Monthly Archives: March 2016

A short trip to Ukraine

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia

Soroca is located in the border area with Ukraine. This has given us the opportunity to make a trip from Otaci to Mohyliv-Podilskyi today. The local Jewish cemetery is one of the most important witnesses of the past.

Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery
Mohyliv-Podilskyi – Jewish cemetery

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From Soroca to Otaci

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

From Soroca we went further north to Zguriţa (Zguritsa) and Otaci (Ataki). In both places there are Jewish cemeteries and former synagogues. Both cemeteries have a special magic – the one due to its picturesque location, the other due to the age and the artistic quality of the gravestones.

Zguriţa – signpost to the Jewish cemetery
Zguriţa – Jewish cemetery
Zguriţa – Jewish cemetery
Zguriţa – Jewish cemetery
Zguriţa – Jewish cemetery
Zguriţa – Jewish cemetery
Zguriţa – synagogue
Zguriţa – synagogue
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Vălcineţ – Jewish cemetery
Otaci – synagogue
Otaci – synagogue
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Soroca

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Our journey takes us further into the north of Bessarabia – now up to Soroca. We visited the Jewish cemetery, were welcomed in the synagogue and saw the famous “Gypsy palaces”.

Soroca – Jewish cemetery
Soroca – Jewish cemetery
Soroca – Jewish cemetery – mass grave site
Soroca – Jewish cemetery
Soroca – Jewish cemetery
Soroca – Jewish cemetery
Soroca – Jewish cemetery
Soroca – Jewish cemetery
Soroca – “Gypsy palace”
Soroca – “Gypsy palace”
Soroca – “Gypsy palace”
Soroca – synagogue
Soroca – synagogue
Soroca – synagogue
Semen Veksler
Soroca – street view
Soroca – street view
Soroca – street view
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Into Transnistria

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

To go from Rezina to Rîbniţa (Rybnitsa) and Raşcov (Rashkov) one has to cross the border from Moldova to “Transnistria”. The border is controlled only on the Transnistrian side, as Moldova considers the region as part of its national territory. The Jewish cemetery in Rîbniţa and the old synagogue in Raşcov were our destinations.

Rîbniţa – Jewish cemetery
Rîbniţa – Jewish cemetery
Rîbniţa – Jewish cemetery
Rîbniţa – Jewish cemetery
Raşcov – synagogue
Raşcov – synagogue
Raşcov – synagogue
Raşcov – synagogue
Raşcov – synagogue
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Back on the banks of river Dniester

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

On our way to Rîbniţa (Rybnitsa) and Raşcov (Rashkov) we made a stop in Rezina on the banks of river Dniester. The Jewish cemetery of Rezina is the most dilapidated we’ve seen so far on our trip.

Rezina – Jewish cemetery
Rezina – Jewish cemetery
Rezina – Jewish cemetery
Rezina – Jewish cemetery
Rezina – Jewish cemetery
Rezina – Jewish cemetery
Rezina – Jewish cemetery
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On the banks of river Dniester

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

My friends – Petra and Achim – and I continued to explore the area east of Bălţi (Beltsy). We were in Vadul-Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) on the banks of river Dniester and Prodăneşti (Prodaneshty), to visit the local Jewish cemeteries. Vadul-Raşcov cemetery is one of the most spectacular places I’ve ever seen.

Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul-Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Prodănești – Jewish cemetery
Prodănești – Jewish cemetery
Prodănești – Jewish cemetery
Prodănești – Jewish cemetery
Prodănești – Jewish cemetery
Prodănești – Jewish cemetery
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East of Bălţi

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Bălţi is located in the heart of the Bessarabian shtetl land. Today we went eastwards to visit the Jewish cemeteries in Alexandreni, Mărculeşti, Floreşti and Tirgul Vertiujeni. We found very different locations and conditions.

Alexandreni – Jewish cemetery
Alexandreni – Jewish cemetery
Alexandreni – Jewish cemetery
Mărculeşti – Jewish cemetery
Mărculeşti – Jewish cemetery
Floreşti – Jewish cemetery
Floreşti – Jewish cemetery
Floreşti – Jewish cemetery
Floreşti – Jewish cemetery
Tirgul Vertiujeni – Jewish cemetery
Tirgul Vertiujeni – Jewish cemetery
Tirgul Vertiujeni – view towards river Dniester from the Jewish cemetery
Tirgul Vertiujeni – former Jewish shop
Tirgul Vertiujeni – former Jewish home

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A last witness

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Bălţi (Beltsy) was and is an important urban center in Bessarabia. Until the war, half of the population was Jewish. Not much is visible of that today, but the Jewish cemetery continues to tell of the past.

Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery
Bălţi – Jewish cemetery

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On the road to Bălţi

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

On our way to Bălţi (Beltsy) were Orhei and Teleneşti. The Jewish cemetery of Orhei is one of the oldest in Bessarabia. Rarely I have seen such an impressive cemetery. A unique place!

Chişinău – Gleizer Shil
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – synagogue
Teleneşti – Jewish cemetery
Teleneşti – Jewish cemetery
Teleneşti – Jewish cemetery
Teleneşti – Jewish cemetery
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A first trip into rural Moldova

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Although we have by far not visited everything in Chişinău yet, we have undertaken a first trip to the surrounding region today. Călăraşi (Kalarash) and Nisporeni (Nisporeny) and its Jewish cemeteries were on our itinerary.

Călăraşi – Jewish cemetery
Călăraşi – Jewish cemetery
Călăraşi – Jewish cemetery
Călăraşi – Jewish cemetery
Călăraşi – Jewish cemetery
Călăraşi – former synagogue
Vărzăreşti – Jewish cemetery
Vărzăreşti – Jewish cemetery
Vărzăreşti – Jewish cemetery
Vărzăreşti – Jewish cemetery

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