Letter

Held by

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

Dates

April 2, 1948 (indexed as 1948)

Level

item

Extent

Letter : Paper : Printed, Typed : Ink : Beige, Black ; Ht: 12 3/4 in. x W: 8 in.

Scope & content

1 page, single-spaced. Folded once vertically and three times horizontally. Document is a letter authorizing the emigration of the Berkowicz famiy, sent from the Emigration Service of the American Joint Distribution Committee from their Brussels office to the New York and Montreal offices. Letter states that Tuwia, Chana, Dorothée and Jacques will depart from Antwerp, Belgium, pass through New York, stay with Mrs. J. Allen in Halifax upon arrival in Canada, and then proceed to Montreal. Narrative: Tuwja (Tuwyas, Tuwia, Tuvia, Tobias) Bercowicz (Berkowicz) was the father of the donor, Jack (Jacques) Berkowicz. Born in Vilna, Tuwyas immigrated to Belgium in 1933 and when Belgium fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, he fled to France, hoping to reach Morocco by boat from Marseilles. The donor's mother, Chana (Chane, Annie) (Trompeter) Berkowicz, born in Mielec, Poland, was living in Vienna, Austria with her parents and two sisters. In 1938, after the German annexation of Austria, the family fled, driving to France via Belgium. Tuwyas and Chana met in Lyon, France in 1941 and married. Their daughter Dorothée was born in 1942. The family attempted to flee France by boat in Marseilles, but were stopped by Vichy police. They fled Marseilles and went south, into the Pyrenees region, living in various small vilages. Their son Jack was born in Bernac-Dessus in 1944. The family survived the war and returned to Brussels from 1945-1948, and then immigrated to Canada with the help of the American Joint Distribution Committee. They were sponsored by Tuwyas' sister Luba, who was already living in Halifax. The Berkowicz family settled in Montreal.

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Genre / form

textual record

In the picture

DocumentFormHandwrittenImmigrationJewish CommunityLetterPrintedSealShipSignatureStampTicketTranscriptTypewrittenTagged automatically by a vision model; may contain mistakes.

Text in the image

AMERICAN JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEEEMIGRATION SERVICELETTER OF AUTHORIZATIONFROM: AJDC EM. OFFICE BRUSSELS FILE NO 4579 OPENING DATE: Feb.10,47TO: AJDC EM. OFFICE NEW YORK FILE NO: ARRIVED LEFTAJDC EM. OFFICE MONTREAL FILE NO: ARRIVED LEFTAJDC EM. OFFICE FILE NO: ARRIVED LEFTFILE NO: ARRIVED LEFTPERSONALFINANCELast Name BERKOWICZ (Maiden Name)Deposited by (name and address) authorized by JDCBirthdate Dec.27,06 Birthplace WilnoAmount authorized out of AJDC Emigration Fund $DOCUMENTATIONTRANSIT VISA: American No 327'378 issued in Brussels on March 18,1948END VISA: Canadian No 31381available at Brussels according to Date March 1, 1948TRANSPORTATIONFrom BRUSSELS To NEW YORK MONTREAL Via (date) Antwerp April 7, 1948 Ticket (reserv. paid, issued) in their possessionThis letter authorizes AJDC Emigration Offices listed above to provide necessary assistance to the above named for travel to the indicated point of destination in accordance with the policies and procedures of AJDC Emigration Service.Pol.Con.Brus.American No 377'378 issued in Brussels on March 18,19481Amount Deposited $First Name Tuwia Sex maleNationality: Present Polish Former PolishDeposited with CommOccupation: Present FormerOther Detailsaccompanied by wife: TROMPETER, Chana born in Mielec on 25.5.10 daughter: Dorothée born in Tarbes on 18.3.42 son: Jacques born 22/7/44 expected residence at destination: Mrs J. Allen 50 Lawrence Street HALIFAX CanadaPASSPORT (or substitute document): 069194 069196 Polishno. Pob.Con.Brus. Oct.31, 47 Oct.31,48 issued by date valid untilcjhn.caRead 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 ↗2005_1_37.jpg