Undated

To my dear wife, Taube Kretzmar, May she live well, and to my dear children…

… writing and thank God for granting health to you and the dear children, I thank you for the news that our son Noah is better from the chickenpox and you should write about every child as they develop in mind. May God help us to be able to afford good teachers and walk in Jewish paths and at the same that we should all be together and participate in their progress. Although you blame that I never ask (about the others) – only about him. It appears that I am interested as much in him as in the other children, and that is very little.

I can tell you my dear wife that I surely think as much as you with your mother’s heart can feel for the children in your presence. I can tell you that I as a father who is very far away I feel very much and every day of the time since my departure from you is always longer and longer. My heart is full of longing and impatience, but alas what can one do. One has to search for methods to control oneself and be master of your own life because one should analyse all the wounds of the heart in all detail.

… I can only wish this myself as the Lord will trust me so far. I only meant to ask how you manage with the amounts I am sending you. I would have liked to send you more but one cannot pick it up – as much as God provides must be sufficient – I don’t mean that you should economise in your living expenses, because you can really do nothing with your savings. If the Lord provides, then one can save. So don’t have any misunderstandings and write me in detail every time. Where you ask me to write more and some news of what I see in these parts, the distance between Zudgala and Cape Town is very big and one can write a lot about it. But where can you get the patience? If things would improve one could find time for everything, but at the moment it is impossible. It is good if one can write the necessary, if the Lord would show the path everything will be better. And thus I close my writing – be well and live happily and joyously. Be greeted and kissed from me your dearest and true husband who wishes you every happiness, Tuvye Kretzmar

To my parents, to my dear and honoured father, Yehuda Leib Kretzmar, and to my mother, Beila, and my brother, Yaacov Kretzmar, and to my dear sisters Hinda and Chana, and may they all live happily. Dearest parents, I want to inform you that I am well TG, may He grant that I hear the same from you. My dear parents, I have received several letters from you without signatures. I want to tell you how much joy and pleasure all of this brings me, and how thankful I am if you write even more. Of the two letters that my mother wrote, I have really derived much pleasure and I appreciate her noble thoughts. I wish that God should keep you in the best of health and strength, and may He grant you long life in wealth and comfort, and that we should be able to see each other in happiness and success. Please fulfil my request to write. And also to my dear sisters, you must not be lazy to write. I, with God’s help, am always ready to answer you with more news as has happened to me. I greet you and kiss you  From me, your son and brother, Tuvye Kretzmar

To my dear and scholarly brother-in-law, Moishe Schochet, his wife, my sister, the chaste and modest Sarah, and all of your children, may they all be blessed. My dear brother-in-law, I thank you for not (complaining about the omissions?) in the letter in which I wrote about my travels. I will tell you the truth, I have not forgotten and even from my letter you can see that the letter was incomplete. And I still intend to write about everything that happened on the boat. My watch told me that it was time for me to post that letter. If I didn’t do it, it would be delayed for another week, and therefore I was forced to stop and to leave the letter unfinished. I hope that you will excuse me. I would like to know if my things have been redeemed out of pawn. Please, my dear, try and redeem them. I will return you the money as soon as possible. I am sending here £3 sterling, and God willing, I will send more. I greet your mother and your sister, who are my mother-in-law and sister-in-law, I wish to tell them that I am very well, may I hear the same from you. From me, your brother-in-law, son-in-law and brother, who is waiting for an answer with good news, Tuvye Kretzmar