A camp postcard from Jozsef Rosenfeld

This is a standard army postcard sent from the Ukraine by my uncle Jozsef Rosenfeld to his wife Jolan, my mother's younger sister.

He was taken to forced labor there. On its back he wrote the following with a pencil: 'My sweetest! We have just arrived home by car and I'll quickly write some lines.

I know you will be happy to read it. I want to ask you something though, and this is a great sacrifice to me!

Because I want to ask you, it it's not too difficult for you, to send me weekly a few levente cigarettes in a letter.

Sew it on the paper and put it in an envelope. Some 15-20 pieces can fit into one envelope.

You know how much I like smoking, but I ran out of cigarettes and our portion is only enough for the normal smokers.

Because I'm a heavy smoker, that's not enough. But only if you have the possibility.

With much love, Jozsi.' The date is 29.08.1943.

Uncle Jozsi was almost 50 when they took him to Ukraine to forced labor. He came back half-dead as highest grade invalid [disabled] from there.

Because at that time they sent the Jews to mine-fields, as well. He was in a such a group, but not in the middle of the group, because those who were in the middle, were made shreds.

He was at the side of the group, his half body paralyzed, he became mute, he heard almost nothing, he became lame, and he walked with a stick. But by a fortunate accident he came back.

He died around 1950, he is buried in the Jewish Cemetery from Kolozsvar. I have a prayer-book, he brought it back from forced labor.

His wife gave it to him when he was summoned, and she wrote the following on the front page: 'When you obsecrate to God, please remember that there is a woman who always thinks about you. As a souvenir, with love, Jolan. 19th July 1943.'

His wife, Jolan, was the only one from the siblings who survived. I don't know exactly how, but she was helped to escape from the ghetto of Kolozsvar and was hidden.

She died in 1993-94, she is buried in the Jewish Cemetery from Kolozsvar as well.