Cape Town, Wednesday, March, 1900

To my dearest wife, Taube Kretzmar, May she live in pleasure, and to my dear children, may they live in wealth and comfort.

Dearest wife, I have safely received your letter of the 16th of January. I thank the Lord for His mercy that he grants good health and may he always grant us good health and prosperity. There is no news to write and no news means all is as it was. He who is at home cries that it is no good while he who is not at home says ‘Where can I get a home so as not to be a wanderer’ so in the meantime everyone is waiting for better times and everyone says that it is good wherever I am not. May the Lord grant that it may be good everywhere.

Please, my dearest wife, write me what Yankel Yosef writes from ‘Yostentch’ about Benzion Wainick, how is he? Is he making a good living? And why does he want to go to Russia with his whole family? Is it because he is rich? Or, if possible, he wants to make an impression? It would be better if he wrote himself. Tell him he does not need to be ashamed of a distant relative – possibly if he were to write himself in the ordinary weekdays, not like his brother the scholar Menachem Mendel, who only writes on Chol HaMoed, and then he has an excuse. On Chol HaMoed one may not write. So one has to wait until another Chol HaMoed when I might receive from him a very short note with a few words. Therefore, he keeps his words precious. If he were to send me another letter, I will return him this one. Therefore, please write something about them and send me the address of my brother, Eliyahu Zalman.

Adieu, be well and happy as is the wish of your loving husband, Tuvye Kretzmar

I greet cordially my dear parents, my father Yehuda Leib Kretzmar, and my chaste mother, Beile, and my brother, Yaacov, and my sisters, Hinda and Chana, I wish you all good luck. Please, my dear brother, send me Eliyahu’s address and his letter where he discusses Zionism. Please send me his address and a letter, as is the wish of your son and brother, who wishes you much luck and blessings, in all ways, Tuvye Kretzmar

I greet cordially Yehuda Rubin from Kesselshik and his family and the son-in-law Dov Meyer Shulman, be well and happy and live in pleasure and happiness as it wishes you, your friend Tuvye Kretzmar

I greet cordially my brother-in-law, Moishe Schochet, my chaste and modest mother-in-law Neche, my brother-in-law Aaron Morris, and Fraulein Chana Reza, all be well and live well as is the wish of your brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Tuvye Kretzmar