Jewish Burials in Czernowitz Past and Present

Dear CZERNOWITZ Group,

I have just joined the group, and by way of intro please see the e-mail
thread copied below on "Jewish Burials in Czernowitz Past and Present."
I am really part of the post-WWII CZERNOWITZ Jewish community -- I am a
Russian Jew that came to the U.S. in 1976 at the age of 5, rather than
an Austro-Hungarian Jew. Bust most of all, I am a Bronxite ;=) Happy
Purim!

Thanks,
Vlad

Vladimir Sinayuk | Bronx, NY | Email: sinayukv_at_yahoo.com | Seeking:

BANET from Pabianice | BRONFMAN from Sokiryany | BURDMAN from
Chernovtsy| BURDMAN from Sokiryany | DOSICK from Zhitomir | HOCHBAUM
from Buenos Aires | JOSEPH from Karlsruhe | LERNER from Chernovtsy |
SCHWAGER from Bucuresti | SHECHTER from Sokiryany | SINAYUK from
Chernovtsy | SINAYUK from Zhitomir | ZALTSMAN from Sokiryany |



Dear Bruce,

You've brought up an interesting point. Like you said Jews, but also
other citizens of the soviet union could not have a religious burial at
all during the atheist rule of the soviets. For example, on my and
Vlad's grandfather tombstone in the old Jewish cemetery, who had died in
the 60's, there were no Jewish symbols or Hebrew letters. In the city
cemetery one notes that Christian symbols on tombstones of people who
died between the 40's and the 90's, are missing. Nevertheless, in the
mixed cemetery, in which Jews have been and are being buried (not out of
choice as you mentioned), there is today an extraordinary and surreal
mixture of crosses and Magen-Davids side by side, whereas In the Jewish
cemetery many tombstones, which have been renovated in the recent years
by relatives (like the one of our grandfather), Jewish symbols today
appear.

Thx again,

Alon
Bruce Reisch <bir1_at_nysaes.cornell.edu> wrote:
Dear Alon:

Thanks very much for your comments. What I've
learned from you is that many Jews who have died
in recent years would not have been buried in the
Jewish cemetery. I hadn't thought of this
before. Of course, in many of the post WWII
years, some Jews would have hidden their
identities and I believe even now that many Jews
in Chernivtsy would not identify themselves as
Jews. If that city sponsors burials only in the
official city cemetery, that would represent a
considerable financial savings and I'm sure would
make a burial in the city cemetery imperative for
most city residents.

Thanks (Spacebo!) for teaching me something today
- and both you and Vlad are welcome to join the
Czernowitz email discussion group on Jewish
History and Genealogy, now numbering 157 members
from around the world.

http://www.shtetlinks.jewishgen.org/sadgura/Czernlistserv.html

Best wishes, Shalom, L'hitraot,

Bruce

At 10:54 -0800 3/3/04, Alon Fiul wrote:
>Dear Bruce and Vlad,
>
>Bruce, it was exciting to read your emails about
>the Chernivtsy. Below is some clarifications and
>personal notes re the city Jewish cemetery.
>
>According to the city Rabbi in 2000, which is
>when I visited Chernivtsy, Jews have been and
>are to date being buried in the old cemetery at
>their will. That is to say, at their own expense
>and expressed desire, as the city these days
>will allow and "sponsor" burials, only in the
>city official cemetery, regardless of religion.
>I've also witnessed in my visit there some
>relatively new tombstones, and many existing
>tombstones have been renovated by relatives.
>However, it should be noted that like many other
>Jewish cemeteries in eastern Europe, the
>cemetery is neglected and in a bad condition.
>Even the funeral house (Bet Levaiot and Tahara)
>is totally ruined, so although I'm not an expert
>in Dinei Kvura, I wouldn't even know how a
>proper Jewish burial could take place there.
>
>Thanks again for all your input.
>
>Alon
>Vladimir Sinayuk wrote:
>
>FYI ...
>
>Best,
>Vlad
>
>Vladimir Sinayuk | Ph: 718.892.0453 | Fax: 413.714.4928 | Email:
>sinayukv_at_yahoo.com
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bruce Reisch [mailto:bir1_at_nysaes.cornell.edu]
>Sent: Wednesday, March 03, 2004 9:28 AM
>To: Vladimir Sinayuk
>Subject: RE: Chernovtsy
>
>
>Hi Vlad:
>
>This is quite interesting. I agree that there is only one Jewish
>cemetery as the smaller, older one was destroyed long ago. But I
>believe from what I've read that burials began at the Zelena St.
>Cemetery in the mid 1800s. The Russian language burial register goes
>right through to 2001, and I know that I saw some very recent
>tombstones (from the 1990s) when I was there in 1998. So while it
>may be possible that many Jews were buried in a mixed cemetery, I'm
>quite certain that others were still buried in the Jewish cemetery.
>
>All the best,
>Bruce
Received on 2004-03-05 07:53:38