ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 113894 - Translation - Yiddish - Ukraine - not applicable - Meyer


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - Yiddish
Approval Date: 3/8/2026 2:00 PM
Family Surname: Meyer
Country: Ukraine
Town: not applicable
Date of Image: 1935

Click the picture to enlarge

This is a letter my grandfather gave to my mother when she was graduating from school in 1935 in New York. I have no family members alive who can read and translate this letter and I really hope someone can help me. I really would love to know what my grandfather said. He died before I was born and any information about him would be wonderful.

Response

3/9/2026 1:10 AM

The text is mixture of English and Yiddish. I will indicate English with an [E]

Beneath the fold:
Excuse [E] me for being to late with the present[E]

Above the fold, upside down"
Dear [E] Saffeh please[E] give to your Semen [Yiddish version of Simeon] the 10 dollar please [E] and I wish him with his wife that they should be as happy and satisfied as they wish themselves
From me your friend [E] Saffeh
We greet all of you.

[Comments]
The writer indicates vowels twice, but he seems to be using the wrong mark an "ah" sound instead of "o". The first time is in the first appearance of Saffeh, which I guess s/he wants to mark as "Sophie", and the second time in "dollar".
Interestingly, the second time Saffeh appears there's no vowel indicator.
Since the English "friend" is used you can't be sure if it's a male or a female. In Yiddish the word is gendered.

I am guessing the note was folded over a $10 bill - that would explain the opposite orientations above and below the fold.

ViewMate Posting VM 113894

Submitted by Mark Silver

Learn more about our organizational leadership, mission, and values. There are numerous opportunities to get involved yourself!

Search millions of records from around the globe, including more than 4 million records related to the Holocaust, and more than 4.2 million burial records. Records are continually added each month - check back often for new information!

Discover your ancestral town, explore geographic/regional based sections of the JewishGen site (Research Divisions), and explore what daily life was like for your ancestors - and what we can learn from them today.

Enhance your research with online classes and dozens of helpful articles. University students can apply for the Bennett & Robin Greenspan L'dor V'dor Legacy Program, and those "out of school" can help preserve Jewish Heritage in Poland with unique study & volunteer experiences.

Connect with tens of thousands of other JewishGen members via the Family Finder, Discussion Group, Facebook Group, and ViewMate. It's a great way to share success, ask questions, and stay informed of the happenings throughout the Jewish genealogical community.

The JewishGen site is offered as a free public resource. However, it costs a lot of money to maintain and expand our services. If you are in a position to do so, please consider a contribution today - your support will make a difference!

ViewMate Posting VM 113894

Submitted by Mark Silver