Letter

Held by

Montreal Holocaust Museum via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)

Dates

December 07, 1939 (indexed as 1939)

Level

item

Extent

Letter : Paper : Typewritten : Ink : Beige, black ; Ht: 25 cm x W: 20 cm

Scope & content

Page folded horizontally and vertically, two holes punched on left edge, company stamp, T.C. Copy of a letter from N. Lessof on behalf of Isak Isselbacher. To be presented at Isaac’s pending refugee trial to state his integrity and employment since September 25th, 1939. Narrative: Isaac Herbert Isselbacher was born 1919-11-20 in Isselbach, Germany. His brother was Helmut Isselbacher, born 1921-12-20. Their father was Jacob Isselbacher, born 1883-08-05. They had an uncle and aunt, David and Betty Loewenstein, who lived in New York City with their two children. Isaac left Germany on 1939-07-29, hoping to join his relatives in NYC. He only had the time to get to London, England before the war broke out and started working in a factory. He was arrested at his workplace as an ‘enemy alien’ and sent to Canada for internment in 1940. Isaac was interned in Camp N in Sherbrooke, Quebec. He was drafted into the Works Program Division for woodworking and net-making. In 1940, he received a last letter from his parents which suggested their imminent deportation. After his release, circa November 1942, Isaac worked as a locksmith. He married Fanny Azeff on 1943-12-26 at the Bnai Jacob synagogue in Montreal. Fanny was born on 1921-12-23 in Canada, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Azeff. Isaac was naturalized as a Canadian citizen on 1946-06-08. Fanny was naturalized on 1946-08-30 (she had lost her citizenship by marrying Isaac). Upon learning of his brother’s survival, Isaac travelled to New York in April 1946 to meet with him and their Loewenstein relatives. Afterwards, Helmut travelled to Canada bringing with him a washing machine and bras as late wedding presents for his brother and Fanny. By 1946-08-12, their parents were presumed dead and the two sons inquired into their estate. They received a deed for the land and travelled to the estate to discover that the current owner of their house was their old maid and her son had become the town mayor. Various disputes arose with the current ‘owners’ who believed the Isselbacher family dead. Isaac wished to discuss a settlement, but the mayor’s mother –not realizing Fanny understood German- called the neighbours at work to warn them not to come home as the Isselbacher sons had resurfaced. Payment for the land had reportedly been sent to Israel, though no documentation could be provided.

Location

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Genre / form

textual record

In the picture

DocumentImmigrationLetterLetterheadSignatureTypewrittenTagged automatically by a vision model; may contain mistakes.

Text in the image

N. LESSOF LTD41 CARLTON ROADMARE STREETLONDON E.8Dec 7th 1939TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN.This is to state that Isak Herbert Isselbacher has been employed by us since Sept 25th 1939 and we have always found him to satisfactory and honest.N. LessofCOPY.Read automatically; may contain mistakes.

Language

English

Harvested

2026-10-19T03:21:16Z · source datestamp n/a · andornot

Digital objects at the source

• imageOpen original at source ↗1999_1_1152.jpg