Letter from Johanna
Image Slideshow
Johanna wrote this letter to the family with whom she arranged to hide her daughter, Amalia. She offers advice for Amalia's daily care. Johanna also requests that Amalia and her brother be kept together if she and her husband do not survive the war. Johanna's son was placed in hiding with a different family.
Donated to the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre by Amalia Boe-Fishman. 2019.099.001
Transcript
[Translated from the original Dutch.]
[Page 1]
Amelientje is three years old on August 23rd. In her first year, she was vaccinated for small pox and at the beginning of the year again for diptheria. She had chicken pox during the winter and last year an eye infection. This winter she had "dirty eyes." She was cleaned with a bit of distilled water and was better after a few days. Otherwise she has not had any children's diseases. Since September, she takes a spoonful of cod liver oil a vitamin C tablet every day. She will bring this with her.
During the day she is completely toilet trained but during the night not yet. At night she wears a diaper with a [...] over a pajama, and if it is cold, sleep socks.
She wakes up in the morning around seven or 7:30 am. Then she sits on the potty. After that she will be washed and dressed. She may cry sometimes while being washed. Then she will eat a small bowl of cereal if available, or something in that vein. At 10:30 in the morning she has a glass of chocolate milk. During the midday meal, she normally eats with others, but not a lot. In the afternoon, she naps usually from two to 3:30 pm and is still dry. When she wakes up
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she usually gets some milk, tea or a small cookie, tomato juice during the winter. After four she is not allowed to drink anything, no cereal or fruit, otherwise at night she will be very wet. At six she eats one or two slices of bread with jam, honey or cheese. After that she gets read a story and goes to bed at seven. At 10:30 she is woken up to pee. Then she is given a small cookie.
She loves playing in the yard, also with other children. She loses her temper quickly and lays on the floor to cry. But if she does not get the attention, it will soon pass. She has a brother, he will be five years old on April 28, 1942. She is very fond of him and if after the war there will not be any parents, do not part the two. The best will be to send them to Palestine to their uncle or aunt on their mother's side.
M. de Leeuw, Ramat Gan, Palestine
H. Wittenberg, Irdgun-Magdiel, Palestine