Re: [Cz-L] My Family -- help

Hi Marsha,

I grew up in Czernovtsy during the Soviet times. The city is remarkably
beautiful and poetic, a fine example of Austro-Hungarian architecture. I
visited it in 2006 and felt that it's became somewhat dormant and even more
provincial since the Jews left and its population changed. The city has been
following a path of a steady cultural and social decline since WWI when
Austo-Hungarian Empire ceased to exist.

My father was born in Bukovina, my mother was born in Bessarabia (that's
apparently where your grandfather was from). I was brought up by a
grandmother who was born in Romania but married a man from Bukovina.I also
had uncles and aunts from a similar mixed background.

There was a significant cultural difference between the 2 areas. People born
in Bukovina spoke German and had European upbringing and education while
Bessarabians where gregarious, loud people who spoke Yiddish and Romanian
(the older Generation also spoke Russian).
Bukoviners ate small meals in moderation while Bessarabians were more likely
to invite people to their Romanian-style feasts. This is, of course, a
generalisation but I am trying to convey my individual impressions. There
will be List members who may disagree with my opinion.

Both sides of my family were reasonably wealthy and educated before the war
but the difference was still noticeable well into the Soviet times.
"Bukoviners" looked down at Bessarabians but, eventually, the Bukovina-born
people in my family started to speak Yiddish too and were somewhat overtaken
by the optimism and vitalisty of the Bessarabian Jews who became a majority
in Chernovtsy until the great exodus of 1970-1990s when most Jews left the
city for good.

Serah Kraft

From: "marsha spellman" <marshaspell_at_comcast.net>
To: "czernowitz-l" <czernowitz-l_at_list.cornell.edu>
Sent: Monday, April 08, 2013 6:18 AM
Subject: [Cz-L] My Family -- help

[Subject and addressing changed by moderator]

I would like some of you who grew up in this area to help me understand, as
I am born and raised in the USA< granddaughter of a Chernowitzer. I have
never been there, although I hope to go one day. My grandmother emigrated
to the US around 1911 or 12. She always said she was Austrian. She spoke
Yiddish. Would she have also spoken German? My grandfather was from
Romania, now part of Moldova. His town was Kitrossy, but had another name
also. They spoke Yiddish together. WOuld that had been their common
language? I assume he would have spoken Rumanian, as he said he was from
Romania. As I know realize, as she was from Bukavina, and he was frm
Bessarabia, they grew up not far from each other.

It has been hard to track down family, as everyone changed their name when
coming to the USA. I do know that there were lots of family left behind in
both communities. But this list is so enlightening, I really appreciate
all your comments. I feel like you are keeping history alive for the next
generations. Thank you.

[Marsha Spellman]
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Received on 2013-04-08 07:50:47