My dear Manfred,

I got mail from Margot and Lorle but not yet from you.  I sure hope that you are in good health.  Or are you anxiously anticipating your trip as you will soon join Lorle, according to her letter.  Albert wrote that he won’t be able to have you presently as he doesn’t know as yet how things stand with him.  But he thinks that, as your vacation is quite long, you should be able to visit him during your vacation.  If, in the meantime, you get to join Lorle you will be best off to stay with Lorle.

I received a letter from Mama from en route which Albert forwarded to me.  They  travelled the stretch which we took to get here, through the beautiful Rhône Valley.  Up till now I still don’t know whereto.  Here they say that all of us will be taken back to the Camp.  However, up till now nobody has left yet.  Let’s hope that things will stay like that.  More and more new people are coming into the Camp.  A third transport has not left as yet.   Maybe things will slacken down or stop altogether.  However our Mama and Hugo are gone.  Let’s hope and wish that we will all be reunited in good health.  We have gone through such hard times in the last few years that we should be able to survive these times as well.

How are you otherwise?  Did you get a report card in school and how did it come out?  You are already ahead with your knowledge of several languages.  This can never hurt.  What is acquired in one’s youth will always come in handy later one way or another.  According to Lorle’s letter, her directrice requested that you be transferred there and now I look forward to a letter from you from Pringy

Uncle Sally is gone[1] too but apparently alone.  I hope that Margot can stay although the girls are gone too.  It seems that the boys who were in the Home where Hugo was supposed to go to, were taken to Les Milles[2].  Ludwig Wolf has no definite news from his wife, Liselotte[3] wants to come here in the next few days.

So far I am doing fine.  I have been examined several times lately, including 2 X-rays, but I don’t think that the doctors found anything special.  This month we got our whole monthly tobacco ration at one time, 6 packages of cigarettes.  I will only sell them when I need the money.  By the middle of the month, the smokers will be out (of tobacco).  I have already rolled cigarettes by myself and sold them afterwards.  I hope to hear from you soon and end with the kindest regards and kisses.

Your PAPA

[2] Another camp near Marseilles, from where people were also deported.

[3] Mrs. Wolf and daughter Liselotte escaped to Switzerland.