Cape Town, 14 February

Dearest parents, I would like to know of your business interests this winter – until this date, you have not yet written to me about business as the whole winter is nearly gone. So I ask dear parents to write to me exactly how much you have earned, and what became of the Bogdanovich’s ‘farm’ – have you got milk there?

Cape Town, 14 February, 1901, Hebrew sedrah beshalech

Dearest wife, I have received your letters - although it did not arrive at its regular time as we had to wait two weeks for your letter, and when the third week came, there were two letters which were posted at the same time, possibly there were no stamps in Shimberg [i] so you had to wait two weeks – but whatever happened it’s finished.

Cape Town, Tuesday, 20 February, 1901, Rosh Chodesh first Adar

Dearest wife, I have safely received your letter, although I don’t know what is going on with you. But as the saying goes, ‘the heart is like a clock’ (it tells you!), it indicated to me that all was not well, only I did not know what. I waited every week for your letter and did not receive them in time, and this made me still more anxious so that I could not stand it anymore.

Cape Town, 27 February, 1901, sedrah mishpatim

Dearest wife, I have safely received your letter of the 4th January. I am very pleased and thank God for His mercy in granting us health. May He always grant us health and prosperity, as this is the best article at any time and especially in bad times it is necessary to have some luck, and this He will certainly grant us – ‘God is good to all who have faith in Him and all who depend on Him’.

Cape Town, Tuesday, 5 March, 1901, Purim

Dear wife, I have todayYom Purim received your letter of the 26th of January and thereby I celebrated Purim because it is a day of drinking and happiness. The news that you were well was to me like a feast, so I celebrated with tea and giving presents. I shall have to be satisfied with this letter, because I cannot do what I would like to do.

Cape Town, Hebrew date: March, a few weeks before Pesach, 1901

My dear wife, I am surprised that I have had no letters for three weeks – I don’t know what to think – as you know, one thinks all kinds of thoughts, which should not happen. In the meantime I am worried. It is already two weeks that I have had no letters. I waited for another week, and I still have no letters. It may be that the boat arrived a week late, so we can expect a double mail this week, so I will get two letters if you have written them.

Cape Town, March (?), 1901

My dearest wife – your writing of this week I have not yet received, but I hope it will still come, because I can’t imagine that you would be so bad as not to write. If you write and post it, it will arrive. I can inform you that I am TG well and in good spirits.

Cape Town, 30 April, 1901

My dearest wife, I have safely received your letter of 18th March. I thank the Lord for his mercy that He grants you good health. I can also tell you that I find myself in good health and spirits. May the Lord grant that I shall hear the same from you.

Cape Town, Erev Pesach, 1901, April

My dear wife, this week I have not yet received your letter because the post has not yet arrived, so I must write before I receive your letter, but to write I don’t know myself. It is Erev Pesach on the day that you wait for the holy day, and every Jew is ready to enjoy a great Yomtov, even the poorest Jew enjoys it.

Cape Town, Chol Hamoed Pesach, April, 1901

Dearest wife, I have safely received Erev Pesach your letter you wrote on Purim. I cannot convey to you my joy when I received your letter with the news about your wellbeing. I thank the Lord for His mercy that He grants us health – may He always grant us good health and prosperity and to hear good news, one from the other, all the time that we are separated, and to enjoy a happy life together when God in His mercy will reunite us. Amen. I can tell you that TG I am well and happy.

Cape Town, 16 April, 1901

I am sending you in this letter £4 sterling, PG that you should enjoy it in good health, and if your money is used up already, you should shortly receive more money to be used in good health. May God grant me so much that I should not begrudge you as much as I can send.

Letter from Meish Rubin

The five shillings is a quarter of £1 sterling. This is really to let you know the exchange value of the money. Tuvia has gone away somewhere and left this letter, and therefore I am writing because I have not written for a long time.

Malmesbury, 4 June, 1901

My dearest wife – I have received your letter of the 20th May [query April [i]], and I am glad about the news that you are all well. May my letter find you in the same condition. On my side, I can also tell you that I am TG well. May God grant us always good health and prosperity and to feel that one is alive, because when you feel that one is alive, it really means living. So by God all is possible.

Malmesbury, 16 June, 1901

My dear wife, I received your letter last week. I was glad to hear about your wellbeing, may God grant that we should always be well as long as we are destined to talk to each other by letter, and that we should be able to inform each other that all goes well and that we should be reunited. I, from my side, can inform you that I am in good health and spirits and I wish that my letter should find you in similar conditions.

Malmesbury, 22 June (no year)

I was in Cape Town last week, I saw Meish Rubin, who all greet you and the children. They are all well. Also greetings from Meyer Katzener. He is well and somehow makes a living. He goes around selling eggs.