Mary Fels (aka Mrs. Joseph Fels)

William Z. Spiegelman began, but never finished, a biography of Mary Fels entitled A Study in Jewish Womanhood. He wrote three introductory chapters, and a conclusion. Undated, the manuscript seems to have been written circa 1927.

In going through the boxes of materials by and about William Z. Spiegelman that recently came into our possession, we came upon three letters to Mrs. Fels. Since none of them mention WZS, we are left with a puzzle. How did they come into his possession?

Well, we know the following. Each of the three letters were sent from or mention England (London or Sussex). Two of the three letters are accompanied by their respective carbon copies, which suggests that these letters were never sent. WZS lived in London and did so during the period in question (1920-1923).

We see two possibilities. Either WZS was the secretary to whom the letters were dictated by their respective authors, or WZS borrowed them from Mary Fels herself when he was writing his biography of her. Perhaps the first hypothesis is applicable to the two letters that are accompanied by their carbons, while the second hypothesis is applicable to the third letter. In any event, each of three letter-writers were accomplished, even famous people in their respective fields: an actor on stage and film; a writer and humorist; and a concert violinist.

To "Our very dear Mrs. Fels," from Maurice Moscovitz (who later spelled his name Maurice Moscovich) London, Jan. 13, 1923.

"Dear Mollie," from Israel Zangwill, Far End, East Preston, Sussex, July 18, 1920. (How do we know "Mollie" is Mary Fels? She once used it as a pen name, and, in her biography of her husband, she has him refer to her as Mollie.)

"Dear Mrs. Fels," from Jascha Heifetz, no date.