A Letter from Solomon Salman to Leo, June, 1945
Solomon was the brother of Roza Salman, wife of Zina’s brother, Moses “Mietek” Salamon. Roza and Moses were Klara Samuels’ parents.
Klara said this about Solomon:
"My mother had several brothers and sisters who would become major figures at various points in my life. Her oldest brother, Solomon, fled Europe during World War II and established himself in New York City. Solomon succeeded Isaac as the family patriarch and became quite well off in his own right. In America, he and his wife “big Sonia” owned property in North Carolina as well as New York, and they moved back and forth between the two. Out of harm’s way during the war, Solomon and Sonia would act as the family’s financial safe house and later as my sponsors when I came to America." [God Does Play Dice, p. 18]
Scroll down for typed out Polish of Solomon’s letter, with English translation. (Thank you, Ari!)
From a book called “G.W.” by Eddie Lunsford, p. 276 :
I was pleased when the Tannery finally opened back up for a while. Some Jews from up north bought it out. The main fellow’s name was Solomon. I went back to work for him for a pretty good spell. He kept it going good for a while. He fizzled out with it before long though. Many times, I would run the place practically by myself. A few others worked down there during that time too. Well, finally it shut down for good. Everyone hated to see that happen. I went ahead and took my retirement at that time and started making a draw of my social security.
Also this, which mentions Solomon owning a house, and having a daughter:
I have been told that Roza Salman’s family had a tanning factory in Minsk before the war* and a chicken farm in New Jersey for a while, either before or after North Carolina. Because they owned a factory, they were deemed enemies of the people by the Bolsheviks, and at some point they “escaped” to Nazi-controlled Poland to get away from the communists.
* Klara confirms: “My maternal grandfather, Isaac, originally owned three tanneries in and around Minsk. The family was decidedly assimilated. Only Russian was spoken in the house. My mother spoke no Yiddish. Isaac, of course, lost his real estate holdings during the Russian Revolution, but he was able to escape with a substantial amount of money, first to Germany and then to Poland. When I knew him, he was again a rich man in Vilnius, the present-day Lithuanian capital which was then part of Poland and known as Wilno. There he bought another tannery as well as a wool factory. He also owned property in Warsaw, where my mother and her brother, Abrasha, were established.”
[God Does Play Dice, p. 18]
[God Does Play Dice, p. 18]
Kochany Lolku,
Staramy się dostać wizy dla Mietka i Klarusi, wiec w papierach jest pytanie ile oni mają braci i siostry, ich imiona, ile oni mają lat i T.d. (Tak dalej).
Proszę natychmiast napisac wrzystko co Lolku jest wiadomo w tej sprawie.
Pozatym nic nowego.
Czekam na odpowiedź !
Dear Lolek,
We are trying to get visas for Mietek and Klara, so in the papers it is asked how many brothers and sisters they have, their names, how old they are and so on.
Please write down all that Lolek knows about this matter.
Apart from this nothing new.
I am waiting for a response !
Sol
Leonid Hurwicz Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University, Box 23, File: Memorabilia and Vitae, 1940s – 1995
- Death - Y
? | ||||||
? | ||||||
? | ||||||
Esther - | ||||||
? | ||||||
PARENT (M) Isaac Salman | |||
Birth | |||
Death | |||
Marriage | to Esther | ||
Father | ? | ||
Mother | ? | ||
PARENT (F) Esther | |||
Birth | |||
Death | |||
Marriage | to Isaac Salman | ||
Father | ? | ||
Mother | ? | ||
CHILDREN | |||
F | Roza Salman | ||
Birth | |||
Death | 1943 | Bergen-Belsen concentration camp (nearby hospital) | |
Marriage | to Moses Salamon | ||
F | Niuta Salman | ||
Birth | |||
Death | Poland | ||
Marriage | to Salman | ||
F | Masha Salman | ||
Birth | |||
Death | |||
Marriage | to Salman | ||
M | Solomon Salman | ||
Birth | |||
Death | |||
F | Sonia Salman | ||
Birth | |||
Death | |||
M | Abraham Salman | ||
Birth | |||
Death |