Today I was traveling with the volunteers who work at the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz). Kosiv, Kuty and Vyzhnytsia (Wischnitz) were on the schedule. A journey through Hasidic wonderland. A wonderland that only exists in memories.
All three places were famous for their Hasidic courts. It is a region that is full of legends – legends of the miracles of their rabbis and the wanderings of Baal Shem Tov – the founder of Hasidism – through the Carpathians. It is also a region that is known for wonderful Ukrainian crafts and scenic beauty.
In Kosiv we visited the crafts market. Kristina, a Ukrainian volunteer, bought a beautiful hair accessories and I found some embroideries with traditional Hutsul designs.
A special recommendation of Jacob Schwarzmann from the Jewish community of Czernowitz was a panoramic observation point in about 10 km distance from Wischnitz. The view over the mountains of the Carpathians and the Galician plain is actually stunning. And we have also learned something new. Very close to the place Baal Shem Tov blessed a mountain brook and so made it a mikvah – a Jewish ritual bath. Hasidic wonderland.
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Vanished World 
Any time I see your Vanished world it gives me a “tziter in my soul”
Dow
The images are amazing!
Has the unrest in the Ukraine affected your travels at all?
I am hoping you visit Stanesti de jos and post some photos from there.
I did not affect my travels at all, Irv. But it affected the work-camp. People are afraid to come to Ukraine and there are less volunteeers then in the last years.
I really enjoyed studying the photos. They are very beautiful and artistic. I visited Wiznitz way back in the late 1990s and photographed many tombstones and former Jewish landmarks in the town. I met the mayor and other residents.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful photos with us.
Phyllis Simon