The Kant family in Europe maintained contact by correspondence with the family members that immigrated abroad. This contact deteriorated immediately after the break of World War Two. After Britain joined the forces opposing Germany there was no more mail service from Poland to Palestine (under British control). The letters had to be mailed through Switzerland (neutral country) and even that stopped after awhile. The communication with Gusta in USA was much more reliable and persisted until the end of 1942. The German occupying forces had gradually limited the communication of the Jewish population under its jurisdiction with the free world. The worse the condition had become the more censorship was applied in order to prevent any information leak to the outside. The long letters from home became short post cards. The contents of these postcards was very uniform and it did not include any detail about the historical events that took place at that time in Poland. It is possible that by writing letters that lacked any informative content the senders wanted to ensure that it would reach its destination or may be even to avoid being punished by the authorities. “We are all right”, was written in those letters and “please write home more and make your mother happy”. In the beginning of 1943 there were still some letters from the family in Poland arriving in New York city. The German censor used to erase certain words with black markers and later started to cut whole paragraphs from the letters. The last letter looked like shredded paper and was impossible to analyze. Since the tightening of censorship correlated with the Ghetto formation and the Aktions that followed, it is conceivable that Frida Riva could not avoid mentioning these events and the German authorities had more to hide. When the last letter was received by Gusta in New York she could not connect between the pieces of information that were left on the paper. The only information that could have been retrieved was that the family (or part of it) was still within the living. Following a lengthy period in which there was no reply from the Kant family in Bochnia, Gusta sent a letter to the Post Master in Bochnia inquiring about the whereabouts of her family. In the reply letter received shortly after, it said that the family had moved and their new location is unknown.

In the following pages I will bring some of the last letters and their translation. As I mentioned before the amount of information in the letters is limited but still I found it appropriate to include these items in the document. Relying on the rest of the material and with some interpretation, I hope that we will be able to understand the direct and indirect messages conveyed in these short letters.

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FRONT

B. Rubinstein
136 W. Tremont Ave.
Bronx, New - York

Estera Kant
Bochnia
Wis’nicka 40

My dearest:
I wrote this postcard for mother and she is adding a few words in her own handwriting.

My dear children:
Lots of hugs and kisses from me. Ester wrote the whole letter but I dictated to her every word in it.
Your loving mother Frida.

BACK
Bochnia 30/VII 1940
My dear children.
I am hoping to hear from you. I am very nervous and there is not a word from ...... ... Joseph and from you. I am wishing you good luck from the bottom of my heart. May you live together a harmonious and happy life. With a lot of joy all the children are wishing you mazal tov. I am afraid that my last letter that you are expecting was lost on the way. I believe that the situation will improve. I am writing immediately to Joseph as well but I do believe that he will remember you on his own. It is possible that Joseph has mailed you a letter already and it is on its way to you. I am not upset with him and am just expecting good news from all of you.
I suppose that very soon you will get a letter from dear Mania. If it is possible please write to me following that (about it). I am concerned about all of you. We are alive and should thank God for it. This is all.
Congratulation from the heart and kisses from the dear children and from me.

This letter addressed to New York, USA but pertaining to all the Kant family members outside Poland. The congratulations are for the wedding of Mania with Joseph Zelinkovsky in Palestine on April 1940. Frida is hinting Gusta to transfer Manya’s letters from Palestine to her. Mail services from Poland (under British mandate) to Palestine were discontinued after Britain joined the war against Germany. The only way to correspond with Manya was through a neutral country like the United States. Pay attention to the indirect way in which Frida conveyed her request in order not to jeopardize her communication root through the USA. In her letter Frida avoided any reference to the war events in Poland. Only this kind of letter could have passed through the German censorship. This benign non descriptive method of writing is typical of all her letters.

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Letter 2 page 1	Letter 2 page 2	Letter2 page 3	Letter 2 page 4

Bochnia, 29 August 1940

My dear children:
I got your letter. Thank God you already notified me of all the worst things. I do not know, my dear child, why are you avoiding writing me for such a long time. Are you feeling not well ? From my side and from yours God is taking but he will continue to provide. Would you please write me about your state of health. I do believe that you are going to be a healthy mother to your children. God will repay you on the financial expense that you had and will help you in a different way. I am just asking you to write me a few words every week. Do not write a lot but only the truth. With God’s help may we meet on happy occasions. I am thinking about you a lot. I have decided not to wait for your reply letter but to mail you another letter of mine. Tell me dear Gita did you get a letter from Mr. Kawman? Did he mention in his letter receiving a letter from me. Here there is nothing new, everything is old. It is possible that the feeling of weakness that you are experiencing is the result of your sickness. What are the doctors saying? Just don’t worry too much. It is a definite possibility that everything will turn for the best. Think only about yourself, about your husband and the children and let God take care of all the rest. After you recuperate and feel well would you please write letters to Mania and Joseph. Tell them to send their letters through you, many people are doing the same thing. I was expecting Mania to send her letters this way for quite some time and I fail to understand why she did not do it so far. I have received only once a few words from Mania and from Joseph I haven’t receive a single word. May God give him and his family a lot of health. Please inform our Mania to notify her cousin Mania and uncle Wolf that every thing is all right with their parents. They made contact with us from the town of “STRYJ” and send their regards. Could Mania ask them (from her cousin and from Wolf) to write to their parents. Through Mania (the cousin) we have received the news about the wedding of our Mania. May God bring her happiness. Please write to me about how is everything with you all. I can tell you that we are, with God’s help, well. Simon is at home (was not taken to labor camp). Nathan is working and thank God we have food on our table. I am sorry to inform you that Schaje (Shaye Marzel, Hinda’s husband) is away from home for a whole year. He was taken away (to a labor camp in Russia) and he can not come back until today. He is not the only one in this situation, many men are missing from their homes. Thank God that she (Hella) is managing economically. Dear Regina, as always, has to fight for a loaf of bread. Every peace of bread she is earning with hard labor. The winter is near and they are lacking shoes and warm clothes for the cold weather. She is sending you well wishes for the coming new year. A lot of health and a good year. With the help of God may we survive and hopefully see you again. Regards to uncle Itchu and his children and wishes for a good new year. Ask him to write to me. Please inquire how uncle Chaim and his family are doing. I wish them a good year. Did they come to visit you during your ailment ?

I wish you all a good year, a year of health and happiness. With God’s help may we all live to see each other in the coming year. Regards, a lot of health and all the best. A lot of well wishing from all the family and from all of us here at home. From your sister and sister-in-law Esta. Gemar Chatima Tova.

My dear Gitl. Ester wrote this letter for me. Although it is difficult for me to write, I do add few words by myself so you will not worry. My dear children, there is a God and he will help us for the coming new year. We have to live in hope. Will you please send me your pictures. May you all be strong and healthy.

Regards and kisses from your mother Frida Kant, who loves you faithfully . Awaiting your fast response.

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B. Rubinstein
136 W. Fremont Ave.
Bronx, New - York
USA

Estera Kant
Bochnia
Wis’nicka 40

This postcard which was written by me (Esta) was dictated to me by dear mother and she is adding a few words by herself. All the best to you my dearest and please reply soon.

Yours Esta.

Kisses to all of you my dear children from your loving mother.

My dearest, don’t be surprised that I am not writing to you. I am still extremely busy. With love Nathan. (in Polish)

BACK

Bochnia, October 8, 1940

My dear children:

You are not writing to me and I am worried about you. I am hoping to receive reply letters with good news from you. A good year and a lot of health to all of you. May we all live long enough so we could meet on happy occasions (simchas). I am writing you often and still awaiting your response. There is not even a single word from dear Mania and Joseph. May they be healthy with God’s help, they can send me letters through you. Please write me the truth about yourself. How is your health? Lately I went to the cemetery to visit your father’s grave, may he rest in peace, that he will think of you (that he will pray for you). Please send my regards to uncle Itchu (Isaac Levenbrown) and his children. Did he come to visit you ? Give him my regards and tell him that I am wishing them a good new year. Tell uncle Itchu to write me a letter. With us there is no change. Thank God for it we are healthy. We are hoping that this winter will not be as hard as the last one. If you get any letters from Mania or Joseph please send them to us.

In this letter, like the others, no details were given about the events in Bochnia. All what we can learn from it is that all the family members were still alive. The sender could not verify if previous letters reached their destination and that is why parts of this letter are a repetition of other letters. Nathan, the youngest son, added a few words at the end of this letter. From the break of the second World War he was the only breadwinner for the family. Nathan too, like his mother is not writing anything substantial.

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B. Rubinstein
1985 Davidson Ave.
Bronx, New - York
USA

Freide Kant
Bochnia
Kozeczowska 48

BACK

Bochnia, September 24, 1941

Dear Mania and Joseph:

We have just received your letter. This letter was delayed on its way for a long time. We were very happy with the family picture that you sent us. All of you are looking very good. The little one (Solly) may she be healthy, is so sweet. I do not have enough words to describe how happy you made your dear mother. Dear Mania, in your letter you already answered all the questions that mother (Frida) was intending to ask. I am writing you a postcard since a letter will be delayed on its way for a long time. I understand that you too are corresponding with Gusta. Thank God that everything is all right. Please write to us more often but only about good news, this is the happiness of our lives. How much are we wishing to see you. Dear Joseph (from Argentina) is not writing at all. It is beyond my understanding how can he not maintain any contact for such a long time.

All of us, thank God, are well and mother is feeling good. I wish that this situation will continue. May God send only good our way. Our life continues as usual. Shaye is O.K. and thank God at home¹ we are very pleased. Your letter brought us a lot of happiness. Please write us about Toshka, Ester Konigsberg and Regina Flisher. They are not writing home and their parents are worried.

hugging and kissing you
Esta

This is the last letter from the family in Poland. Contact by mail (even through the USA) was inconsistent. Many letters to or from Poland did not arrive at their destination. In this period (the end of 1941) the Nazi murder machine was working at its full capacity. For unknown reasons the Jewish community of Bochnia continued with its life routine while all the other Jewish congregations around Bochnia had vanished. In spite of the lack of details of the current events in Poland, you can sense the fear for the future expressed in a general and non committal way. Pay attention to the new address on the front of the card Kozeczowska 40 instead of Wisnicka 40. The family was moved to the designated area of Ghetto Bochnia.
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1 Shaye Marzel, Hinda's husband managed to return from a Russian labor camp through the Eastern front to Bochnia.

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