An Archive Of A Jewish Family Highlighting Immigration Journey Before And After Holocaust With Early Twentieth Century Immigration Document And Pained Family Letters From Exile In Havana, Cuba

(CUBA JEWISH ARCHIVE). An archive of documents includes three letters and one official United States immigration application. Besides these four listed manuscripts, there are a couple untranslated letters in Yiddish:a) DS. 3 pg. 8 x 10. June 2, 1911. An Application for a Certificate of Arrival and Preliminary Form for a Declaration of Intention signed by Jacob Aaron Katowitz. The application is a lens into the world of a recent Jewish immigrant with the desire to declare my intention to become a citizen of the United States. On the form, Katowitz lists his current address in Newark, New Jersey, his date of arrival and name at the time, Yankof Aron Katourtz on June 25, 1903, and information about his parents, wife, and children. The document also includes physical details, as well as his present employment as a Mfg of Minerals. On the second page, Katowitz certifies that the form was filled out by one of his daughters, perhaps indicating a lack of English language skills that his daughter, also born in Russia, possessed, though she incorrectly cites their arrival to Ellis Island as arriving at New York, N.J. b) ALS. 2 pg. 8 x 10. May 24, 1947. Havana, Cuba. An autograph letter signed from Henry Zlotka to Dary and Izie. Dory and Izie are Dorothy and Israel, the two eldest daughters of Jacob Katowitz. In the letter, Henry bemoans his fate stuck in Cuba and the lack of response from his American cousins: I wrote to you a letter, but I didnt receive an answer. What is with you? Why did you not answer? I can tell you, that we were in American consulate and we are registered for going to the U.S., but we must wait for the Polish Quota, and this lasts very long. As a farmer Im able to go to the U.S. quickly, but to this I need papers from U.S. because here I cant do nothing. Therefore make me affidavits as a farmer and ask the cousin, to send me & demand for me, this is, that he needs me to work on his farm. I ask you to do it quickly, because here is forbidden for the emigrants to work, so its my aim for us to be here, because we have suffered very much, and wore [sic] we have no strengthsI ask you once more because I have no nearer relatives than youthe climate and life conditions are very bad for us. c) ALS. 1 pg. 8 x 10. July 20, 1947. Havana, Cuba. An autograph letter signed from Henry Zlotka to Dear Cousins Dotty and Izie. A follow-up letter to Henrys previous entreaty to his American cousins Dorothy and Israel, the two eldest daughters of Jacob Katowitz. Henry once again bemoans his situation and the lack of assistance from his American relatives: I wrote you a letter long ago but you didnt answer me, I am sending you another letter. Could be you forgot in {sic} your cousins in Cuba. I always receive letters from my wifes cousins, but not from you. If you cant write me in Jewish you can write me in English. I am very unhappy that you dont write to me. How are you? We feel alright, but in Cuba is very hot. Well I will finish when you answer me. I will write you more about us Henrys reference to Jewish as a language is actually to Yiddish, the language of their original Poland and Russia. Yiddish was referred to as Jewish until Hebrew became a written and spoken language again after World War II. d) ALS. 2 pg. 5 x 7.August 20, 1947. N.p. An autograph letter signed from Dorothy Katowitz to Henry and Rifka in response to Henrys entreaties for help with immigrating to the United States: Your letter was received and you know I dont write Jewish as I told my Brother-in-Law Sam when he wrote to you to write for me also. I felt very bad when you wrote that I have forgotten about you, because I have not. We are always talking about you and Rifka, I am always talking to Sam and Lou about your coming back to usI am enclosing a money order of 10.00. Let me know if you have made any friends and did you see the boy you met in the Barber ShopWrite to me soon. Believe me when I tell you that Izzy and I feel very bad every time that you was already here in U.S.A. and had to leave, it hurts us This letter explicitly states what Henry implied in his second letter, that he and his wife were once in America, but left at some point before the Holocaust. All the items in the archive are in generally fine condition.