ViewMate - Image Archive, Image 113626 - Translation - German


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Information

Picture

Question

Category: Translation - German
Approval Date: 2/15/2026 2:20 PM
Family Surname: unknown

Click the picture to enlarge

This letter was found in a box in the closet of my wife's cousin house. We don't know who wrote it and who it was written for - sorry. I briefly ran it through AI and it said the writing is likely a mix of Kurrent and Sütterlin styles common in early 20th-century Germany.
Any assistance in the translation would be greatly appreciated.

Response

2/15/2026 8:47 PM

Keith, thank you for posting a clear, high-resolution image. It’s especially important for this handwriting. The author uses almost no punctuation and the meaning is a bit unclear in places; I’ve inserted editorial comments in those cases. This appears to be the first and last pages of a letter – is there no text on the other side of the sheet? This letter is a heartbreaking artifact from the time of the great migration of Jews to America. My own grandfather came from this same region (Bucovina) at about the same time as the recipient of this letter. This is a rare glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of some of those left behind in the Old Country.

+++

Gurahumora, 19 October 1907

Dear Jekil,

I can’t deny we were very pleased to get a sign of life from you, since we were certain you were no longer alive and we were mourning you. To be quite honest I have severely disapproved of your conduct over a period of about 10 years. At the risk that you will be offended by my directness:

You went away, left behind an old disabled (widow) mother with two sisters with no means of support and didn’t give them another thought. Where [is?] your conscience – that really takes a lot of courage [sense unclear] – but your character in itself [context and sense unclear] – How is it that a person feels no need to...
[End of first page]

[Last page, text continues in the middle of a new sentence]
...built that will cost 10-12 thousand guilders and live an honest life, enjoy our health. Itzig was called up despite his best efforts, and has been serving in Czernowitz for a year.

Write us exactly where and how you have been living and are living, and how you are doing now, whether you have found your fortune and whether you ever think about coming home.

I send my regards as do my family, eager to read your biography, as is your nephew,

Jakob Abraham
[I am 90% certain that the words “your nephew” are intended to serve as a closing, meaning the writer is the nephew of the addressee.]

Send us a picture of yourself. I’ll send one of me in a few weeks.
[The final word is a different, illegible signature – perhaps Nelly?]

+++

Translated by Robert Rosenbaum (Ashland, Oregon)
Freelance translator and interpreter
M.A. in Translation and Interpretation (German-English), Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey
rosenbaum.robert@gmail.com

ViewMate Posting VM 113626

Submitted by Keith Earl Jacobson

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 113626

Submitted by Keith Earl Jacobson