This letter tells us that Bassya is in Boyes Springs California, on vacation as she says. Her daughter Lila was born the year before, September 25, and is now almost 10 months old. Why did Bassya go on vacation and leave her daughter at home? In one of the letters she tells that she almost gained 4 pounds already. After the birth of my children I was not worried about gaining weight, but losing it. Was she making herself sick with her love for Philip/Pinchas?

I have translated the word “chaver” as friend. Often it comes off with negative connotations in English, it is not meant this way. Perhaps I will leave the “chaver” untranslated and just replace it with friend when it does not give this derogatory feeling.

Again, when you see an *, it means there is some cursive writing which I am still unable to read.

Boyes Springs
July 10, 1930

Dearest friend Pinchas:

I got your letter last night and only read it this morning, you can guess why. Reading your letter I saw all you went through since you left, my poor Pinchas, what can I do? Have I not had many of these Mondays? And what could you do? I hope when this letter reaches you, you will still be in the good mood of Tuesday. I am coming home Sunday and will not go away again for a long long time. Oh friend….

I feel very happy — unnatural for me — everything sings within me … I feel as I felt Sunday. I feel as if I spread sunshine all around, as if everything I touched came to Life. What a glorious feeling, and why shouldn’t I be happy? Have I not in my possession God’s greatest gift? I wish you could feel that way about it. It would make me so happy.

I read your poem, and I read it over and over again. Pinchas dearest do you realize what you have written? Read it over again for yourself. Oh my friend how proud I am of you. * how much I find in this little line, and what about * you cannot help but feel it jump – fall. My Pinchas I am so proud of you — I do want you to read over what you have written. I do not think you really know that you have written something wonderful. Oh I am so happy.

Write — please write….I love to read them.

*
Bassya