This is just a very ordinary letter but quite remarkable at the same time. Avraham Mirsky is one of Rabbi Mirsky's two sons. Avraham and one of the Rabbi's daughters were active in Mizrachi religious zionist organization, and they went to Israel in the 1930's. I think Avraham became a Physician in Haifa. The daugher went to Israel in 1938, and died of a heart attack in 1945. Another son Hersh was arrested and sent to Siberia by the Russians in 1939. He was captured trying to cross the boarder into Lithuania where he was most likely trying to get to Palestine. He died somewhere deep in Russia just after being released. The Rabbi' wife Bella died of natural causes in Poland in 1937. The Rabbi, his daughter Channa, and her young child were in the Bialystok Ghetto, Pruszany Ghetto, and then Auschwitz in February of 1943, where they were all murdered. Avraham Mirsky in Palestine was left, "like an orphan".
The Mirsky's house still exists in Zabludow. It wasn't burned like most of the rest of the town. They lived right next to a big prayer or study house on Bilsk Street. The property was sold to Polish people after the war by the remnant of the Jewish community in Bialystok. The money was used to cloth, house, and feed people coming back from deep in Russia, coming out of hiding, or by some miracle survived the death camps and came back to Bialystok. They got a Power of Attorney to authorize them to sell it in 1945 for 300,000 Zloty's or about $30,000 American.
A Polish friend of mine in Bialystok Poland who collects Judaica emailed me and told me he saw these letters and post cards to and from Rabbi Mirsky of Zabludow being auctioned on Ebay on the internet. The person selling them is a Judaica collector who lives somewhere in the Galilee.
Translation
October 30th 1929
My dear parents
I write you from my travel from Warsaw to Prague. In Warsaw I did not have the time to write a letter. I have been to Yocheved and found her feeling good. In another 2 days she intends to get out from bed. I also saw uncle Aaron. He left Warsaw yesterday night.Yocheved was left on her own, and when decides to go home, somebody will come to pick her up. I tried to get a discount ticket for her, I could not do it as you have to write to the Ministry and ask for discount, It takes them 3 days to answer. It was not worthwhile as the discount is only 15 Zehov (coin) and the expenses in Warsaw for 3 days would be higher than the discount, and I have to be tomorrow in Prague. When I'll get to Prague I'll write you a letter, and then you will know my address. How is our uncle?
I kiss you all.
Avraham
Click here for article by Avraham Mirsky about his father Rabbi Yokahanan Mirsky Web: 2003 Tilford Bartman
