My dear children Lorle and Manfred,

My fountain pen goes on strike quite often so that I have to shake it, and after I have shaken it, it writes heavier.  See above.[1] I was very happy to receive your letter this morning.  I haven’t received anything yet from Margot this week, I hope that she is still there.  However, she made a mistake when she looked at the calendar and thinks that Rosh Hashana is on the 21st of the month, that was so last year.

All of us concerned were very interested to read the letter regarding Mrs. Kieser and I will write the organization and maybe to others.  Billingheimer’s two children are also gone.  Overall it seems that some children are gone from different Homes.  Helmut Wertheimer wrote his father that he is on his way to Luzern.  They have relatives in that city.  You can write to Opa: Infirmerie H, Camp de Gurs and to Sally: îlot H, bar. 3.  You know that îlot.  Albert wrote me Sally’s address as I did not get a direct letter from him.

I am extremely happy to hear from you, dear Manfred, that you like it so well there.   You better exercise a lot so that your muscles don’t just get fat but also strong.  Dear Lorle, I knew that Manfred knows Spanish.  I once wrote him that he is learning French, Spanish, English, German, Hebrew, gibberish.  Enough languages.  It won’t hurt him to continue to practice them.  Because now one notices how it comes in handy to have learnt something in one’s youth.  At the end, Hugo could get along quite well in French.  But it won’t penetrate into my old head.

Dear Manfred, our housemaid is doing well.  I already wrote to Margot that we will open an eating establishment so that Mama and I can participate too.  After all, we don’t have our “Heidelberger”[2] anymore.  Of course, we’ll discuss all this again.  First we have to be reunited.  People from the outside wrote several times already that we will be reunited soon.  We always hope this but when will it happen.

You ask how I am.  The state of my health is fairly satisfactory.  Once in a while I still cough.  I don’t believe that I have a fever though, I get checked for fever every day.  At night I receive two tablespoons of a liqueur like medication, I don’t know how it is called.

The food consists of green soup with potatoes, tomato sauce with sausage or meat for the time being.  For the last few days I received my neighbor’s soup, also tomato sauce.  Then one notices that this is better.  In addition, everybody gets Quaker soup every noon, grapes, beans and groats.  If I could be with you and share your fare, it would be very nice, but unfortunately not to think about.  I don’t get any milk.  Altogether milk was greatly reduced.  At the beginning I received a daily milk diet with 2-3/4 liters, now I only receive 1/2 liter of milk once a day.  I received a postcard from Pauline again, she is very sorry that Karlinchen is gone.  P. is in the infirmary, bar. #74.  She has somebody write her postcards as she is unable to write well because her sight is so bad.

Albert wrote that he saw a lady who had been in Manfred’s Home.  He wanted to give her something along for Manfred but she said that until she goes back there, Manfred will be gone.  He also says to give you regards as he unfortunately has no time to write to you.  Therefore you can write him occasionally.  Dear Manfred your birthday letter for Mama is well filled in.  I shall keep same.  As soon as the opportunity presents itself, I will forward it to her, better yet if I could deliver same in person.  It is now noon recess and my eyes want to sleep.  I sleep very little at noon as I want to be able to sleep at night unless the bedbugs wake me up.  Lately they haven’t been so bad.  I still haven’t heard from the OSE regarding the luggage.

In conclusion, kindest regards and kisses

Your PAPA

Did you fast on Yom Kippur, but in any case no religious services.  I will only write again next week.

[2] Printing press