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

Dear All
 I excuse myself in advance if somebody's feelings will get hurt. That isn't
my intention. My intention is to state facts as I experienced them.
 First a remark: When I refer to Czernowitzers I refer to the Jews that
lived there and in Bukowina before and during WW2.
  Fact 1 (very important): The Red Army of the Soviet regime saved my and my
parents lives by driving away the Nazis from Transnistria, and finally by
defeating them sacrificing on the way more than a million soldiers.
   Fact 2: All this could have been (at least partially) prevented wouldn't
have the Soviet regime signed with the Nazis the "Molotv-Riebentrop" pact
before WW2 started dividing among themselves a part Eastern Europe.
   Fact 3: As a result of that the Soviets got rule over Northern Bukowina
(among others) in 1940.
    Fact 4: One of their first actions during registration of locals, was
the classification of those residents suspected of being potential enemies
to the values ​​of the Bolshevik Revolution by registering "article 39" in
their ID cards, and after that gathering them and their families up and
deporting them to Siberia. The majority of the Deportees were Jews so you
can say that the deportation of the Czernowitzer Jews started even before
the Nazi occupation. Not to mention the men recruited on the Soviets retreat
in 1941.
     Fact 5:(my private story): My father held an executive position in a
firm located in Novoselitsa. For some reason he got too the article 39 in
his ID card and after being warned we went into hiding. To make a long story
short when we returned from Transnistria my father was appointed manager of
the plant where he worked before and everything seemed fine. Till one
midnight at the end of 1944 there was a knock on the door and he was taken
away by the EN.KA.VE.DE. It took a lot of effort and bribe to release him
for 24 hours and we fled over the border to Romania, and eventually to
Israel with a stop in Cyprus.
       Fact 6: Till I saw The film "Frau Zuckerman und Her Zwilling" I
wasn't aware of any Czernowitzers that stayed behind, and I'm still puzzled
every time I hear about another one.
       Fact 7: I must say this is the first time I hear somebody being
compensated for their property by the Soviets. Not only did they confiscate
any property you had, they also put a "Polkownik" (Colonel) in the 3 room
apartment where we lived. There was no compensation for the Plant that
belonged to a British firm . Anybody to admit that he was owner of property
was suspected as a "Burjuy" and registered under "article 39".
    As far as I know the Soviets also erased the old Jewish cemetery
Czernowitz.
  Yosef Eshet

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jacob Greenberg" <grs_software_at_bigpond.com>
To: "Miriam Taylor" <mirtaylo_at_indiana.edu>
Cc: <Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu>
Sent: Saturday, October 20, 2012 3:46 AM
Subject: 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

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Received on 2012-10-20 10:01:06