Monthly Archives: August 2016

A last Galician excursion

Posted on by under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Since today I’m back home, but I have still to report on our last excursion, which led us into the Ukrainian borderlands with Poland, to Velyki Mosty, Belz and Uhniv.

Velyki Mosty synagogue
Velyki Mosty synagogue
Velyki Mosty – mass grave site
Belz Jewish cemetery
Belz Jewish cemetery
Belz Jewish cemetery
Belz Jewish cemetery
Belz Jewish cemetery
Belz – farmers on the way home
Belz – prayer room
Belz – Catholic church
Uhniv – Catholic church
Uhniv – Catholic church
A curious goat next to Uhniv’s Catholic church
Uhniv – beit midrash and synagogue
Uhniv – beit midrash and synagogue
Uhniv synagogue
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Galicia from a train window

Posted on by under Eastern Galicia

A last goodbye to the volunteers, who clear the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz). A last farewell to Bukovina and its capital. In the afternoon Sylvia and I took the train from Chernivtsi to Lviv. For five and a half hours we watched the beautiful Galician landscape rolling by. Now we are in Lviv – exhausted but happy – and wait for a very last excursion tomorrow.

Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window
Galicia from a train window

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Happy birthday Ukraine!

Posted on by under Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina

Now both voluntary services – SVIT Ukraine and Action Reconciliation Service for Peace (ARSP) – are working at the Jewish Cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz) to clear it from rampant vegetation. While ARSP started earlier this week, SVIT will end its work-camp by the end of the week. Also volunteers of the Jewish community joined the clean-up. Old time Czernowitzers Mimi Taylor and Sylvia de Swaan visited the volunteers of both groups in the morning.
Today is Ukraine’s Independence Day and people are celebrating in the streets. A good reason to think about the contribution of Ukrainian independence to the preservation of Jewish heritage and rebirth of Jewish life.

Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Mimi Taylor meeting the volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Volunteers working in the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
Flag decoration during Independence Day
Celebrating Independence Day
Celebrating Independence Day
Celebrating Independence Day

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In Chişinău

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Chişinău’s Jewish cemetery is the most important witness of the city’s Jewish past. Unfortunately it is in a miserable state – densely overgrown and with rubbish everywhere. Sylvia and I went there today.

Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – mortuary hall
Chişinău Jewish cemetery – Irina Shikhova guiding
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Chişinău Jewish cemetery
Sylvia and I – double selfie
Chişinău market
Chişinău market
Chişinău market
Chişinău market
Chişinău market
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To Vadul Raşcov and Orhei

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Another intense day. Sylvia and I have been to Vadul Raşcov (Vadul Rashkov) and Orhei in Bessarabia with its amazing Jewish cemeteries. Nothing compares to the Jewish cemetery of Vadul Raşcov at the banks of river Dniester. Here you get in touch with eternity.

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 – banks of river Dniester next to the Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Jewish cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Christian cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Christian cemetery
Vadul Raşcov – Christian cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery
Orhei – Jewish cemetery

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Return to Transnistria

Posted on by under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

Our journey to Ukraine and Moldova goes on. The wish of my friend Sylvia to visit Bessarabia gave me a good pretext to return to Chişinău (Kishinev). While our friends Marla and Jay returned to Lviv yesterday, Sylvia and I took the bus to the Moldovan capital. Today we were out for a long day trip to Transnistria, a break-away ‘state’, only aknowledged by Russia. We visited Dubăsari (Dubasari), Raşcov (Rashkov) and Rîbniţa (Rybnitsa).

Dubăsari (Dubasari) mass grave
Dubăsari (Dubasari) mass grave
Dubăsari (Dubasari) mass grave
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) Jewish cemetery
Raşcov (Rashkov) – ruin of a Christian church
Lenin is still alive in Transnistria
Raşcov (Rashkov) – view towards river Dniester
Raşcov (Rashkov) synagogue
Raşcov (Rashkov) synagogue
Rybnitsa Jewish cemetery
Our marshrutka from Chernivtsi (Czernoeitz) to Chişinău (Chisinau)
Chişinău (Chisinau) – view from Cosmos hotel
Chişinău (Chisinau) – view from Cosmos hotel
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Kosiv today

Posted on by under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries

The volunteers of SVIT Ukraine, who clear the Jewish cemetery in Chernivtsi (Czernowitz), were out for a day trip today. On the itinerary was among others the Galician town of Kosiv – famous for its local crafts market – and its Jewish cemetery. In the densely overgrown cemetery we met an old man who was mowing grass with a scythe. He had a story to tell.

Kosiv Jewish cemetery
Kosiv Jewish cemetery
Kosiv Jewish cemetery
Kosiv Jewish cemetery
Kosiv Jewish cemetery
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North of Czernowitz

Posted on by under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina

Sylvia, Marla, Jay and I went for an excursion today, which lead us to Zastavna, Balamutivka and Vikno – all north of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz) – as well as to Sniatyn in the west. All of those towns and villages – except Vikno – had Jewish cemeteries, but they are not preserved at every place.

Zastavna Jewish cemetery
Balamutivka Jewish cemetery
Balamutivka Jewish cemetery
Balamutivka Jewish cemetery
Balamutivka Jewish cemetery
Dniester river
Grave of Prince Cantacuzino at Vikno Christian cemetery
Snyatin synagogue
Snyatin Jewish cemetery
Snyatin Jewish cemetery
Snyatin Jewish cemetery
Snyatin Jewish cemetery
Snyatin Jewish cemetery
Sylvia de Swaan at Snyatin Jewish cemetery
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To Sadagora with the Volunteers

Posted on by under Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina, Synagogues

The volunteers of SVIT Ukraine continued their work in the Jewish cemetery in Chernivtsi (Czernowitz) today. It is hard physical work and after a five hours work-day all were exhausted. But the work-camp is not only about work; it is also about experiencing the multi-ethnic past and present of Bukovina. Today we went to Sadagora – once an important Hasidic court.

Czernowitz Jewish cemetery – volunteers at work
Czernowitz Jewish cemetery – volunteers at work
Czernowitz Jewish cemetery – volunteers at work
Czernowitz Jewish cemetery – Sylvia de Swaan and Arthur Rindner
Czernowitz Jewish cemetery – Arthur Rindner praying at the grave of his grandfather
Czernowitz Jewish cemetery
Czernowitz Jewish cemetery
Czernowitz Jewish cemetery
Sadagora Hasidic court
Sadagora Jewish cemetery
Sadagora Jewish cemetery
Sadagora Jewish cemetery
The volunteers with Arthur
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SVIT Ukraine’s work-camp in Chernivti (Czernowitz) has begun

Posted on by under Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina

The annual work-camp by SVIT Ukraine to clean the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz) of rampant vegetation has begun today. It is already the 9th work-camp since 2008. Young people from all over Europe and from Japan (!) came together to work during the next two weeks together. It was my pleasure to meet them today.

Volunteers at the Jewish cemetery of Chernivtsi (Czernowitz)
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