Objects

A letter from a father to his son. We do not know the date (which is surprising, Leon Perl scrupulously dated even letters not written by himself), but it is probably a letter from the period just before the Grossaktion Warsaw – in the letter, unlike the earlier ones, the emphasis is on food in a way signalling difficulties in providing supplies. At that time, the family still lived together in the Warsaw Ghetto, before being separated (especially Jadwiga Perl, who, it seems, left the ghetto). Exceptionally, the return address is not the address of Maria Karczmarek from Powiśle, but the address near Warsaw (Rembertów) – of Jan Zegart [?] (this address, as well as the addressee's details, are not written in Perl's handwriting).

Content (spelling partially modernised):

My Dear! Since we last wrote to you, we've received two visible signs that you're managing well. Namely, two packages arrived – one with soy and the other with pasta. The latter is said to be excellent; I haven't tried it yet, but Jadzia, who had it for breakfast once, speaks of it with enthusiasm. You probably won't be surprised by such an attitude towards food. They occupy not only housewives, but are also the subject of general conversations. The issue of providing the body with the necessary minimum of calories is a key concern in our circumstances. Fortunately, we haven't been in the worst situation in this regard so far. We still drink tea with real sugar, and we also don't complain about a lack of fats. So, things are not too bad for us yet. Jadzia is earning well, contributing her earnings to the household, and mother tries to provide her with the best nutrition possible. We are all healthy, and I hope we will happily endure until the end. Kisses L

Warm hugs and kisses

M.