[Cz-L] Possible plan for cemetery care and restoration

[The note that follows is from Mimi Taylor <mirtaylo_at_indiana.edu>.
I'm forwarding it for her due to temporary problems with her email
system. Bruce Reisch (list owner)]


Dear Czernowitzers,

While in Czernowitz, for the unveiling of the memorial plaque to Traian
Popovici, Sasha Wolloch and I, had occasion to both visit the cemetery
and discuss plans for its clearing of vegetation, with Dr. Bursuk
and members of the city and cemetery administrations.
    To those of you who may not know Dr. Bursuk: he is an old time
    Czernowitzer, who cares for the medical care of elderly
    Jewish Chernivtsi residents. He is the person who helped me get the
    Traian Popovici memorial plaque approved.

As has often been described in letters to this list, the whole cemetery is
invaded by rampant dense vegetation, which makes access to the graves nearly
impossible and more importantly, damages the gravestones.

As part of the efforts the city undertook in 2008, for the 600 years city
anniversary celebrations, the fence around the cemetery was completely
mended and remains in good condition.
This year the cemetery administration plans to cut and remove all old and
diseased large size trees. They will also spray herbicides on any areas from
which sapling trees and vines and bushes have been previously removed.
They have received permission for the use of appropriate herbicides.

The work-camp organized by SVIT Ukraine was successful in clearing
The vegetation from a small section of the cemetery. The cemetery
administration continued this work on an additional smaller section.
But the two cleared areas, comprise a small fraction of the total cemetery.
All other sections of the cemetery are still completely overgrown and in
some sections, sapling trees ranging in diameter between 1.5" and 4" (3.8cm
- 10cm) occupy all ground not covered by horizontal large gravestones.
In some sections of the cemetery the sapling trees grow to a density of 8
Or more trees per square meter. If left to grow undisturbed, they
will destroy the cemetery completely.

Two work-camps are definitely planned for this summer and we can expect
additional small sections of the cemetery to be cleared of sapling trees,
bushes and climbing vines. But the large scale removal of trees requires
tools and the working ability of people used to such work. It is not the
kind of work which can be done by volunteers. We therefore think that it is
urgent to have the cemetery cleared of sapling trees and vines by
experienced people capable of doing the work.

We were told, that while the cemetery administration does not have the funds
to clear the remainder of the cemetery of rampant vegetation, if we would
pay the cost of labor. they will supervise and supply experienced workers
as well as the equipment necessary to cut the sapling trees.

Dr. Bursuk suggested that we attempt a trial or pilot project; We get the
cemetery administration to give us a bid for the expected cost of clearing
one hectare of the worst overgrown section of the cemetery.
If this bid falls within an acceptable range, currently expected to be
around $2500 per hectare, we agree to the cemetery administration hiring
workers to do the work and supervise it.

We agree to pay for this work through the organization for the restoration
of the cemetery, we intend to establish. Dr. Bursuk acts as our agent; when
the work is done, he inspects the results and if satisfactory, he himself
pays DIRECTLY the workers the agreed upon sum with funds we send him
personally from the fund raising organization we intend to form for
this purpose.

Dr. Bursuk sends us photographs of the cleared section as it looks before
and after the work is done. If we find, both the cost and the results
satisfactory, we proceed in the same manner with the clearing of another
hectare, and another...until the whole cemetery is cleared.

This apparently was the method used for the successful clearing and
restoration of the Nova Sulitsa Jewish cemetery. (I hope to have facts and
figures as well as photographs about the work done in Nova Sulitsa, in the
near future, when I will make them available to you.)

Measuring the size of the cemetery according to the 1941 map and the given
scale, I calculate the size of the cemetery to be 6.5 hectare. I may be
wrong and the map may be inaccurate. In Czernowitz, I was told that the size
is really 14 hectare.
I made arrangements with a surveyor and around May 10th, should have a good
aerial map of the cemetery and an accurate measurement of its dimensions,
including length and width of major paths.

Assuming that the size of the cemetery is really 14 hectares and the area
cleared by the volunteers last year, as well as the area which will be
cleared this year, amount to 1 - 2 hectares, there remain about 12 - 13
hectares to be cleared. Further, assuming that clearing one hectare, will
cost $2000 - $3000, to clear the whole cemetery, will cost
$24 000 - $39000. This does not include the restoration and stabilization
of individual gravestones.

Our list has over 300 members, There are other Czernowitz forums, such as
"DIE STIMME", etc. through which we could solicit funds and we might get
financial help from appropriate charitable organizations. We
therefore believe that it is possible for us to raise the necessary
funds,
that this is the right way to proceed and that we should do so now.

Please respond with your ideas and comments about this suggested plan.

  Mimi
<mirtaylo_at_indiana.edu>


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Received on 2009-04-26 20:23:51