parents and from the person he is writing this letter to. He relates his attempts to help other people to emigrate.
Jakob Sapir, his wife Tola and son Peter, travelled in the late 1930s from Poland to Vilno in Lithuania, then on to Moscow. They then travelled from Vladivostock to Kobe, Japan and eventually arrived in Shanghai in 1941. They lived in the French quarter in Shanghai, but were later moved into the Hongkew ghetto. Peter Sapir attended St. Francis Xavier's school, run by English priests, which was outside the ghetto boundary. Jakob Sapir earned a living in Shanghai running a Polish kitchen. The family left Shanghai in 1947, aboard the "Hwa Lien" ship, migrating to Sydney, Australia.
Jakob Sapir, his wife Tola and son Peter, travelled in the late 1930s from Poland to Vilno in Lithuania, then on to Moscow. They then travelled from Vladivostock to Kobe, Japan and eventually arrived in Shanghai in 1941. They lived in the French quarter in Shanghai, but were later moved into the Hongkew ghetto. Peter Sapir attended St. Francis Xavier's school, run by English priests, which was outside the ghetto boundary. Jakob Sapir earned a living in Shanghai running a Polish kitchen. The family left Shanghai in 1947, aboard the "Hwa Lien" ship, migrating to Sydney, Australia.
Production placeNew York, New York, United States
Production date 1941
Object nameletters
Materialpaper
Dimensions
- width: 215.00 mm
height: 278.00 mm
Language
- Polish Mr Alexander Sapir in New York wrote this letter on the 27th July 1941.
To whom it is written, i.e. the name of the person is not indicated.
The author of this letter expresses concern about his parents, that one month had passed with no news about them even though he writes to his parents every week. He expresses his hope that they are receiving his letters and he hopes everyday that a letter will arrive from his parents and from the person he is writing this letter to. He relates his attempts to help other people to emigrate (no indication from where). He relates his meeting with friends some of whom moved from Sao Paulo to New York. He relates that he spoke to a friend called Rozenfeld who expressed concern about someone called Jelina whom this friend couldn’t help anymore. Also the author expressed concern and regret that he couldn’t help his friends called Surawicz. The author expresses his despair by saying that only God knows when we will see each other. The author states that they (the family) are all healthy. He writes that he hasn’t had any news from a family called Wronowicz for the past 40 days. He ends his letter by enquiring of Piotrus (Peter) and Tecia and requests that the person or persons he is writing to continue to keep in touch with him and notify him immediately if they change their address.
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Dr Peter Sapir