My dear ones, July 18, 1942 This morning your beautiful package arrived, and we thank you most warmly for it. Everything arrived in very good condition and tastes excellent, and it made us very happy, as always. You are right, dear Karl — the jam jar could [not survive] this shipping [process] without breaking. Hopefully you are all well and have good news from Karl? It has now gotten warmer. Did you receive our letter and the empty cartons? We are, thank God, healthy and already look forward to your dear letter, dear Karl. Once again, all the best and may God reward you, with best greetings to all of you, your loving Julius and Elsa
Handwritten letter
Handwritten short letter/note
This brief but deeply poignant letter, dated July 18, 1942, is one of the latest documents in this collection. By this date, the systematic deportation and murder of Munich's Jews was well underway. The first deportation from Munich to Kaunas occurred on November 20, 1941, followed by transports to Piaski (April 1942), Theresienstadt, and Auschwitz. That Julius and Elsa were still able to write in July 1942 suggests they had not yet been deported. The letter's mundane discussion of packages, jam jars, and weather stands in stark contrast to the horror surrounding them. The phrase "Vergelt's Gott" (May God reward you) is a traditional Bavarian/Southern German expression of deep gratitude. This letter represents the Oppenheimers clinging to normalcy and family connection in the face of impending catastrophe.