Malmesbury, 29 December, 1901

To my dearest and precious wife, Taube Kretzmar, Zolle lebben, and to my dearest children, sons David and Noah, and daughters Leah and Freda, may they live and grow up in wealth and comfort.

My dearest wife, I have received your letter and I am very glad to hear that you are all very well, thank God for His mercy that He grants us good health, and when there is good health He would also give something to live on, everything that is necessary. About what you ask, that I should see in these bad times that I should at least keep up my writing in time so that you should know about my health. I thank you very much for your interest. I know very well that you need money, although you don’t mention it in your letter. You only ask me to look after myself and to write about my good health. I can tell you definitely that I have the mood and the patience to write a letter to you, even without money. One feels so low and lost if one cannot send money in time. It seems that one is wasting a letter and one does not read the letter if there is nothing enclosed in it, and to write that business is bad is also bitter. It is good that one can write that everything is fine. It is a big burden to write, but you are a worthy woman and you are satisfied with whatever God sends and you only want to know about my health. I can tell you that TG I am well. May God grant that my letter should find you all well. I hope to send you money, as much as possible, as soon as I can. At the moment I have nothing, but with God’s help I will do what I can. Further, I have no news to write. It is late in the evening and I don’t want to spend too much time on it. In the next letter, maybe there will be more time and more news to write. Keep well and in good spirits and full of hope and courage, as is the wish of your ever faithful husband, Tuvye Kretzmar

I cordially greet my dear parents, my dear father Yehuda Leib Kretzmar, and my chaste and modest mother, Beile, and my scholarly brother, Yaacov Kretzmar, and all my brothers and sisters – may you all live well. I would dearly love to hear good news from you all, but alas I hear very little. You write so seldom. Please my dear parents, please sign your names on any letter – you can’t imagine the joy this causes me. I wish you all the best of luck, from me, your faithful son, Tuvye Kretzmar

I heartily greet my dear mother-in-law, the chaste and modest Neche, and my dear and honoured brother-in-law, Moishe Schochet, and his wife, my sister Sarah, and their children, may you all be blessed. My dear brother-in-law, why do I hear so little from you? You don’t even sign at the bottom of the page. It seems to me that you don’t like to correspond with me. Maybe that you are too deeply involved in your business and so don’t feel like writing. I greet heartily everybody in the Family Kretzmar, and all their relations, and the Rubin family, and their relations, and also to everybody who makes enquiries about me.  I bless you all from the bottom of my heart that God may protect you from all bad news and from wandering because to wander is a bad thing. May you be able to live in peace in your own town in your own land and to educate your children in Torah and good deeds, as is the blessing of your dear brother-in-law, Tuvye Kretzmar

I cordially greet my dear brother-in-law Aaron Morris, and sister-in-law, Chana Reza, live well and in the best of luck, as is the wish of your brother-in-law, Tuvye Kretzmar