Re: [Cz-L] Refreshing memory

Anny wrote about my interactions with the current residents of Chernivtsi:
> I am so glad that your meetings with them is that laudable.
I would like to give three examples of my interaction with the local people:

1) In the summer of 2009, while I was in Chernivtsi, a photograph taken at
the Jewish cemetery appeared on a local website and was sent to us by Hardy.
I recognized that the photograph had been taken in the last few days, with
Hardy's help contacted the webmaster of the local website, who helped me
contact the man who had taken the photograph. His name is Sasha and we
arranged to meet. When we met, I asked him, if he would be willing to
occasionally take photographs of specific areas of the cemetery. He readily
agreed. I then asked him whether I could reciprocate the favor in any way.
He did not want me to do him any favors, pay him or do anything else for
him. The two or three times I later asked him to take photographs, he always
did and when I asked for 2 - 3 photographs, not wanting to burden him, he
sent me many more.

2) During the war years my family and I lived in a small apartment, in what
was essentially a one family house, with an additional attic apartment and a
basement apartment.
In 2003, on my first visit to Czernowitz, after an absence of 58 years, our
guide and translator, Zoya Danilovich, my husband Milton and I, were
standing in front of the house in which I had lived. A man was doing
something in the front yard. Seeing us standing and gazing at the house, he
came over and asked what we were interested in. When told that I had once
lived in the house, he asked in which apartment. It turned out that he was
living in the same apartment in which I had lived. He immediately asked us
in, showed me the apartment and was eager to help me compare what I
remembered with the changes he had made.
This summer, Arthur and I were standing in front of the same house, when a
young man came over and asked if he could help us. Again, I explained that I
had once lived in the house. This man did not live in the same apartment,
but because the day was hot, he invited us to his mothers apartment, she
gave us cold water to drink and allowed us to use the toilet.

3) In 2006, I went with other Czernowitzers to the village of Davidivka,
previously Davideni, were my paternal grandfather was born. His father had
owned the local store. Once in Davidivka, I realized that the village was so
small, that it probably had only had, one store. Our guide asked some men
standing by the road, where the village store had once been. They readily
pointed to a nearby house. I approached the house, curious to see the
exterior and the garden. But the owners invited me to come in, showed me the
whole house and then offered me a glass of fresh milk from their own cow.
They knew that I was Jewish, because I had told them so, but they were very
friendly and with the aide of our guide and translator, we had a short but
very pleasant conversation.

Davidivka is located very close to Banila on the Siret, where in 1941, took
place one of the most hideous murders of 15 Jews, residents of the village.
I do not know whether the grandparents of the people I met in Davidivka
participated in this murder, but even if they did, I do not blame the
grandchildren for the deeds of the grandparents.
At the same time, I will not forget what I read about this murder, nor would
I forgive those who perpetrated it.

On another subject; we visited the Jewish cemetery in Banila and to our
astonishment found that some of those buried there, were not Jewish.
Does anyone have an explanation for this?

Mimi

On 10/12/10 5:53 AM, "Anny Matar" <annymatar_at_gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear all,
> We, our memories are of WWII, there is no need to accuse or defend the
> second/third generation but the Ukranian history (maybe with exception of
> Cz.today) has never been of a people friendly to Jews. I am so glad that
> your meetings with them is that laudable. It reminds me while living and
> working for 6 years in Zurich you stop being a guest you share daily life
> and one day my husband said at a meeting with journalists that we often find
> people's attitude pretty antisemitic and his answer was "Never during the
> tourist season. No tourist would ever complain of it!!!"
> Of course we all speak in generalities. You don't know what most Germans,
> Austrians or Ukranians think. Your visits attract tourism and you do and did
> a wonderful job for all of us (for which I will for ever be thankful) but
> that the Ukarnians, since we heard of them, murdered Jews is also a
> historical fact. As for the German Youth, I have nothing but praise, as I
> mentioned in the 6 day war, but watching voting in Europe it all goes right,
> that might be today's real picture in Europe and what will happen in the
> U.S. is a big question mark too. We all can but hope for better times,
> Regards,
> anny
> P.s. Hoping the passes Bruce's scrutiny

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Received on 2010-10-12 18:44:48