November, Cape Town (according to the sedrah)

To my dear parents,

My father, Yehuda Leib Kretzmar, and my dear mother, the chaste and modest Beile, and to my brother Yaacov, and to my younger brothers and sisters, may you all live well, and to my dear wife Taube, may she be well and happy together with her children. And to my dear brother-in-law, Moishe Schochet, and his wife, Sarah, and the children, may they all live happily, and to my dear mother-in-law, the chaste and modest Neche, and to my sister-in-law, Chana Reza. My dearest wife, I have to inform you that I am TG well, may my letter also find you in the best of health.

Further, I want to tell you that I have received only one letter, which was written on Friday, and since then I have heard nothing more. Everybody else gets letters every week, and I also write every week. In one word, I can tell you that I am very anxious about it. I am losing my strength in waiting for the post. You reckon that there may be mail, but alas there is nothing – ‘there is no voice and there is no answer’ (quote from the first Book of Kings, 18:26). So I have decided not to write until I get a letter from you because there is no point in talking to someone and they do not reply, and I have written you in every letter asking you to write. I myself can’t help it, only I can ask, so I will ask….

…. I will tell you all my news – be well, From me, your devoted son, husband, and brother-in-law, son-in-law, Tuvye Kretzmar

This will be the correct address in Cape Town: L Rubin, Boom Street 53, Cape Town.