TRANSLATION WITH TRANSLATOR'S COMMENTS
Monday, very early morning, June 22, 1942
Beloved Pola and Beloved Jacqueline!
(PAGE 1)
As you see, I am also writing you a few words early in the morning, so you can have more news from me.
As you see at the end of the letter, I wrote you again about the departure. Yesterday, Sunday in the evening, when I was finishing to write the last page, I learned again that we would be leaving this week, but for agricultural work and here in France, if this is true, it would be better for us. Since last night the whole camp is walking on wheels [an unusual expression in Polish– it might be a literal translation of a French idiom? Probably means that everybody is very excited], it was already rather quiet but in the evening and on a Sunday, no less, our food supplier from Orlean prefecture arrived and said that, so now we are sure that it would be Thursday morning. [Orlean is not clear in the original and it seems to be spelled phonetically, but Orlean is close to Pithiviers, so that’s probably what is meant.]
Darling! So please, do not worry that I will leave Pithiviers, anyway we don’t know yet who and how many people, they say 500 people.
It was good that I received the package from you and I will have something for the road.
Please try to write French letters to me, because I probably won’t receive a Polish letter, if we leave on Thursday. If we stay, you can add something for me to Motek’s package. Rachel will send
Addition: Warm greetings for Rachel.
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a package for Motek on Sunday, when she knows that we are still here. So in this way I will be able to have a letter through this occasion, and Maryska should also write a few words to Szlumek. [Szlumek – pronounced “schloo-meck” – looks like an endearing form of Shlomo.]
Darling! Know that packages can come with unlimited number of items, you can get 5 biskot, 10 kg of matzo, all up to 60 kg. [Biskot is not a Polish word – probably a phonetics spelling of a French biscuit. I’ll have to consult my French-speaking friend to confirm.]
So one needs to know that she should not be afraid to add, but don’t make separate packages, just write in the letter what was added.
I gave Motek the chocolate, which Rachel had added, and he was very happy about it. He sends warm greetings for you.
Beloved Pola! I shared with Szlumek, as it was written in Maryska’s letter, what was for him. Oranges and tomatoes, we will split in half. [Interesting grammar: regular Polish would say pomarańcze, the letter says pomarańczy – if I’m not mistaken, it’s the typical grammar of “Jewish Polish”.] So I took that halva cake, all the biscot, two cutlets, beans, pasta and some lard in the jar, candy, and also a few pieces of the sausage that I liked. [Leon used the word “gatu”, which I think is the phonetic spelling of French gâteau – cake. He also says, “kilka kawałki kiełbasy” – regular Polish would be “kilka kawałków”; again, it’s typical of Jewish Polish. ]
It’s strange I didn’t have any dark bread, since I wrote you that they are available. [Interesting usage of “razówka” – standard Polish meaning would be dark/ wholemeal flour, but would they really expect that in a package? Perhaps it’s a colloquial word for bread made from such flour.] Szlomek received one [word as if crossed out – perhaps he received one loaf of that bread?] I will stop now, I am going to send that package, because I want you to have the letter. Be healthy and kisses to you and our Jacqueline. [Interesting detail – Leon says “bądź zdrów”, which normally would be used when addressing a man. The standard form to address a woman would be “Bądź zdrowa” – literally, be healthy.]
Your Leon, who will always come to you. Leon¬