Postcard Sent from Berlin to Jerusalem by the Author, Translator, and Philosopher Yosef Heller, in Which He Requests Assistance to Immigrate to Eretz Israel, Addressed to Dr. Yanowitz. In His Letter, Heller Describes the Worsening Living Conditions in Berlin (Shortly After Hitler’s Rise to Power). Berlin, May 20, 1933.
In his letter, Heller writes of his hope to obtain an immigration permit to Eretz Israel soon “and to manage there in some way.” He adds: “As you know, living conditions here have worsened materially, and for me, there is also a danger of forced idleness and spiritual stagnation.” He describes the difficulties he faces in his attempt to immigrate: “Aliyah is particularly difficult for me because I have not managed to rid myself of the Soviet-Russian passport I brought with me when I left Russia ten years ago, which has always been a persistent burden.” Heller requests Dr. Yanowitz’s help in obtaining an entry permit to Eretz Israel, calling it “a kind of mitzvah of redeeming captives.” He concludes the letter with a holiday greeting, likely referring to the upcoming Shavuot, as the postcard was written on Lag BaOmer.
Yosef Eliyahu Heller [1888–1957] an author, translator, editor, and lecturer who specialized in philosophy in general and Jewish thought in particular. He also focused on the history of Zionism and the Hebrew language. Heller moved to Germany from Ponevezh in 1920, where he studied at the University of Berlin and later earned a doctorate in philosophy and law from Heidelberg University. He contributed to the Encyclopaedia Judaica until its cessation under the Nazi regime. Under Nazi rule, Heller found himself unemployed and began studying Hebrew. As a Hebrew teacher, he met one of his students, Frederike Charlotte Handel, daughter of Austrian Jewish writer Willy Handel. The two married in 1936. In 1938, Heller managed to escape Nazi Germany with his family and settled in London. However, due to his Soviet citizenship, which the postcard describes as an obstacle, he was initially forbidden to work in England, as the Soviet Union at that time supported the Nazis. By June 1941, when the Nazis and Soviets became enemies, Heller was finally allowed to work and began teaching Russian at the Mary Ward Centre. After the war, Heller obtained British citizenship and became the Literary Secretary of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain and Ireland, publishing booklets on Judaism and Zionism. Heller published numerous articles in journals such as The Jewish Chronicle, Hashiloach, Hadoar, and HaOlam. He later lectured at Jews’ College in London and at the Hebrew Department of University College London (1949–1953). In 1957, Heller was injured in a car accident and died ten days later on April 13, 1957, from a blood clot in his lungs.
[1] Postcard. Filing holes. Good condition.
