Saturday’s Mystery: Who Were You, Dora? The Last Letter

The last letter
The last letter

Note: This is currently the last installment of the Saturday series, in which I, with crowdsourcing help, try to unravel the mysteries hidden in previously unknown letters written by my mysterious step-great aunt Dvora /Dora before and during WWll in Poland. For further explanations see previous post

I see this as a temporary end to the series, as my goal is to find out as much as possible about Dora’s life – the schools she went to, what her neighborhood looked like and more. I will not post the details of her death on this blog, on October 15, 1942, at the age of 22.  Dora and her father were registered by the Nazis when entering the Brest Ghetto in November 1941, as you can see here. Dora’s name is on line four. Her father’s name is the one on the last line.  To read about the fate of those who entered that Ghetto, read here.

brest ghetto passport

This last letter is clearly dated August 25, 1940. Two sentences are marked in bold. One breaks my heart (especially when one knows what awaited her) and the other calls for further research as to what she meant.

Dora aged 15
Dora aged 15

“Dear Sister,

Your postcard procured us a great pleasure because we did not hope yet to get letters from you. Nearly a whole year passed that we did not correspond one with the other and has delightfully is that we can at last write one to the other. I forgot almost write English during the time, because I am not using it.  

What to me I have none news. As you know I did not succeed in life to this time. I must reconcile with that. The housework is very not interesting and I am busy day by day at house.

From Palestine we have not any letter. There is very unquietly. The father works at a state working place. He will also write you a letter the next days.

Write as soon as you will get this card. Let us hear good news one from the other and the rest family.

Your sincere Dora”

No good news came.

So very sad.

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