Letters from Jews in the Lublin Jewish “reservation” in Poland to relatives in the Netherlands report great suffering from cold and inadequate food and indicate many suicides. Most of them appeal for the sending of parcels of food and clothing.
“We have good use for everything,” one letter said. “We are suffering terribly from the cold, damp weather, not having underwear to change and not being able to buy anything even if we were not penniless.”
Another letter, sent from a place near Lublin where 500 Jews were herded together, said: “We are maintained solely by what you sent recently. We are grateful that at least our child is given dinner by some compassionate people. We can never get used to this life. Many good people have ended their sufferings.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
