RE: [Cz-L] Its August Czernowitz is calling

Hi Arthur! I am jealous..I have not been able to get to Czernowitz this year. However...your roundtrip was a bit over the top! Much simpler to fly to Dusseldorf,get Carpatair and fly to Czernowitz,with a rapid change of aircraft in Timisoara.Also,I have a stonemason who does not overcharge, and see my pics of the result of me finding my father's long-lost grave. Best,Cornel.

-----Original Message-----
From: bounce-64231103-8441035_at_list.cornell.edu [mailto:bounce-64231103-8441035_at_list.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Arthur von Czernowitz
Sent: 08 September 2012 07:01
To: 'CZERNOWITZ-L'
Cc: Lydia Schmerler; Christian Herrmann
Subject: [Cz-L] Its August Czernowitz is calling

Its August, Czernowitz is calling, the SVIT volunteers (Solidarity Volunteering Initiative Tolerance) are in town, and will be clearing the vegetation in the cemetery.
Like every year I check the best way to get to Czernowitz. The connecting flight from Kiev has been canceled. Fly to Kiev and take the 18 hour train ride, I don’t think so. Fly to Belgrade and take the train to Timisoara and from there Carpat Air the only airline still serving Czernowitz, is just too complicated. So finally I decide fly Tel Aviv-Bucharest and from there to Suceava, arrive OTP at 09:50 take a day room ($ 40) near the Bucharest airport as the flight to Suceava leaves at 21:30. From Suceava, Ciprianu my driver will take me to the Magnat Lux. (120 Euro roundtrip). At the border, the same as every year long lines wait, wait.
I arrived at the Magnat Lux (40 Dollars a night) at 02:00 in the morning.
This time of the year in August, Czernowitz is extremely hot; the aircondition in the room is broken just like last year, wi-fi not working just like last year. You have to sit on the steps next to the reception desk to be able to connect to the internet.
Next morning I am off to the cemetery, I meet the volunteers, what a great bunch, nice young kids from 7 countries.
Later, I ask them if they would like to come with me to the grave of my grandfather where I will say Kadish.
I thank them for the great job that they are doing and tell them that I would like to do something for them. I tell them that I would like to buy some meat for a barbeque as the next day is going to be their last day. I went with Yuri Sulima one of the volunteers, to a large supermarket at the outskirts of the city, where I bought the meat plus a charcoal barbeque.
We had a terrific party, I talked to each one of volunteers thanking them and telling them what a great job they did. I also told them of my connection to Czernowitz.

The volunteers cleared section 61, 52 and both sections of 34. (See Map)

My impression of Czernowitz.
I walk the old familiar streets. Next to the old Temple there are several babushkas selling fruit and vegetables which they grow in their gardens. I buy 2 large pears; in my room I wash the pears and bite in, vow, sweet and juicy, so this is the way a pear should taste, memories are coming back.

In the street, beautiful skinny girls, long legs wearing stiletto heels and walking on the Czernowitzer streets paved with cobble stones. Later you see them walking with their mothers and you ask yourself what happened to their mothers? too many varenikis too much borscht?

The stores are well stocked; you see new cars mostly German, sparkling clean and well maintained.
New restaurants, which serve mostly the same menu and cheap.

At the Jewish Museum I saw Mykola Kushnir, the director I asked him if he could help find a stonemason who will not overcharge with the restoration of headstones at the cemetery. I constantly get complains at the office from people who got overcharged for restoration of headstones.

I also went to see the restored Korn Shil, what a terrific job. The rabbi was not there he was in Israel.

After 3 days Ciprianu my driver picked me up for the drive back to Suceava. Again the border, long lines. The flight back to Bucharest from Suceava leaves at 06:00, I am booked in to a new hotel in Suceava with great food, the Sonnenhof. In the evening at the restaurant I order my evening meal and as a condiment I was given “Mujdei” a Romanian garlic concoction. Next day at the airport people are holding their noses when passing me; it took me 2 days to get over the smell of garlic.

Well, maybe, next year in Czernowitz.

Arthur

https://picasaweb.google.com/vonczernowitz2/CzernowitzAugust2012#

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Received on 2012-09-08 05:27:56