Marcia Cyviner letters

The Marcia Cyviner letters consist of postcards and letters written to Marcia from family and friends in Maków Mazowiecki, Poland, during the German occupation of that country in World War II, and from friends working in a labor camp in the Soviet Union. The majority of the letters are written by Marcia’s mother, Sara and contain messages from aunts, uncles, and cousins. The letters describe life in Poland during the German occupation, between 1940 and 1945, and discuss struggles to stay in touch, to stay in good health and to keep spirits up. Much of the correspondence is addressed to Marcia’s uncle Meyer but contain greetings for Marcia. Also among the papers is a notice from the National Council of Jewish Women notifying Marcia that her brother’s visa applications were denied. Marcia Cyviner was born Alta Masza Cyviner in Maków Mazowiecki, Poland. Marcia immigrated to the United States just before the German invasion of Poland in August 1939 and lived with her uncle, Meyer Ostrie, in on 85th Street in Brooklyn, New York. As a new immigrant, she stapled tickets for a living. Marcia was naturalized as a United States citizen in 1945.