To: Luzie Hatch, New York
From: Alfons Isack, Essen, Germany
Date: May 18, 1941
Translated from the German
My dear friends, dear Luzie:
You’re probably surprised to hear from me again. I’m doing well, and my lovely bride is doing fine, too, I hope it’s the same for you. I received a return receipt from you, my dear Luzie, but I haven’t received a letter yet. Every day I am waiting in anticipation.
My dearest Luzie, have you been able to work something out with Arnold for me? If Arnold isn’t willing to sponsor both of us, please make sure he’ll provide and affidavit (in English) and arrange passage for me.
I’ll be married by the time you receive this letter. I have included a photograph of Marianne and me, so you can get to know her.
Dear Luzie, I don’t want to forget to wish you a happy birthday. With all of my heart I wish you the very best for you. It’s beautiful that you can celebrate your birthday once again with your parents and Rolf. Have you found work for Edwin and Rolf? Aunt Helen has probably already settled down over there. But now, dearest Luzie, I want to mention one more time [letter ends here]
To: Luzie Hatch, New York
From: Alfons Isack, Essen, Germany
Date: Undated
Translated from the German
Dear Luzie:
Please make sure that Arnold sends two copies of his sponsorship immediately. One copy has to go to us; the other copy has to go to the consulate in Stuttgart. (Stuttgart, Königstrasse 19 a.). If I indeed were to receive this sponsorship, I would know that you, my dearest Luzie, have contributed to my good fortune. As soon as I get there, I will compensate you for your troubles.
Yours,
Alfons
Dear friends:
I’ll take the liberty to address you in an informal manner even though we’ve never met. I’m happy that I will meet all of you in person soon. It is our greatest desire to immigrate as soon as possible.
We’re used to work. There’s no work that we’re afraid of, and I’m sure that we’ll find some way to make a living. We won’t rely on your sponsorship.
Our dearest Alfons talked a lot about you, and I’m looking forward to meeting you soon. Please receive my regards for now.
Yours,
Marianne
To: Alfons Isack, Essen, Germany
From: Luzie Hatch, New York
Date: June 9, 1941
Translated from the German
My dear Alfons,
First of all, I would like to express, also on behalf of my parents and Rolf, our best and warmest wishes to you and your dear fiancée (probably your wife in the meantime), and we hope with you and for you that you will both very soon be able to live the life that you long for. Hopefully your plans will be realized in the foreseeable future.
In any case, we were very happy that you, dear Alfons, have found such a kind and pretty wife, which is “visibly” confirmed in the nice little picture that you enclosed. This way you can offer each other support and you can face everything together, which is surely a great relief.
Yesterday Rolf turned eighteen years old. He is now an adult; at least that’s what he thinks. At the moment he is working in a slipper factory. Father has also found a small position in a factory. We are happy that we can eke out a living. Mother cleans and cooks.
Now to your request for a guarantee, dear Alfons. You cannot imagine how sorry I am that even today I still do not have encouraging news for you. As I have already written to you many times, it is very difficult to persuade Arnold to offer a guarantee. He certainly wouldn’t do it for your wife, since he has already flatly refused to do so for Aunt Martha’s husband, as you are probably already aware.
He has a mind of his own, and unfortunately, I have no influence over him. I have not seen him in person at all since last October and have only spoken to him on the telephone maybe three times when he was in New York. I have always mentioned you, but unfortunately so far to no avail. It is possible that he may agree to it at a later time . . . And I can only keep recommending that you approach him directly, since I am not getting anywhere.
Please let me know immediately if you or your wife have any relatives or friends here whom I could approach, as I do not want to leave anything untried in my attempts to help you.
With my very best wishes and all my love and kisses
Luzie
Although Luzie had little encouraging news for Alfons, she did have something for her aunt Paula that would surely give comfort, a letter from her daughter, Erna, in Palestine. With Germany and Britain at war and Palestine under the British mandate, there was no direct mail between Germany and Palestine. In order for Paula and her children to communicate, they needed an individual in a neutral country to function as a forwarding house, which added weeks to the delivery time.
Along with Erna’s letter, Luzie sent a note with the news that she had decided to bring Paula to America on her own, without Arnold’s assistance. Having been in the United States for almost three years, working and saving when possible, Luzie was now somewhat comfortable, even a bit confident.
To: Paula Steinberg, Dortmund, Germany
From: Luzie Hatch, New York
Date: June 8, 1941
Translated from the German
My dear, good Aunt Paula,
I only wanted to write once I was able to give you good news. And that is the case today.
You will surely be most happy to receive the attached letter from Erna. I also went ahead immediately and answered her right away, in order to avoid another long standstill in the correspondence.
Your congratulations for my birthday also arrived rather punctually. It was so kind of you to think of that, and now I hope for sure that we will celebrate my 30th!!!! together next year.
When I say that I hope we can celebrate the next birthday together, I must also give an explanation for this hope. Of course, that has to do with the affidavit for you. Unfortunately, I cannot appeal at all to our cousin for that, since he has already refused to take care of the papers for Herta’s parents (father’s sister in Berkach) and doesn’t want to do anything for Werner Hecht and family or for Alfons.
He feels that he had done enough, and despite my truly greatest efforts, I have not been able to dissuade him from that opinion.
Of course, I have also spoken to Aunt Emma and Walter and Grete . . . several times on your behalf. They are not averse to giving an affidavit later, although at the moment it is not possible. But so that you see our good intentions and in order to avoid losing more time with all these preparations . . . (you surely have no idea how tedious all this is), I have decided for the time being that I will arrange a guarantee for you.
I have only a small salary and do not have a whole lot in the bank either, and over the past weeks I have been saving diligently so that it will be more, and I am still saving now.
That is one of the reasons I have not brought the guarantee to the post office yet, because the more that I have saved, the bigger the bank statement and the more the affidavit is worth. Besides, I hardly believe that it is possible to travel overseas at the moment, and since the guarantee is void after a few months, there is not much point in sending it in so early, because then it will surely have to be renewed again.
I have already asked you, do you have any other friends and relatives here (even if they are distant relatives) whom I could approach [for the guarantee]? I will gladly try everything to have you at my side.
Of course, then a big problem would be the question of transportation. How that could be arranged is not yet clear to me. But time will tell. In the worst-case scenario I might have to take out “loans.”
I believe that is everything that I can tell you. If it is not exactly very rosy, then at least you will feel the certitude that I am concerned about you and that I will do what I can to the best of my ability, and that you can rely on me and count on me. Continue writing to me about everything that moves you . . .
It is with great regret that I learned of the passing of Uncle Max. It really shocked me even though I also do not begrudge him the well-earned rest. He really endured a lot.
Last week Aunt Lina wrote me a letter . . . and also told me the sad news. She also asked me to procure a guarantee for her and Werner. However, Alfons must not know anything about it, I don’t even know if I should be telling you this. But I have no secrets from you . . . In any case, I will answer her directly and not mention anything about my letter to you. Of course, I don’t know from whence I should obtain a guarantee for both of them, although I know for sure that they both deserve it and would not be a burden to anyone.
I will write them that they should let me know first of all what friends they have here.
There are a whole lot of people from Essen here . . . whom I could potentially approach on their behalf. Then I will tell them that I am willing to possibly also arrange a guarantee for them once your thing is sorted out . . . I am really very sorry, because Aunt Lina was always very nice to me and really deserves to lead a happier life.
Alfons has already sent me two registered letters as well, and unfortunately I have to tell him that I cannot help him.
That is all for today. We are all doing very well. More on the family in the next letter.
To Uncle Jakob, as always, my most heartfelt greetings.
Continue writing to me about what your prospects are so that nothing is left untried and no opportunity is missed.
That is all for today.
Your
Luzie
Through all of her communication with her cousin Arnold, the time Luzie wrote with the greatest force was in the fall of 1941 when discussing the emigration of Herta Stein’s parents. What accounts for this change in her approach? To begin with, after three years in New York, Luzie was no longer an insecure and bewildered immigrant. Nor was she concerned that if she angered Arnold, her parents and half-brother would be left in Shanghai to fend on their own. All three had arrived safely in the United States back in October 1940. Finally, there was her relationship with Herta. The two had sailed to America together and had likely had regular contact since then. All these factors helped Luzie take a stronger stand than usual when advocating that Arnold should help Herta’s parents find refuge in Cuba.
To: Arnold Hatch, Albany, New York
From: Luzie Hatch, New York
Date: October 11, 1941
Dear Arnold:
I was delighted to learn from Herta that you intend to come to Aunt Ida’s and that you would like to meet all of us here. I am really looking forward to seeing you . . .
With us everything is all right. Although nobody of us is earning any big salary we manage to get along because all of us are working and are contributing our share. For the past seven months father has been employed in the same factory; Ralph is now working in the stockroom of the organization I am connected with, and my mother takes care of different apartments and in the evenings helps out at parties. We are only too happy to be together and to be able to live as free human beings.
Herta told me of her correspondence with you regarding the immigration of her parents and that you do not approve of the plan to bring them to Cuba. Dear Arnold, I know that you only want the best for all of us, especially so in Herta’s case, and that you only refused to help in this matter because you do not think that the plan will work out.
May I, therefore, explain a few things about this. In the first place, this plan has worked and hundreds of people already arrived in Cuba in the last few weeks and more are leaving Germany daily for the same destination. Only this morning Herta received a cable from the Hilfsverein in Germany, urging to arrange for the Cuba immigration of her parents immediately.
Responsible Jewish organizations in USA will confirm that there is nothing illegal about the whole matter . . . As soon as the financial arrangements have been made, the Cuban Government will cable their Consulate in Berlin that the visas have been approved and are to [be] granted to the people in question. Thereupon the respective persons get them immediately and can leave Germany. The whole procedure takes only a few weeks.
Now Herta, who is one of the most economical persons I know, has arranged to take care of everything, but she can’t put up an amount of $1,300.00 consisting of:
$500.00 Landing Bond per person (2×500) = $1,000.00
paid to the Cuban Immigration Department
$150.00 Deposit of return passage (2×150.00) = 300.00
paid to the same authorities
$1,300.00
This money can under no circumstances be used by the persons when in Cuba—it has only to be deposited as a precautionary measure—and it is given to them when they leave Cuba. By this time Herta will have saved more money so that the amount of $1,300.00 will remain untouched.
Maybe Herta did not explain clearly enough that she only wants this money from you as a loan and that it will definitely be returned to you. In case her parents would not reach Cuba for any reasons whatsoever, the amount will be refunded right away so that there is no risk at all.
Please, dear Arnold, do think the whole matter over again, as we do not know people who would lend this amount. Herta is so worried and desperate and certainly would not bother you if she knew of any other way. Had the American Consulates in Germany not been closed just before her parents were scheduled to receive their visas, the whole transaction would not have been necessary, but as it is, this is the only way to save them. However, it has to be done as quickly as possible because Herta’s parents are in danger of being put in camps where so many perish—any delay may be fateful.
I would not recommend any of this business would I not be convinced that it will work. Furthermore, I am sure that should Herta’s parents arrive, they would not be a burden. The start is hard for everybody. But as you experienced with Herta, my family and myself, we tried not to bother you once we arrived in this country. The same will be true of Herta’s parents. Her father will find a job in a factory or so, and her mother will certainly be able to help in a household. As they are very modest, and Herta will always earn money, too, they will have enough to make their living.
Now, dear Arnold, don’t think that I want to talk you into something. I wrote you in such detail in order to give you a clear picture of the situation, and you may ask any organization or traveling bureau in Albany for verification of my statements. Please talk the matter over with Stephen again and please understand that we only want to save two relatives from certain destruction.
I am looking forward with much joy to seeing you on October 28th.
Best regards and kisses,
Yours, as ever,
Luzie
To: Luzie Hatch, New York
From: Arnold Hatch, Albany, New York
Date: October 20, 1941
Dear Luzie:
I have delayed answering your letter of recent date relative to Herta’s parents because first of all I had a strike here last week which has just about driven me crazy and secondly because I was making some investigations into this highly unsatisfactory matter of bringing people from Germany into this country via Cuba.
One of the agencies which I contacted seems to make a specialty of this immigration via Cuba, and I send you herewith for your information a copy of a letter which I recently received from them. The second sheet containing what they claim to be full information about this procedure is self-explanatory, and in my opinion it is about as unsatisfactory a thing as you could possibly ask for.
Aside from the question about whether you get any of your money back or not, and I am by no means convinced that you will get all or most of it back, their plan calls for a total deposit of close to $6,000.00 itemized as follows:
Ordering of Cuban Tourist Visa, $2000
per person $4,000.00
Bond of $500.00 per person 1,000.00
Guarantee for further transportation expenses
per person 150.00
Cost of formalities, $235.00 per person 470.00
This whole plan is outrageously expensive, and in spite of what you and Herta and others have told me is not guaranteed nor is the return of the principal investment guaranteed if these people cannot be located in Germany, if they cannot get to port, if they cannot get out of Cuba promptly, or a lot of other ifs.
It is perfectly obvious that the Cuban immigration authorities are working this thing for all it is worth—capitalizing on human misery and charging anything they want for doing a dubious job with plenty of graft for everybody undoubtedly in the picture.
I am sorry that I cannot and will not go for this thing, and while I understand Herta’s anxiety about her parents this is a little bit too much for me, and I ask you to tell her that I will not consider it under any circumstances, and I hope that you will accept this as final.
I was glad to note from your letter that you are well, happy, and comfortable, and I am going to make every effort to be down in New York on the 28th and expect to see you all then.
Yours, as ever,
Arnold
To: Arnold Hatch, Albany, New York
From: Luzie Hatch, New York
Date: October 23, 1941
Dear Arnold:
I thank you very much for your kind letter of Oct. 20th. After studying it carefully, I venture to write you again as I have a feeling that there seems to be some kind of misunderstanding. You evidently are under the impression that if you give $1,300.00 you may also be asked to put up much more and perhaps as much as $6,000.00.
Please let me explain that Herta can arrange for the two required Letters of Credits of $2,000.00 each by financing this against payment of $150.00 each. She will instruct her parents upon their arrival in Cuba not to draw from these Letters of Credit under any circumstances and will take care of their living expenses in Cuba from the money she will have saved again by this time and her daily earnings. (By the way, this amount of $2,000.00 per person is not for “ordering of Cuban Tourist Visas”). Furthermore, Herta will take care of $235.00 per person for formalities which include ordering of Cuban visas.
Herta is quite aware of the fact that these two amounts (2 × $150.00 = $300.00 and 2 × $235.00 = $470.00) may not be refunded in case her parents should not reach Cuba for any reason whatsoever. However, she made up her mind to sacrifice all she worked for in three years in order to try everything to save her parents—she would not have a quiet minute for the rest of her life would she not take every possible step for her parents whom she loves so much.
Now you see that the money she wants you to lend for a couple of months is needed after everything else has already been taken care of, and for the sole purpose of putting up the required bonds, namely the amount of $1,300.00. This money is absolutely refundable which fact will be confirmed to you by a letter you will receive from the Compass Resettlement Service Inc. They did not make this clear in their information to you of Oct. 17th. Since I am under the impression that you made your decision having a sum of $6,000.00 in mind, I take the liberty of asking you again for help, that means for a loan of $1,300.00.
Please dear Arnold, wouldn’t you reconsider the matter in this light. As something has to be done right away in order to save Herta’s parents from being shipped to Poland or elsewhere, will you please be kind enough to call Herta up after receipt of this letter. The most important thing is to get the matter started so that Herta can cable her parents and the Hilfsverein that the Cuba immigration will be arranged. This will be a protection for them; as it would prove to the authorities that they will be leaving Germany anyhow.
Should the sum of $1,300.00 not be convenient to you, would you then be willing to help with part of this amount? In this case we would have to ask everybody we know for some money as a loan in order to get the amount together. You can imagine how difficult this would be, but it would have to be done.
The main thing, dear Arnold, is, whatever your decision may be, that you please call Herta upon receipt of this letter, because there is no minute to be lost at this time and proceedings have to be started without delay.
I want to apologize for being so insistent but you will certainly understand that this is a question of life or destruction for two relatives.
I do hope that you will be able to come to New York on the 28th—and as far as I am concerned I shall try my very best to make it a pleasant meeting and to keep unpleasant matters away from you.
With much love, I am
Yours, as ever,
Luzie
As for another of Luzie’s frequent correspondents, Dora Hecht, news came from an unlikely source. In early November 1941, Arnold received a letter from Havana, Cuba, sent by an unknown Max Hirschkind. To Arnold’s surprise, he turned out to be yet another one of his German relatives. But Max was not writing for assistance, a fact that must have relieved Arnold, but rather to inform Arnold that Aunt Dora had died. In addition to his note for Arnold, Max Hirschkind enclosed a letter for his aunt Marta, uncle Leo, and cousin Rudolph. Not having their Palestine address, he hoped that Arnold would forward them his note, which explained much.
To: Rosenfeld Family, Palestine
From: Max Hirschkind, on board the SS Marques de Camillas
Date: October 13, 1941
Translated from the German
Dear Aunt Martha, dear Uncle Leo and dear Rudi,
A time rich in sorrow and distress, seemingly interminable, is our lot. For the longest time you have heard nothing from me, from my family, from any of us. Now I will report to you in broad strokes:
On 07/06/40 I drove with wife and child from Wiesbaden to Brussels. On 05/10/40, Belgium was pulled into the war. I was interned, and France was “done in.” The dreadful camps of St.-Cyprien and Gurs are now behind me. Now my dear wife and our little boy are traveling with me to Cuba. Both of my loved ones followed me to France of their own accord. Through artillery fire they made their way to find husband and father.
In June/July 1940 they themselves were interned at Gurs for seven weeks. Then they came to St. Cyprien-Plage, and until the end of October 1940 we saw each other nearly every day for a few hours, albeit under punishing conditions.
Then we were separated again for five months. I came to Gurs. I heard that the approximately 8,000 people, young and old, who were housed in the various surrounding units, were Jewish people from Baden and the Palatinate. The good Aunt Dora, who in the meantime had heard that “people from Belgium” had arrived, searched for us, as I did for her.
We found each other promptly, and our delight at seeing each other was extraordinary and emotional. We all had a grim lot, and Aunt Dora certainly did not count among the old people. She was surrounded by good people (in the Women’s Barracks 9 of Women’s Lot K). Every fourteen days I visited our good aunt. Oftentimes I was not allowed to, i.e., I had to give up the very scarce exit passes to fellow internees who needed to visit their wives and mothers.
Aunt Dora bore her lot with courage and heroism. Shared suffering is a lighter burden to bear. Surely I don’t need to mention that I also brought along and smuggled in whatever I could for the good Aunt Dora. I immediately asked her about her resources and heard that Mr. Arnold Hatch was providing for her brilliantly. When his bank transfers didn’t arrive on time, I was happy to provide her with the essentials. She would reimburse me later.
My efforts to transfer the good Aunt Dora to a better camp failed, partly of her own volition, as she did not want to leave her surroundings. (On the whole, I couldn’t do much, but still, I had established relationships.)
On February 28th I was able to leave Gurs. Sick leave. It was not a cover, I was indeed sick. On 02/27/41, I bade farewell to our dear aunt, and after that we corresponded. For a long time my last postcard went unanswered. I wrote again . . . Again I waited. Now it is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that a letter arrived from Prof. Adler (Hôpital Central) with the terribly sad news:
Dear Mr. Hirschkind,
I am writing to inform you of the sad news of Mrs. Dora Hecht’s passing. She passed away in the Infirmerie Centrale of the Gurs Camp, today, September 3rd at 1:30 pm. Prior to her demise, the deceased asked me to send this news to you.
Please allow me to express my condolences on this painful occasion.
Signed Abraham Adler
And now, my dears please believe me that I share your sorrow and that, with great emotion. I take your hand in condolence. Surely I need only to mention briefly that in my conversations with the dearly departed very often the subject was her love and loyalty to you.
Immediately thereafter I made further inquiries with the head of the division who, through a friend who knows her well, answered me:
Cause of death: heart condition, eight-day-long illness.
Buried 09/05 in the presence of Rabb. Altmann, Karlsruhe.
Further it reads: a headstone can be placed. Cost: fr. 300/350–, to be sent to the rabbinate G/i.
Jewelry: consists of one watch, turned in to the Commandant’s Office.
Money: nothing was available, on the contrary. Miss Cäcilie Ettinger from Barrack 9 (her neighbor in the adjacent bed) had lent her fr. 150– in cash.
A thoroughly damaged suitcase is still on hand and remains here in the barracks. Stationery that was found in her handbag was handed in directly to the Commandant’s Office. No dresses were available but rather only a few blouses, which were bequeathed to occupants of the barracks who had been helpful and supportive to her.
Among her papers she had a will, according to which she bequeathed everything to Miss Cäcilie Ettinger, Barrack 9. But all of these papers were handed in to the Commandant’s Office. The address of the cousin is: Mr. A. Hatch—
This last correspondence came into my hands on 10/03/41. Before that, we were in Marseille for fourteen days to make arrangements for our migration to Cuba. I have now instructed my friend and comrade Kurt Simons, Meillon B.P., to receive further communications and to arrange:
1) For fr. 150– to be sent to Miss Ettinger
2) That a (makeshift) headstone be placed for fr. 350–
Now I come to our loved ones: my dearest little mother; I did not inform her of Aunt Dora’s passing. Aunt Lilli and Uncle Theobald are still in Wiesbaden. My in-laws (in Bussum—Holland) write that they are well. Beate is in England and has found a secretarial job.
Woe is me when I think of the separation and the sorrow, the misery and the hardships of these dear ones—but may we persevere!
Now I will end with my best wishes for your health, and sending you my most heartfelt and loyal greetings.
Your Max
Arnold wasted no time in responding to Max’s request. The very day after he had received the note, he forwarded it to Palestine. Knowing that Rudolph and his parents had loved Dora dearly, Arnold did his best to offer some comfort, although he acknowledged that his words might sound callous. “I can only extend to you all my heartfelt sympathy in this great and unnecessary tragedy, and would suggest that you try to get yourself in the frame of mind where you see that this unfortunate lady is better off.”
In the early morning of December 7, 1941, 353 Japanese fighters, bombers, and torpedo planes attacked Pearl Harbor. The surprise and force of the assault resulted in a devastating death toll: 2,404 men were killed and 1,282 wounded. The next day the United States declared war on Japan. A declaration of war on Germany and Italy followed on December 11. War had come to the United States.
There would be no more letters or cables to Aunt Martha, Aunt Paula, or Cousin Alfons and his new wife, Marianne. Now those in the West and in Palestine would wait and wonder about the conditions of their German relatives, likely altering between periods of hope and piercing fear.
During this time the one person Luzie corresponded with regularly was her close friend from L. S. Mayer, Hans Hirschfield, who had found refuge in Canada. On August 15, 1945, the day of Japan’s surrender, Luzie could write Hans the best letter of all.1
VICTORY-DAY!!!!
August 15, 1945
Dear Hans:
What a day!! What a pleasure to sit down to write to a soldier friend in the knowledge that he is probably even happier than we civilians are. At last we have peace again—I hope the people all over the world have learned their terrible lesson well, and will know how to get along with each other. My best wishes for a speedy release—what are your chances in this direction?
Congratulations on becoming a Canadian citizen; that was really a nice birthday present. We shall drink to that on your next visit to New York which I hope will take place soon.
I just returned from my vacation, which I spent in Connecticut. I had a very relaxing time—just what I wanted and needed. It seems that I am too intense for this world, or for the people in it, or for those I get involved with—and I’ve decided to take things less seriously and am now very anxious for the results of this drastic decision.
My brother was transferred to the Philippines, where he arrived a few weeks ago. He is very happy about this change, after having spent a year and a half in New Guinea. Those guys in the Pacific surely must be relieved.
How is your business? And how is your girl friend?
I am still with the American Jewish Committee—the longest job I ever had. We’ll see what the future brings. I wonder whether L.S.M. will do business all over the world again—I wouldn’t be surprised, they are very enterprising people.
In case I shouldn’t write you soon again, I want to take this opportunity to send you my very best wishes for the New Year, a New Year which I hope will find you a civilian again settled down to a normal and enjoyable life.
As ever,
Luzie