Object numberM2018/008:006
DescriptionIn March 1938, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in the “Anschluss”. From May 1938, the racist Nuremberg laws applied in Austria, and Austrian Jews were steadily ostracised from their societies during the process of “Aryanisation.” This tension came to a climax in the Kristallnacht pogrom from 9th-10th November.
In the meantime, Hardy Brothers, a British jewellery-making firm, offer young Leo Steiner from Vienna employment in Sydney, Australia as a jewellery mounter in July 1938. However, the Gestapo threaten to arrest Jews issued with travel documents who do not leave within a short time. Whilst Leo’s Australian landing permit is pending, it is therefore prudent to seek temporary refuge in a third country. Before he is discharged from his erstwhile firm Vienna Art Designs, Leo’s employer Oscar Fastlich writes that his stay in Switzerland is necessary for business. In July, Leo moves to Zurich on a temporary stay visa, leaving his parents, Adolf and Hermine, and brother Paul, behind in Vienna.
At this point in Leo’s life, he is still in contact with a wide network of friends and extended family. This letter is from Leo’s friend Egon Belf in Palestine (the signature on the letter is unclear, but the writer is assumed to be Egon on the basis of comparison with other letters in the collection). He talks about his relief to be away from the turmoil of Europe and his own Zionist sentiments. The letter is peppered with short Hebrew expressions. Egon also describes the ethnic tensions occurring in Palestine. His letter reads: “You go out onto the streets in Tel Aviv (…) and suddenly a bomb explodes… Can you even imagine how much blood we have flowing here?”
In the meantime, Hardy Brothers, a British jewellery-making firm, offer young Leo Steiner from Vienna employment in Sydney, Australia as a jewellery mounter in July 1938. However, the Gestapo threaten to arrest Jews issued with travel documents who do not leave within a short time. Whilst Leo’s Australian landing permit is pending, it is therefore prudent to seek temporary refuge in a third country. Before he is discharged from his erstwhile firm Vienna Art Designs, Leo’s employer Oscar Fastlich writes that his stay in Switzerland is necessary for business. In July, Leo moves to Zurich on a temporary stay visa, leaving his parents, Adolf and Hermine, and brother Paul, behind in Vienna.
At this point in Leo’s life, he is still in contact with a wide network of friends and extended family. This letter is from Leo’s friend Egon Belf in Palestine (the signature on the letter is unclear, but the writer is assumed to be Egon on the basis of comparison with other letters in the collection). He talks about his relief to be away from the turmoil of Europe and his own Zionist sentiments. The letter is peppered with short Hebrew expressions. Egon also describes the ethnic tensions occurring in Palestine. His letter reads: “You go out onto the streets in Tel Aviv (…) and suddenly a bomb explodes… Can you even imagine how much blood we have flowing here?”
Production placeTel Aviv, Israel
Production date 1938-09-16 - 1938-09-16
SubjectHolocaust, Nazi political activities (1933-1939), Zionism, refugees, refugees, British Mandate for Palestine, Mandatory Palestine, Arab-Israeli conflict
Object nameletters
Dimensions
- letter length: 256.00 mm
letter width: 215.00 mm
Language
- German To my best friend Leo!
I am delighted to get a reply from you, alas still from Europe. However “ein d’var” (it doesn’t matter – Hebrew) – the main thing is to be away from this hell, where unfortunately many Jews, including our parents, have no choice but to remain. Though with God’s help they, too, will get out of this Germanic, sadistic hell. We must hope!
I wrote to you already that I was sick. Unfortunately I have not been able to recover properly, and it is impossible for me to leave to go to America. At the same time I thank God that I am here and not in Europe. In the current atmosphere, God forbid, a war must be about to break out. This criminal Hitler is sweeping the whole world off its feet. And my own head of state, Neville Chamberlain, this “Parach” [?] (in Vienna they also they also say “ass-face”), is doing nothing to prevent the mass murders.
But what can be done? What is the point of all this cussing? Enough of politics, my dear Leo. Now something about me. I get mail almost every day, sometimes from my former boss and also from all of my former colleagues. Apart from to yourself and my parents I don’t write that much to anyone. Not much is new here since last time I wrote. Except for a crazy uprising of the Arabs. “Rega achat” (just a moment – Hebrew) – right this moment you can hear the shooting of Jewish and English machine guns in Jaffa. It goes on like this day by day, night by night, hour by hour. The whole time they are shooting away at these filthy bands of Arabs. One and a half weeks ago, Hugo’s best friend was shot. I was at the funeral. He was buried with honour in Hugo’s uniform in Rishon Le-Zion where Hugo is stationed. I can’t hold Hugo back; he shoots every Arab he sees who does not surrender straight away. Here everyone hates the “Aravis” (Arabs - Hebrew) like you couldn’t imagine. I was once outside with Hugo when he saw an “Aravi,” and without even asking him to surrender first he just went straight away and blasted him. He shouted, “What’s up, Aravi, yallah yallah!”
Hugo is a popular guy, a “chaverman” (Hebrew) as they say in Rishon. I keep adding in a few Hebrew expressions here and there, so that maybe one day you’ll be able to use them yourself. Write me some English words too. There are so many cats here! One says “Jiushi” here; [rest of sentence and next sentence unclear]. Here are the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Through pulling some strings I am going out with a really great, very sensitive girl. Miki [a mutual friend] knows the family very well – I am really becoming a Palestinian, but as you know all too well the girl is not the main reason why I am here. And even if earlier on I had an affidavit, I’m no longer waiting helplessly to become a British subject. If I were a British subject, I would go to Vienna to pick up my parents, though in the meantime the very idea is an illusion, a dream that I always, or at the very least mostly, entertain.
There is a great beach here, which I told you all about in my last letter, which I am sorry you have not received. It could be that it got burnt in the plane on its way to you. A lot of planes get shot down here by the Aravis, and letter post to Europe always goes via airmail. As you have surely read in the papers, when an Arab shoots one person, at least 50 Arabs will pay for it. No-one “chutz-la’aretz” (overseas – Hebrew) can really imagine how they shoot down planes here. You go out onto the streets in Tel Aviv – not so much though in Moshavoth, where there are settlements – and suddenly a bomb explodes. The Jewish police will account for one dead Jew with 10 dead Arabs. Can you even imagine how much blood we have flowing here? Here we have young Jews… not Jewish boys. When someone new arrives from “chutz-la’aretz,” the saying goes, “We will make a proper young Jew out of this Jewish boy.” There are no words to describe what a healthy, tanned, beautiful (I mean of sorts) young Jew then emerges. You should see for yourself in what good shape someone is once they’ve been here one or two months. Despite all this is a blessed country, our country, our homeland and above all a Jewish nation. If you were never before an idealist or a patriot, you would become one here. That is to say, one is not always idealistic here, but you can say to yourself, every rock, every piece is a part of your and your “chaver”’s (comrade – Hebrew) land. Not like in Austria or Italy where we are always in fear of being beaten on the streets, just because we are Jews… Here you can easily fall victim to the Arabs, but if you die here, they call out, “tov lamut be’ad arzenu, sh’ma Yisrael!” (it is good to die for our land, hear O Israel! – Hebrew). Here every Jew is a soldier and is happy in his heart to die as a soldier of his country. You can only imagine how beautiful it is here in this “erez k’dusha” (holy land – Hebrew).
Today I am already quite tired so will tell you more next time. Why is Haifisch not writing to me, is he annoyed or what? “Breuges” (conflict – Yiddish) my dear friend or “kol b’seder” (everything’s fine – Hebrew), all in order? As you can see, I can already speak a bit of “IVRIT” (Hebrew word for the Hebrew language).
Wishing you all the best and good luck,
Regrads to your dear parents,
Shalom,
[signature unclear]
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Donated by Pauline Shavit