[Cz-L] My Report

I have just returned home from Czernowitz, via Bucharest and Frankfurt.

I was the first to arrive at the Magnat Lux, Mimi and Christian arrived the second day, Cornel and his wife arrived on my last day in Czernowitz.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vonczernowitz2/CzernowitzAugust2010#

Searching for my grandfather’s grave.
I hired Leonid, who came highly recommended to find my grandfathers grave.
I gave Leonid the picture of the headstone and the map where the grave is located. He told me that the price would be $120.00 for just finding the grave, the clearing of the vegetation would be extra. As I gave him the map and a picture of the grave, all that he had to do was to clear the area.
I called him every evening for 6 days and every time he had a different excuse for why he was not looking for my grandfather’s grave. Finally I asked him to return my papers. The next day he brought the papers and later I meet Dr. Bursuk, who told me that he is going to help me and to meet him the next day at the cemetery. He arrived at the cemetery the next day with a worker and his wife, but when they saw area 25 where my grandfather’s grave is located, he told me that this area will be cleared next and they left.
Later the girls from SVIT volunteers arrived and they decided to help me. I went over to area 25 with Katerina and Susana from Czech Republic she had a sickle and was cutting and bending the vegetation, so I could go through. I was walking behind them bend over and looking at old headstones, which are in a very bad condition covered with vines and creepers. Area 25 had headstones from the year 1909, the year when my grandfather passed away, but I just could not find his. It was very hot; I had scratches all over my arms and burns from nettles. Finally I had to give up waiting for Dr. Bursuk to clear the area.

Advise: do not hire Leonid, he is bad news, there are other people in cemetery who are more honest.

The volunteers from SVIT were terrific, enthusiastic and helpful.
Check out the Picasa web:
http://picasaweb.google.com/vonczernowitz2/SVITVolunteers#

Transnistria.
I was finally able to close the circle.
I hired a car and driver ($250.00) to take me to the place where we were deported, the place is called BUDY. The car took 7 hours to get there, but during the deportation we walked and it took us 2 months. We stayed there until the spring of 1942.
I was looking for a mass grave and a cowshed where we spend the first winter. We shared this cowshed with many people, and I remember the hunger and the cold.
There I remember losing my mother, who was 30 years old while I was 4.
I WILL NOT FORGIVE.

I started to search for old people who remembered the war and the Jews who were deported there. I was told that in the field there is an old woman with a cow who could tell me the place where we lived. I walked over to the field, no woman and no cow. Again I asked people, they told to go over to the local park and there I would find an old man who usually sits under a tree and smokes, I walked over there, no old man but lots of cigarettes buts. After about an hour I found a young man who took me to the place. As soon as I saw the cowshed I knew that I was in right place. The young man told me that a few years ago; people came from Israel and placed a memorial stone over the mass grave. The stone since then had disappeared. Standing near the mass grave, I was finally able to say Kadish for my mother.

http://picasaweb.google.com/vonczernowitz2/BUDY#

Arthur

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Received on 2010-08-28 12:49:15