In these letters, Vishniac describes the horrible conditions of his internment in France after his arrest in September 1939, and also expresses disappointment that the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) has not provided the assistance necessary to facilitate his release. October 7, 1939: “The weather has become so cold and wet that my stomach disorder has worsened. The ground has softened and the soles of my shoe are broken. Every day, I’m waiting for a letter from you. I don’t have anything to read except letters.”