Shacham, Tal

— 2 — If you are now interested in the ancestry of the O[ppenheimer]s, I urgently recommend: Contact Mr. Head Teacher S. Rosenthal, Mannheim, Rupprechtstrasse 14. This specialist in genealogy and Jewish history of Southern Germany has prepared a very interesting family tree for me based on available documents and gravestones, and has written a paper about it, which I cannot send you without the author's permission. He demonstrated that the O[ppenheimer]s — who, as you correctly write, took their name from Oppenheim and were settled in Worms for at least approximately 300 years (an Aleph in the 900-year-old synagogue in Worms, of which I have a photographic enclosure, was donated by a David Oppenheimer, with three crowns and the inscription: "The best crown is a good name") — and that an O. in the year 1689 (driven out by the turmoil of war) fled to nearby Ladersach on the Bergstrasse. From there his descendants came to Heinsbach, and from there to Hoffenheim and Michelfeld, District of Sinsheim. This Jew Löb O., born around 1650 in Worms and died after 1722 in Heinsbach, was married to a Chare (Eva) Backerach/Bacharach, a daughter of the famous Rabbi Jair Chaim Bacharach of Worms (born 1660 in Worms and died April 5, 1701, in Laundesheim). This Rabbi Bacharach was a grandson of the equally famous Jewish scholar Chave (Eva), who was born in 1580 in Prague and died in 1652 at the age of 72 on her way to Palestine, in Sofia, where she is buried. And this Mrs. Chave was, through her mother Voglein, the granddaughter of the Jew Efra'im ben Sanschel, the Great Rabbi Löw of Prague (born 1512 and died August 22, 1609, in Prague), whose memorial still stands today on the Wenceslas Square in Prague. The grandfather of this great scholar, who became universally known through his legendary "Golem," also bearing the name Chaim (Heinrich), was born in 1450 in Issenheim (Alsace). It does no harm for us to know all this. So contact the above-mentioned Mr. Rosenthal, and if you or your relatives wish to go to the USA, contact Gemmingen for addresses. The descendants of the above-mentioned Mr. August O. are major textile dealers. With warm regards, signed Otto Oppenheimer. [Handwritten note at bottom:] Copy of a letter from the author / proprietor of the firm Louis Oppenheimer / in Bruchsal, now in Zug, Switzerland / Jahrequartierstrasse 28

— 2 — Wenn Sie sich nun für die Abstammung der O's interessieren, so empfehle ich Ihnen dringend: Wenden Sie sich an Herrn Hauptlehrer S. Rosenthal, Mannheim Rupprechtstr. 14. Dieser Spezialist für Familienforschung & Jüdischer Geschichte Süddeutschlands hat mir einen sehr interessanten Stammbaum anhand vorhandener Dokumente und Grabsteine angefertigt und eine Arbeit dazu geschrieben, die ich Ihnen ohne Genehmigung des Verfassers aber nicht schicken kann. Er wies nach, dass die O's, die wie Sie richtig schreiben aus Oppenheim ihren Namen bezogen und ca. mindestens 300 Jahren in Worms ansässig waren (ein Alef in der 900 jährigen Synagoge in Worms, von der ich eine fotografische Beilage, ist von einem David Oppenheimer gestiftet mit drei Kronen und der Inschrift: Das beste Krone ist der gute Name) und also ein O. in Jahre 1689 (die Wirren von dem Sonne vertrieben wurde) in die nahen Bergstrasse nach Ladersach floh. Von da kamen dessen Nachkommen von Heinsbach und von da nach Hoffenheim und Michelfeld. Amt Sinsheim. Dieser Jude Löb O., um 1650 in Worms geboren und nach 1722 in Heinsbach gestorben, war mit einer Chare (Eva) Backerach/Bacharach einer Tochter des berühmten Rabbi Jair Chaim Bacharach aus Worms verheiratet (geb. 1660 in Worms und gestorben 5.4.1701 in Laundesheim). Dieser Rabbi Bacharach ist ein Enkel der gleichfalls berühmten jüdischen Gelehrten Chave (Eva), die 1580 in Prag geboren und 1652 als 72-Jährige auf dem Weg nach Palästina in Sofia gestorben und begraben ist. Und diese Frau Chave ist durch ihre Mutter Voglein die Enkelin des Jude Efra'im ben Sanschel, des Hohen Rabbi Löw von Prag (geb. 1512 und gestorben am 22. Aug. 1609 in Prag) dessen Denkmal heute noch auf dem Wenzelplatz in Prag steht. Der Grossvater dieses grossen Gelehrten, der durch seinen erlebten "Golem" allgemein bekannt wurde, auch wieder auf den Namen Chaim (Heinrich) wurde 1450 in Issenheim (Alsace) geboren. Es schadet nichts, wenn wir das Alles wissen. Wenden Sie sich also an den von mir oben erwähnten Herrn Rosenthal und wenn Sie oder Ihre Angehörigen nach USA wollen, wenden Sie sich um Adressen nach Gemmingen. Die Nachkommen des gleichfalls oben erwähnten Herrn August O. sind grosse T-Händler. Mit herzlichen Grüssen gez. Otto Oppenheimer. [Handwritten note at bottom:] Abschrift eines Briefes von dem Verfasser / Inhaber der Firma Louis Oppenheimer / in Bruchsal, jetzt in Zug i/d Schweiz / Jahrequartierstr. 28

This second page of Otto Oppenheimer's letter contains a remarkable genealogical account tracing the Oppenheimer family back through centuries of Jewish history in the Rhineland. The family tree connects to several prominent figures in Jewish history, most notably the Maharal of Prague (Rabbi Judah Löw ben Bezalel, here called "Rabbi Löw"), the legendary creator of the Golem. The genealogy traces through Rabbi Jair Chaim Bacharach (1638–1702), a renowned Talmudist and rabbi of Worms, and his grandmother Chave/Eva (1580–1652). The reference to 1689 refers to the devastation of the Palatinate during the Nine Years' War (War of the Grand Alliance), which forced many Jews to flee Worms. The Oppenheimers' name derives from the town of Oppenheim in Rhineland-Palatinate. Otto's recommendation of S. Rosenthal as a genealogical specialist, and his mention of relatives emigrating to the USA, reflects the urgency of Jewish emigration from Germany in early 1939.

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA } STATE OF NEW YORK } SS COUNTY OF NEW YORK } I, Samuel Morris, being duly sworn, depose and say: That I reside at 200 West 86 Street, New York City. That in December, 1938, I filed an affidavit of support in favor of Mr. Julius Oppenheimer and wife Mrs. of Alfonsstrasse 1, Munich, Germany, who applied for immigration visas to the United States under the German quota. That I have been informed by the applicants that I should submit additional proofs and that, therefore, I enclose a statement from the Equitable Life Insurance Society showing the cash value of policy #551462 to be $1,016.00. That I have a joint bank account with my wife, Mrs. Ethel Morris, at the National City Bank of New York City, 79th Street and Amsterdam Avenue. That I am very anxious indeed to help Mr. and Mrs. Julius Oppenheimer, since my father was in Germany before he came to this country; that being in very bad circumstances, he received great help from the parents of the above, Mr. and Mrs. Josef Oppenheimer. That I am only too glad to show my gratitude to his children and that I will do everything to make their life in the United States a happy one. That I promise hereby to take Mr. and Mrs. Julius Oppenheimer into my own home, giving them full board and lodging for an indefinite time; that I will take care of all their other expenses, such as medical care and hospitalization, if necessary, and will give them a weekly allowance of $10.00 for their personal needs besides full board and lodging.

This updated affidavit from Samuel Morris expands significantly on his earlier letters (0003/0005) and provides crucial genealogical information. Morris reveals that his father had been helped by "Mr. and Mrs. Josef Oppenheimer" — Julius's parents — when the elder Morris was in dire circumstances in Germany. This confirms that the Oppenheimer family's reputation for generosity extended back at least one generation, to Josef Oppenheimer (Julius's father, b. ~1860s in Gemmingen). Morris's gratitude is deeply personal and intergenerational: the Oppenheimers helped his father, and now he wishes to repay that debt by rescuing their son and daughter-in-law. His financial documentation includes an Equitable Life Insurance policy (#551462) worth $1,016 and a joint bank account with his wife Ethel Morris at the National City Bank (79th and Amsterdam — the same bank branch used by Mina Kaufmann in 0011). His promise of full board, lodging, medical care, hospitalization, and $10/week ($215/week today) represents the most comprehensive support package offered by any sponsor.

This is an invoice from the Tausig Service Corporation, a service agency at 29 West 46th Street, New York, billing Miss Mina Kaufmann at 145 West 86th Street, New York City, for the filing of three affidavits of support in favor of the Kaufmann-Oppenheimer family. The affidavits were filed by Mina Kaufmann, Samuel Morris, and Mrs. Ketz, each costing $3.00. An additional $0.51 was charged for photostatic copies, for a total of $9.51. A handwritten notation "erhalten" (German for "received") with a signature and the date November 7, 1939 confirms payment.

Bryant 9-2525 TAUSIG SERVICE CORPORATION 29 West 46th Street New York November 6, 1939 To Miss Mina Kaufmann 145 West 86 Street New York City. 120 Affidavit filed by Miss Kaufmann in favor of Kaufmann – Oppenheimer $3.00 " " " Mr. Sam Morris " " Kaufmann & Oppenheimer $3.00 " " " Mrs. Ketz " " Kaufmann & Oppenheimer $3.00 Fee for photostatic copies as per enclosed bill $0.51 ----- $9.51 erhalten [received] [Signature: Wohl…] Nov. 7, 1939

This invoice documents the immigration sponsorship efforts on behalf of Julius and Elsa Oppenheimer. In 1939, Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany needed American sponsors to file affidavits of support — sworn statements guaranteeing financial responsibility — in order to obtain immigration visas. Mina Kaufmann (née Weiler), a cousin already in New York, coordinated multiple affidavits through the Tausig Service Corporation, a firm that assisted refugees with immigration paperwork. Three separate sponsors — Mina herself, Samuel Morris, and a Mrs. Ketz — each filed affidavits. The total cost of $9.51 (approximately $200 in today's money) underscores the bureaucratic expenses involved in the emigration process. The German notation "erhalten" on an American business invoice reflects the bilingual world of German-Jewish refugees in New York.

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[Postmark circle:] NEW YORK, N.Y. / FEB 6 / 11-AM / 1940 [Machine slogan cancel:] BUY U.S. SAVINGS BONDS / ASK YOUR [postal clerk?] [3-cent Thomas Jefferson stamp, purple] Miss Mina Kaufmann 145 West 86th Str. Apt 7. D New-York City.

This envelope was addressed to Mina Kaufmann at her apartment at 145 West 86th Street, Apt. 7D, New York City. Despite the New York postmark of February 6, 1940, the return address on the reverse (0010) identifies the sender as Arthur Baer of Rotterdam, Netherlands. The letter was likely forwarded or re-mailed within New York after arriving from Europe. The machine cancel promoting U.S. Savings Bonds was a standard postal slogan of the period. Arthur Baer's involvement from Rotterdam connects to the broader network of European contacts assisting with the Oppenheimer emigration — Rotterdam was a major port of departure for transatlantic crossings, and Baer may have been involved in arranging the Oppenheimers' transit through the Netherlands.

Travel Report No. ________ from ________ Current location: ________ Date: ________ Next address: Place: ________ Hotel ________ until ________ Enclosed ________ Com. No. ________ Payments ________ Re: ________ 17 * Following: inventory of luggage from Munich [?] Crate 663 contains Couch and blankets, bedding etc. " 6964 " Household goods " 6965 " " " " 0066 Kitchen items etc. Suitcase J.O. 1 contains Clothes and shoes [?] " J.O. 10 " Linens etc. " J.O. 12 " " " J.O. 14 Family pictures, dishes etc. [?] " J.O. 15 Same [?] etc. [Calculations at bottom — possibly weight or cost figures:] 345 304 [?] 66 ___

Reise-Bericht Nr. ________ von ________ z. Zt. Ort: ________ Dat.: ________ Nächste Adresse: Ort: ________ Hotel ________ bis ________ Anliegend ________ Com. Nr. ________ Zahlungen ________ Betreff: ________ 17 * Nachfolgend Inhaltsverzeichnis des Gepäcks v. München [?] Kiste 663 enthält Couch u. Decken Betten etc. " 6964 " Haushaltungsgegenstände " 6965 " " " " 0066 Küche etc. Koffer J.O. 1 enthält Koffer Kleider u. Schuhe [?] " J.O. 10 " Wäsche etc. " J.O. 12 " " " J.O. 14 Familienbilder Geschirr etc. [?] " J.O. 15 Dasselbe [?] etc. [?] — [Calculations at bottom:] 345 304 [?] 66 ___

This inventory was written on a pre-printed German "Reise-Bericht" (Travel Report) form — a standard commercial sales or travel form repurposed as shipping documentation. The page number "17*" at the top right suggests it was part of a larger set of records. The inventory confirms the same 4 crates and 5 suitcases documented throughout this correspondence: crates 663/6963, 6964, 6965, and 0066 containing household goods, bedding, and kitchen items; suitcases J.O. (Julius Oppenheimer) 1, 10, 12, 14, and 15 containing clothing, shoes, linens, family photographs, and dishes. The calculations at the bottom may relate to weight (the total shipment weighed 949 kg per the Holland America Line receipt in 0014) or costs. The initials "J.O." on the suitcases — Julius Oppenheimer's monogram — are a personal detail that humanizes the shipping records.

Munich, November 5, 1940. Dear Mina! Today [I am sending?] an enclosed small package... [expressing hopes and wishes] that everything will be good again in [coming] years... [News about family]... Your Thekla E. and J. [Elsa and Julius] [Second note:] Dear Mina, [Short update about health and family, mention of Red Cross communication] [Third note:] Dear Mina! Hopefully we will soon receive news from you... [Discussion about packages and supplies]... For today, warm greetings, Anna Volz [?]

München den 5. Nov. 1940. Liebe Mina! Heute [?] von einem einliegend [?] kleines Paket [?] nachgeschickt erhoffen [?] ich [?] Wünsche [?] wir alle wieder gut aber in [?] ein Jahren in Erfüllung gehen mögen. [?] nachher [?] auf lieben Brief [von?] [?] ... [?] in [?] Jahren [?] guten Bericht ... griisst alle [?] Verwandten [?] an ... und [?] noch [?] weiter [?] die Kinder [?] ist [?] der Mutter [?] alles gut [?] ... Deine Thekla E. u. J. [Elsa und Julius] [Second note:] Liebe Mina, [Short message — appears to discuss health and family news, mentions "Rote Kreuz" (Red Cross)] Deine Thekla [?] [Third note:] Liebe Mina! Hoffentlich bekommen wir bald [?] Nachricht von Dir [?] Ihr [?] leben Seite [?] dass in [?] Nachkür [?] fertig [?] sind [?] vorläufig [?] gebraucht [?] uns und hoffe [?] dass bald [das?] [?] ... damit ankommt. Für heute [?] herzliche Grüsse Anna Volz [?] [Fourth note at bottom:] [?] würde nicht vorgeschickt. [?] Kuvekal [?] [?] Grüsse [?] ... Seife abgegeben [?]

By November 1940, the Oppenheimers in Munich were living under severe Nazi restrictions. Communication with relatives abroad was increasingly limited to Red Cross messages. Multiple family members added short notes to letters, maximizing use of the limited postal opportunities. The letter contains wishes and hopes that the situation would improve.

Form AC Rev. File No. 811.11 THE FOREIGN SERVICE of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA American Consulate Stuttgart, P.O. Box 949 4 APR 1941 Date of postmark To the holder of registration number 9831 for 2 persons You are hereby informed that the documents you submitted for review have been provisionally deemed sufficient, and that your case can be processed immediately, provided that quota numbers are still available, as soon as proof is furnished that you would be in a position to travel to the United States if a visa were issued to you. The ability to travel to the United States consists not only of being able to leave Germany, but also of having the possibility of obtaining ocean passage and reaching the port of embarkation. In view of the currently limited availability of ship passages, the deposit of a sufficient amount for your ocean passage cannot be regarded as final proof of the ability to travel to the United States. As soon as you have made firm travel arrangements, you should submit documentary proof thereof, so that you may receive a summons to appear at the Consulate for your visa application. THE AMERICAN CONSUL GENERAL O/1009

Form. AC Rev. File No. 811.11 THE FOREIGN SERVICE of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Amerikanisches Konsulat Stuttgart, Postfach 949 4 APR 1941 Datum des Poststempels An den Inhaber der Registrierungsnummer 9831 für 2 Personen Hierdurch wird Ihnen mitgeteilt, daß die von Ihnen zur Prüfung eingesandten Dokumente vorbehaltlich als genügend erachtet worden sind und daß Ihre An- gelegenheit sofort berücksichtigt werden kann, vorausgesetzt, daß noch Quoten- nummern zur Verfügung stehen, sobald der Nachweis vorliegt, daß Sie in der Lage wären, nach den Vereinigten Staaten zu reisen, falls Ihnen ein Visum aus- gestellt würde. Die Möglichkeit, nach den Vereinigten Staaten zu reisen, besteht nicht nur darin, daß Sie in der Lage sind, Deutschland zu verlassen, sondern auch, daß Sie die Möglichkeit haben, Ozeanpassage zu erhalten und den Einschiffungs- hafen zu erreichen. In Anbetracht der zurzeit nur in beschränktem Maße erhält- lichen Schiffspassagen kann die Hinterlegung eines genügenden Betrages für Ihre Ozeanpassage nicht als endgültiger Beweis für die Möglichkeit der Reise nach den Vereinigten Staaten angesehen werden. Sobald Sie feste Reisevorbereitungen getroffen haben, sollten Sie dokumen- tarischen Nachweis darüber vorlegen, damit Sie eine Vorladung erhalten können, um zur Visumantragstellung beim Konsulat zu erscheinen. DER AMERIKANISCHE GENERALKONSUL O/1009

This is the pivotal document in the entire collection — the American Consulate's response to over a year of accumulated affidavits and sponsorship documentation. Dated April 4, 1941, the Stuttgart consulate acknowledges that the Oppenheimers' paperwork has been "provisionally deemed sufficient" (registration 9831 for 2 persons) — a hard-won victory after affidavits from Samuel Morris, Mina Kaufmann, William and Ottilie Langerbein, and Bertha Katz. However, the letter immediately imposes a devastating new condition: the Oppenheimers must prove they can actually travel to the United States. The consulate explicitly notes that this means not just leaving Germany, but obtaining ocean passage and reaching the port of embarkation — an increasingly impossible requirement by April 1941. With the Netherlands, Belgium, and France under German occupation, traditional embarkation ports were closed. The consulate further states that merely depositing money for passage is not sufficient — firm travel arrangements must be documented. This Catch-22 — visas granted only upon proof of travel arrangements that required visas to obtain — was a bureaucratic trap that ensnared thousands of would-be refugees. By mid-1941, the U.S. State Department under Breckinridge Long was actively using such procedural barriers to restrict Jewish immigration. Whether Julius and Elsa Oppenheimer were ultimately able to satisfy this final condition and escape is the central question left unresolved by this document.

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[Postal transit marks:] [Circular postmark:] NEW YORK, N.Y. / NOV 7 / A P.M. / 1941 / G.P.O. [Circular postmark, partially visible:] BALTIMORE [MD] / NOV 8 [?] / 12:30 M / 1941 / REC'D

The reverse of the Zaro Tours envelope shows the postal transit route: dispatched from the New York General Post Office on the afternoon of November 7, 1941, and received in Baltimore on November 8, 1941, at approximately 12:30 PM — overnight delivery consistent with Special Delivery service between New York and Baltimore. The Baltimore destination confirms that Mina Kaufmann had relocated from New York City to Baltimore (c/o Engel, 4006 Norfolk Avenue), as indicated in the Zaro Tours letter (0035). Her move from New York may reflect a change in personal circumstances — she had lived at 145 West 86th Street for years before this.

Envelope back (reverse side). Return address: Elsa Sara Oppenheimer, München Ainstr. 19/II [i.e., Ainmillerstrasse 19, 2nd floor] Censorship markings: Red circular stamp with Nazi eagle — "Geöffnet" (Opened) indicating German censorship. Additional U.S. postal markings visible: "BRONX CENTRAL ANNEX" circular postmark, suggesting the letter was routed through the Bronx post office in New York before forwarding to Baltimore.

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[Cable from Zaro Tours Basel to Zaro Tours New York:] URGENTLY ARRANGE CUBA VISAS [for] ISAAK OPPENHEIMER BORN GEMMINGEN 5/5/82 [and] ELSA OPPENHEIMER [born] GEMMINGEN 14/2/94 RESIDENT [of] MUNICH GERMAN NATIONALITY STOP COLLECT 415 DOLLARS INCLUDING PREVIOUS EXTRA EXPENSES AS WELL AS 650 DOLLARS DEPOSIT AS WELL AS BANK FEE 41.30 DOLLARS FROM DEPOSITOR MINA KAUFMANN 622 WEST 141 STREET APARTMENT 3D C/O HELLER ZAROHC [Zaro Tours]

[RCA RADIOGRAM header — R.C.A. COMMUNICATIONS, INC.] [A RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA SERVICE] [TO ALL THE WORLD — BETWEEN IMPORTANT U.S. CITIES — TO SHIPS AT SEA] Send the following Radiogram "Via RCA" subject to terms on back hereof, which are hereby agreed to HBELZ SZ1257 November 7, 1941 BASEL 131/120 6 1855 PAHE 1/50 NLT ZAROHC NEWYORK EILBESORGET CUBAVISEN ISAAK OPPENHEIMER GEBOREN GEMMINGEN 5/5/82 ELSA OPPENHEIMER GEMMINGEN 14/2/94 WOHNHAFT MUENCHEN DEUTSCHE STAATSANGEHOERIGKEIT STOP EINZIEHET 415 DOLLAR INCLUSIVE BISHERIGE EXTRASPESEN SOWIE 650 DOLLAR DEPOT SOWIE BANKGEBUEHR 41.30 DOLLARS VON EINZAHLER MINA KAUFMANN 622 WEST 141 STREET APARTMENT 3D C/O HELLER ZAROHC Main Office: 66 Broad Street, New York, N.Y. (Always Open) Phone: HAnover 2-1811 FULL-RATE MESSAGE UNLESS MARKED OTHERWISE Sender's Name and Address (Not to be transmitted) Form 100-38-TA-0840

This radiogram marks a dramatic shift in the rescue strategy. By November 1941, with direct U.S. immigration still blocked by the Stuttgart consulate's travel-proof requirement (see 0029), the plan pivoted to obtaining Cuba visas — a last-resort escape route. The cable was sent from Zaro Tours' Basel, Switzerland branch to their New York office (cable address ZAROHC), urgently requesting Cuba visas for "Isaak" (Julius Israel) Oppenheimer and Elsa Oppenheimer. The financial breakdown totals $1,106.30: $415 for costs and expenses, $650 for a deposit, and $41.30 in bank fees, all to be collected from Mina Kaufmann — now residing at 622 West 141st Street, Apt. 3D, c/o Heller (she had moved from her longtime 145 West 86th Street address). The use of "Isaak" instead of "Julius" likely reflects the forced adoption of the middle name "Israel" imposed on Jewish men by the Nazi regime's August 1938 decree. The date — November 7, 1941, exactly one month before Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941) and the subsequent U.S. declaration of war on Germany — places this cable in the final weeks when any transatlantic rescue was theoretically possible. Cuba had been an alternate refuge for Jewish refugees since the famous St. Louis voyage of 1939, though by late 1941, Cuba's own immigration restrictions had tightened considerably.

Telephone Wisconsin 7-2800 Cable Address: ZAROHC SPECIAL DELIVERY / AIR MAIL ZARO TOURS AUTHORIZED TRAVEL AGENCY 152 West 42nd Street • New York City November 7, 1941 Miss Mina Kaufmann c/o Engel 4006 Norfolk Ave. Baltimore, Md. Dear Miss Kaufmann, Today we received from our Basel branch the cable enclosed in copy. Immediately upon receipt we sent a telegram to the address given in New York City, but have just learned from Mrs. Heller that you have moved your residence to Baltimore. As you can see from the cable, you are to arrange entry to Cuba for your relatives by the quickest route. For this you will need — as already mentioned — for costs $ 830— " deposits 1300— " bank fee for opening the deposits 41.30 total: $ 2,171.30 Of this amount, the $1,300 will be refunded after leaving Cuba. We are enclosing a questionnaire, which we ask you to fill out and return to us in the enclosed reply envelope. Immediately upon receipt of this questionnaire and your check in the above amount drawn on a New York bank, we will apply for the Cuba visas, which will be issued in approximately 12–14 days through the Cuban Legation in Berlin. As you can see from the cable, the matter is very urgent. Since you yourself know what is currently happening in Germany, we would advise you to send the check immediately. Please send us your immediate reply in any case, as we must cable back to Basel regarding your decision. Respectfully, ZARO TOURS [Signature] encl.

Telephone Wisconsin 7-2800 Cable Address: ZAROHC SPECIAL DELIVERY / AIR MAIL [40th Anniversary logo: 1899-1939] ZARO TOURS AUTHORIZED TRAVEL AGENCY 152 West 42nd Street • New York City November 7, 1941 Miss Mina Kaufmann c/o. Engel 4006 Norfolk Ave. Baltimore, Md. Sehr geehrtes Frl. Kaufmann, Wir empfingen heute von unserer Filiale in Basel das in Copie beigefuegte Cabel. Wir hatten Ihnen sofort nach Erhalt ein Telegramm an die genannte Adresse nach New York City gesandt, erfahren aber soeben von Frau Heller, dass Sie Ihren Wohnsitz nach Baltimore verlegt haben. Wie Sie aus dem Kabel ersehen, sollen Sie fuer Ihre Angehoerigen die Einreise nach Cuba auf schnellstem Wege besorgen. Hierzu benoetigen Sie — wie bereits erwaehnt — fuer Kosten $ 830— " Depots 1300— " Bankgebuehr fuer Eroeffnen der Depots 41.30 zusammen: $ 2171.30 Von diesem Betrag werden die $1300— nach Verlassen Cuba's zurueckverguetet. Wir lassen Ihnen anliegend einen Fragebogen zugehen, welchen Sie uns bitte ausgefuellt in beigefuegtem Antwort-Umschlag zuruecksenden wollen. Sofort nach Erhalt dieses Fragebogens und Ihres Checks in obiger Hoehe auf eine New Yorker Bank werden wir die Cuba-Visen beantragen, welche in etwa 12 — 14 Tagen durch die Cuba-Legation in Berlin erteilt werden. Wie Sie aus dem Kabel ersehen, ist die Angelegenheit sehr eilig. Da Sie wohl selbst wissen, was augenblicklich in Deutschland vorgeht, wuerden wir Ihnen raten, den Check sofort einzusenden. Bitte lassen Sie uns auf alle Faelle Ihre sofortige Antwort zugehen, da wir nach Basel zuruecktelegrafieren muessen, wie Sie sich entschieden haben. Hochachtungsvoll eh. ZARO TOURS encl. [Signature]

This letter represents the final, desperate attempt to rescue Julius and Elsa Oppenheimer. Zaro Tours — a well-known New York travel agency that specialized in helping refugees (founded 1899, celebrating its 40th anniversary on the letterhead) — relayed the urgent cable from their Basel, Switzerland branch. The plan was to obtain Cuban entry visas through the Cuban Legation in Berlin within 12-14 days, at a total cost of $2,171.30 (approximately $46,000 today). The $1,300 deposit was refundable upon leaving Cuba — a standard requirement to guarantee that refugees would not become permanent charges on the Cuban state. The chilling line "Since you yourself know what is currently happening in Germany" alludes to the escalating persecution without explicitly naming it — by November 1941, mass deportations of German Jews to eastern ghettos and killing sites had already begun. Mina Kaufmann had moved to Baltimore (c/o Engel, 4006 Norfolk Avenue), and the scramble to reach her — first a telegram to New York, then learning from Mrs. Heller about the move, then Special Delivery to Baltimore — underscores the frantic pace. The Cuba route via the Cuban Legation in Berlin was one of the last remaining escape paths, but it required an agonizing sequence: payment from New York to Zaro Tours, application through Berlin, visa issuance, and then actual departure from Germany — all within a rapidly closing window. The United States would enter the war exactly one month later.

Munich, November 20, 1941 Dear Mina and [family]! ... [The letter discusses various family matters, mentions America, makes references to relatives including Margit, Betty, and others. Contains ongoing discussion of emigration ("Auswanderung"). Asks Mina to greet all relatives in Baltimore. The tone is increasingly urgent.]

München den 20. Nov. 1941 Liebe Mina u. Leute [?]. In [?] den [?] erinnern [?] ja, die wie [?] Amerikaner menschenlos wunderbares machten wie es längst wollte aus und Lieben [?] nach [?] ihr [?] unsere Mannen [?] Stolz und [?] Gefühliges [?] ... Seite um ein Lieben dorthin [?] aber ganz Los und Lieder u. Herren [?] dass [?] Alles ebenfalls Altes Kalles wechsler erleben. [?] nochmals wir wollen Besuchen. Es Kommunen in habe [?] [?] [?] [?]. Für Freuen Schein Verleiher das Band Reise [?] und [?] und bekam [?] wird u. verschwand [?]. [?] ist [?] gesandt dass [?] [?] uns [?] ... [?] ... Alle [?] und ... Margit die [?] Hammer u. Freden [?] und Ib. [?] Treiben [?]... komme [?] meines [?] Stuken [?] in [?] auf [?] gern [?] frei 10 [?] Hilfe. Von Allein [?] Klose [?] in Betty [?] kamen in [?] bin ich wollte [?] keine Antwort [?] u. [?] ist so schon ein Alter [?] Mina, Dr. [?] oder Ernst D. [?]. Von immer nach Briefe mit der Auswanderung. Grüsst bitte Alle [?] herzl. Seiten... noch [?] trefflich [?] und in Baltimore. G. Mina, hat [?] sie alles gebrochen. Von Welt [?] u. bitte [?] gesagt [?] gefunden u. [?] an [?] Konfidentstellen [?] alle [?] Verwandten viele [?] Grüsse. —

Written on November 20, 1941, this is one of the very last letters that could have been sent from Munich to America. The first mass deportation from Munich took place on November 20, 1941 — the very date of this letter — when approximately 1,000 Jews were deported to Kaunas (Kovno), Lithuania, where most were murdered upon arrival on November 25, 1941. Whether Julius and Elsa were on this transport or a later one requires further research. The United States declared war on Germany on December 11, 1941, ending all direct postal communication. This letter may represent one of the Oppenheimers' final communications with their American relatives.