Mila 18 - Leon Uris

Each time the produce and milk were taken in to the ghetto the farm workers sent letters in to their loved ones. Wolf wrote to his mother and father and Stephan Bronski, who looked up to him very much. And he wrote to Rachael Bronski.

Dear Rachael,

It is sure different out here on the farm. Like in another world away from the ghetto. There are seventeen girls and thirty of us fellows. I’m one of the youngest. We live in dormitories (separate, boys and girls).

Tolek Alterman, who has been to Palestine, keeps us hustling. He gives a continual lecture about living Zionism almost every night and we have slogans posted everywhere about keeping production up and getting milk and fresh vegetables in to the children in the orphanage.

We work very hard. I’m milking cows. I’m lousy at it. I like everything, including Tolek. He needs a haircut, however.

Would you write to me? Your mother can give your letters to Susan Geller and they will reach me. Also, please have Stephan write.

Your sincere friend,

WOLF BRANDEL

Dear Wolf,

It was nice to hear from you. I will write to you regularly. Stephan studies you know what and you know where and he is getting good at it. He misses you. He admires you greatly. I am very happy for you being out of here—if you know what I mean.

With fondest regards,

RACHAEL BRONSKI

Dear Rachael,

I’m milking better. However, the real important work in the winter is the hogs and I’ve asked to be transferred. Whatever you do, don’t tell anyone we are raising hop. The rabbis would raise h--- if they knew, but with meat so scarce, we must. I’m certain that God will let the kids at the orphanage into heaven, anyhow.

At night it is swell here. We have a kind of game room. We have a community meeting to talk about production, farm problems, and division of work. Then a lecture by Tolek. Afterward we can debate, hear music, study and read and play games. (I’m chess champion.)

Almost always before bedtime we start up a song fest and sing the songs that the Bathyran pioneers sing in Palestine and we dance horas.

We don’t even have to wear the Star of David unless we go to the village.

Please write.

Most sincerely,

WOLF BRANDEL

Dear Wolf,

It sounds nice on the farm and I’m so glad for you. Winter here has been—well, you can imagine. Momma says things are very bad at the orphanage. We have 100% too many children and 50% too little rations and medicine. That is why your job is important. I suppose you hear about the things happening in the ghetto. I don’t want to write you about them, you’ll worry.

Fondly,

RACHAEL BRONSKI

Dear Rachael,

Hey, guess what! I am learning to play the accordion and the guitar. Tolek Alterman is teaching me. He knows all the Palestine pioneer songs, as he has been there. I’d like to teach them to you.

Warmest personal regards and kind wishes and thoughts.

WOLF

Dear Wolf,

I would indeed like to learn your songs. But when? When will I ever see you? I mean, Stephan misses you.

I am busy with my music too. I play recitals all the time and quite a few concerts. Sometimes eight or nine a week. I have learned about fifty children’s songs and singing games (also in French and German) so I can go around to all the orphanages and entertain them.

Do you dance with the girls? I think I am envious.

Very fondly,

RACHAEL

Dear Rachael,

We are celebrating Succoth in memory of Moses and the ancient tribes in the wilderness and giving thanks for the first fruits of the harvest.

You lived in Zoliborz before the war and they don’t allow celebrations now, but ask your mother about how Succoth used to be. Almost all the upper balconies and courtyards in Jewish homes had little “succah” huts built of branches and twigs and leaves to commemorate the way the Jews lived during their wandering.

Out here we have constructed a giant “succah” and it is covered with hundreds of fruits and vegetables and we have all our meals under it. Don’t worry, we are sending all the food in to the orphanage just as soon as the holiday is over.

To answer your question candidly—I do dance with girls. However, I play the accordion most of the time for them while they dance.

Most sincerely,

WOLF

Dear Wolf,

Hanukkah has passed. The holidays in the ghetto were terribly gloomy. Everyone spoke of the old days when the Tlomatskie Synagogue was jammed with people in fancy dress and there was an air of gaiety everywhere. Now we can’t even see the Tlomatskie Synagogue. Hanukkah seems almost like a mockery. Silly, celebrating the Maccabees storming into Jerusalem, throwing out the tyrants and rebuilding the Temple, when we are cowered in a ghetto.

I think the worst of all was Yom Kippur, earlier. We were all sitting and meditating and atoning for our past sins. The stillness this year was horrible. There was no breath of movement anywhere. Everyone was really asking God what we have done so terrible as to deserve this punishment.

Sony to be so glum.

RACHAEL

Dear Rachael,

I worry about things in the ghetto all the time. Tolek keeps telling us we are front-line soldiers and how important the farm is. I try to make myself believe him.

I think about you often.

With affection,

WOLF

Dear Wolf,

I think about you, too, but I guess you’re really not too lonesome with all those girls out there. If you know what I mean.

Also, with affection,

RACHAEL

Dear Rachael,

I will be frank with you.

I have had offers (not exactly offers) to kiss and play around, but I am not interested. Most of the girls like to neck. I think one or two even will do more (so it is rumored).

I don’t know how you will take this, but I miss you more all the time. I didn’t think I would, but I do. This sounds awful, but I think mostly about those four different times we kissed and held each other. You’ll probably stop writing to me and I won’t blame you.

WOLF

Dear Wolf,

You didn’t write anything bad at all. I wish you were here right now so I could kiss you.

With deepest affection,

RACHAEL

Dear Rachael,

I sure don’t know why anyone would want to kiss me. Especially someone like you, so beautiful. I never said it, but I have always thought so. You are very beautiful.

I look at your picture every chance I get and I memorize your letters. The once or twice they didn’t come in I was pretty miserable.

Candidly speaking, I am pretty certain I am in love with you.

Love,

WOLF

Dear Wolf,

I am not certain what love is, so I can’t be sure. I do know that I have a funny feeling inside me when I think about you and that is almost all the time. I know, too, that it hurts me to be apart. I didn’t know anything could be so painful. I cry at night sometimes. That’s because I’m a girl, I guess.

Isn’t it curious? I liked you very, very much before you left (I wouldn’t want you to think I’d kiss a boy I didn’t like very, very much), but since you’ve been away I guess it must be love or something very close to it.

RACHAEL

Dearest Rachael,

If two people feel the same way about each other and are forced to be apart and nothing was decided upon before they parted, then they find they miss each other more and more all the time, I think an understanding could be reached.

I would like you to be my girl, candidly speaking. I promise I won’t have another girl or fool around until I see you. I wouldn’t impose the same conditions on you except to ask you to promise you will let me know immediately if you feel seriously inclined toward anyone else. Then, when we see each other, we can decide how we really feel.