Where
Not on the map yet.
- Held by
- Montreal Holocaust Museum via Canadian Jewish Heritage Network (incl. Alex Dworkin Canadian Jewish Archives)
- Dates
- June 1, 1949 (indexed as 1949)
- Level
- item
- Extent
- Letter : Paper : Printed, Typed : Ink : Beige, Black, Red ; Ht: 10 7/8 in. x W: 8 1/2 in.
- Scope & content
- 1 page, single-sided. Folded twice vertically and once horizontally. Printed on letterhead of the American Friends Service Committee with logo of a black 4-pointed star with 2 small holes at centre, askew over a straight red 4-pointed star. Document is a typed copy of a letter addressed to Annie Berkowicz in Monreal. The letter, from the Individual Services Unit of the organization, states that a ring that was previously discussed is now in their office and that they will be sending it with Dr. Feguson who will be coming to Montreal to work. The letter is regarding Esther Mises, file number 21389. Narrative: Chana (Chane, Annie) (Trompeter) Berkowicz was the mother of the donor, Jack (Jacques) Berkowicz. Her sister Esther Mises (Mieses) was deported from the Drancy transit camp to Auschwitz-Birkenau on September 4, 1942, on Transport 28 with her two sons, Heinrich (Heinz), born in 1932, and Hermann, born in 1933. Born in Mielec, Poland, Chana 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. Tuwja (Tuwyas, Tuwia, Tuvia, Tobias) Bercowicz (Berkowicz) was the donor's father. 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. 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.
- Location
No place found in this description yet.
- Genre / form
- textual record
- In the picture
- DocumentLetterLetterheadMontrealSignatureTypewrittenTagged automatically by a vision model; may contain mistakes.
- Text in the image
- ChairmanHENRY J. CADBURYExecutive SecretaryCLARENCE E. PICKETTAmerican Friends Service CommitteeTwenty South Twelfth StreetPhiladelphia 7, PennsylvaniaTelephone, RITTENHOUSE 6-9372COPYJune 1, 1949Mrs. Annie Berkowicz4301 St. Urbain StreetMontreal, CanadaOur File #21389MISES, EstherDear Mrs. Berkowicz:Very truly yours,(Miss) Elizabeth F. BarthIndividual Services UnitEFB:hrThank you for your card containing your new address.I am glad to tell you that the ring we promised you is now here in the Philadelphia office. I do not like to send it through the mails, and so am planning to give it to a young man who is going to Montreal at the end of June. This young man is Dr.Colin Ferguson, who has been studying at the University of Pennsylvania and is returning to Montreal to continue his work there. He has offered to take the ring along and to deliver it to you at his earliest convenience. As I know Dr. Ferguson quite well, I am very glad to entrust him with this mission.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 ↗2005_1_43.jpg