Malmesbury, 15 June, 1903

To my dear wife, Taube Kretzmar, and my dear children, my sons, David and Noah, and my daughters, Leah and Freda, may they live and grow up in wealth and comfort.

My dear wife, I owe you an answer for two letters. I did not write last week, not because of business reasons but because the best day for writing is Sunday, and last Sunday I met here a Jew from Israel, and we had to help him to collect money, and we made altogether £10 [i], and so I was busy with him and I had no time to write. In the middle of the week, there is no patience, and so I did not write. Now, I can tell you that I am in good health and spirits. May this letter find you in the best of health, for you and the children, and may I receive good news from you. Further news, I have nothing to write.

I have nothing special to write about the wedding. We had here a band from Kupeshik, together with an entertainer. The new chossen is a son of Motka Benisher of Kupeshik. They live near Salat. They are horsetraders. The machatonim were fetched, each one separately. With me there was the Jew from Israel. His name is Yitzchak Levy. So we also went there. As soon as we arrived the wedding started. I was honoured with giving the brocha under the chupah. May God grant that they should have joy and happiness. Afterwards we enjoyed ourselves for several hours, and then we went home, and this was the wedding.

Further I don’t know what to write to you. Sales in the shop are quiet because the workers are busy in the fields and besides that it is morning, and that makes sales even worse. But I am not worried. I hope with God’s help everything will come right and I will send you some money this week; and if I can’t send you some money this week, I’ll send some as soon as possible.

I’m sending a permit for my brother Shmuel. I suppose he has already received it, and now he will have to deal with the agents and they will tell him what he has to do. As I am not in Cape Town, I don’t know exactly what has to be done. I heard that it is necessary to have ten pounds on landing in London. So please let him write to me when he is leaving home, and I will make a plan if he hasn’t got the £10 to show in London… and if it is necessary to have it, because I am in the country and I don’t know all the details… and if he writes that he must have the £10, I will pay in the £10 in Cape Town with the ship’s company in the name of Shmuel Kretzmar, and he will receive it if he needs it.

Further there is no news. Keep well and in good spirits, from me, your ever faithful husband, who wishes you from the bottom of his heart the best of luck. Tuvye Kretzmar

I cordially greet my dear parents, my father Yehuda Leib Kretzmar, and my chaste and modest mother, Beile. My dear parents, I have no special news to write because business is quiet in summer, but I hope that things will improve. I can tell you that I am TG in good health. Please write how is business, and you my brother Yaacov, why do you write so little? Last week you wrote nothing. In future, I want you to write more. I cordially greet my sisters, Hinda and Chana, keep well and happy, as is the wish of your son and brother, Tuvye Kretzmar

I cordially greet my dear mother-in-law, the chaste Neche, and also my dear brother-in-law, Moishe Schochet, and his wife, my sister Sarah, and their children – may you all be blessed. I also greet my sister-in-law, Chana Reza, keep well and happy, as is the wish of your dear son-in-law, brother-in-law, and brother, Tuvye Kretzmar

Notes:

[i] He probably was a meshulach - a travelling rabbinical emissary sent from Palestine to diaspora communties to collect charity funds to distribute among poor Jews in Jerusalem or to support rabbinical institutions there.