Re: [Cz-L] After we go - it's all about the past.

Re: [Cz-L] After we go - while we are here.Dear all,

I think that restoring the Temple and using it for some dignified =
purpose is a great idea. The problem is that it served as a sacred place =
of worship and so it will remain.=20
A commemorative plaque sounds like a good idea. There are plenty of them =
around in Chernovtsi. I'm sure, Ukrainian authorities will do that, =
especially if the plaque will subtly blame Russians.

A Concert Hall or University Hall is same as a cinema theatre. There =
were concerts there which I have attended as a young girl.

My grandmother refused to go near the "Jovten" cinema in the Soviet =
time; my parents and myself went there eagerly. There was live music =
there and it was a very pleasant experience. I have never seen a =
synagogue till I was and visited one in Leningrad. Now, living in =
Australia, I can imagine the horror if, G-d forbid, the Great Synagogue =
of Sydney was turned (by some catastrophic event) into a Concert Hall. =
Especially, if 70.000 Jews were still living nearby.

Now, some information that may surprise you all.
My father, Oscar Kraft, who was a brave and a resilient man, have =
appealed for compensation during the Khrushchev times in the late 60s =
and got a payout from Russians (2000 rubel, not a small amount in those =
days) for their family property in Adankata.
The refusal of Ukraine to compensate its former citizens for the loss of =
property (not to mention for financial loss) points to the fact that =
Ukraine doesn't belong to the Western democracy as we know it.

When I posted 'it's all about the past" I meant the Jewish past -and =
that's all what I am concerned about at present. There was a large, =
thriving community there, even in the Soviet times. It's all over now. =
The modern day Chernovtsi is a Western Ukrainian city with an Ukrainian =
population that moved into the homes of Jews who left in the 70s and in =
the 90s and into the homes of Russians who left after the Perestroika.

The Temple, the Jewish Cemetery, the plaques serve to preserve that past =
for us and for the next generations. Chernowitz/Chernivtsi will be like =
Toledo in Spain: "Dear tourists.there was once a glorious Jewish =
presence here, now let's visit another Jewish museum".

So, plaques and commemorations are very important as I am sure our =
children and grandchildren would want to visit (even if it's a virtual =
visit) one day.

Best wishes,
Serah Kraft
  ----- Original Message -----=20
  From: Miriam Taylor=20
  To: Jacob Greenberg ; HARDY BREIER=20
  Sent: Friday, October 19, 2012 1:40 AM
  Subject: Re: [Cz-L] After we go - while we are here.

  This is in answer to both Hardy's and Serah's messages:

  In Czernowitz as in all the countries ruled by the Soviet Union,=20
  after the war, all buildings were confiscated and became property=20
  of the state or the city. Later, most buildings were either given=20
  or rented to various private or institutional owners.=20
  Ukraine does not have a policy of returning property=20
  to their pre-Soviet owners.=20
  That is why I wrote: "the city gave the buildings to the Jewish =
community".
  The city also gave the Toynbee Halle to the Subotniki and some=20
  of the churches to their prewar Christian denominations.=20
  Other buildings have been converted for public use.
  The Armenian church, now serves as a concert hall.
  The factory and apartment house of my grandparents, currently houses=20
  the faculty of Pharmacology of the university.=20
  The Bristol hotel is the dormitory of the students of Medicine.=20

  Some years ago when we debated within this list, the options=20
  for the restoration of the "Tempel", we came to the conclusion that in =
view=20
  of the small size of the current Jewish community of Chernivtsi, the =
cost=20
  of restoring the building and various other pragmatic consideration,
  most of us, really do not expect the building to be restored to its =
use=20
  as a synagogue, but would like the dome and external walls to be =
restored=20
  and the building to be used for a more dignified purpose=20
  than a movie theatre or a market place.=20
  It could serve the city and the university as a convention centre,=20
  lecture hall, or similar purpose.

  During the Poetry Festival in 2011 a photograph of the Tempel=20
  as it once was was projected as a background to the proceedings.
  To me this indicates that there are people in Chernivtsi who are aware
  of the previous importance of the building and want to bring it=20
  to the attention of a wider public.

  I do not agree with the opinions expressed by Serah in her message=20
  entitled "It's all about the past". If life in Chernivtsi were worse =
now=20
  than in Soviet times, all the Russians, Romanians and Poles would have =
left.
  Because I have gotten to know many people belonging to these =
minorities,=20
  I know that they prefer to live in Chernivtsi as it is now.=20

  Mimi =20

  On 10/18/12 9:18 AM, "Jacob Greenberg" <grs_software_at_bigpond.com> =
wrote:

> What do you need the temple for? Another museum?
> Let them put another plaque: "Here was a Jewish Temple".
> Serah
>=20
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This moderated discussion group is for information exchange on the subject of
 Czernowitz and Sadagora Jewish History and Genealogy. The opinions expressed
 in these posts are the opinions of the original poster only and not necessarily
 the opinions of the List Owner, the Webmaster or any other members
 or entities connected with this mailing list. The Czernowitz-L list has
 an associated web site at http://czernowitz.ehpes.com that includes a
 searchable archive of all messages posted to this list. As a result,
 Messages sent to the list are available to the general public within days
 of posting.

Please post in "Plain Text" if possible (help available at:
<http://www.jewishgen.org/InfoFiles/PlainText.html>).

To remove your address from this e-list follow the directions at:

<http://www.it.cornell.edu/services/elist/howto/user/leave.cfm>

To receive assistance for this e-list send an e-mail message to:
<owner-Czernowitz-L_at_list.cornell.edu>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Received on 2012-10-19 20:25:15