All the Way back

Posted on March 11, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

March 5, was nearly the last day of our one week trip through Ukraine and Moldova. Coming from Sharhorod, we bridged 400 kilometers at that day until we reached Ternopil in the evening – with Jewish heritage sites in Sharhorod, Luchynets and Khotyn on our way.

Sharhorod – Old Jewish Cemetery

Sharhorod – New Jewish Cemetery

Luchynets Jewish cemetery

Khotyn synagogue

Khotyn – former Great Synagogue

Khotyn – New Jewish Cemetery

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A Day of Miracles

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

We returned from Moldova to Ukraine on March 4. It was truly a day of miracles. We saw the stunning Jewish cemeteries of Edineț, Otaci, Chernivtsi (Podolia, not Bukovina) and Mohyliv-Podilsky. We found the synagogue in Chernivtsi, left behind by Jews leaving the former Soviet Union after 1991. In Sharhorod we talked to Hryhoriy Saulko, who wants to restaurate the magnificent synagogue of his hometown and already started to do.

Edineț Jewish cemetery

Otaci Jewish cemetery

Mohyliv-Podilsky Jewish cemetery

Chernivtsi (Podolia) Jewish cemetery

Chernivtsi (Podolia), former Jewish neighbourhood

Chernivtsi (Podolia), synagogue in the former Jewish neighbourhood

Sharhorod Great Synagogue

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In the north of Moldova

Posted on March 9, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

After our Transnistria trip the day before, our group moved further north. We stayed over night in Bălţi and visited the local Jewish cemetery in the morning of 3 March. It is the biggest in the north of Moldova. After a detour to Alexandreni – east of Bălţi – we headed further to Lipcani and Briceni to visit the Jewish cemeteries there.

Bălţi Jewish cemetery

Alexandreni Jewish cemetery

Briceni Jewish cemetery

Lipcani Jewish cemetery

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From Chişinău to Bălţi via Transnistria

Posted on March 7, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

On 2 March our little group continued the road trip through the Republic of Moldova. We headed east, crossed the Russian checkpoint near Dubăsari, and entered the internationally not recognized break away “republic” of Transnistria – rarely visited by western travelers. On our itinerary were Dubăsari and Raşcov before we crossed the “border” again to see the Jewish cemetery of Vadul Raşcov.

Dubăsari mass killing site – Soviet memorial

Dubăsari mass killing site – new memorial

Dubăsari Jewish cemetery

Dubăsari – former synagogue

Raşcov Hasidic court – former beit midrash

Raşcov Hasidic court – ruin of the synagogue

Raşcov Hasidic court – former Kloyz

Raşcov – new Jewish cemetery

Lenin is still up in Raşcov

Raşcov – old Jewish cemetery

Vadul Raşcov Jewish cemetery

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News from Chişinău Jewish cemetery

Posted on March 2, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Bessarabia, Jewish Cemeteries

Since Thursday, 28 February, my friends Marla, Jay, Iryna, Anna, Vasyl and I are on the road again. Our 7 days trip through Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova has begun. We spent a day in Chişinău and from there are encouraging news – the last remaining Jewish cemetery of the city is undergoing restauration works.

Chişinău Jewish cemetery

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“In Fading Light” exhibition opening and an excursion into Augsburg’s Jewish past and present

Posted on January 20, 2019 by Christian Herrmann under Central Europe, Exhibition, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

The city of Augsburg made me happy. On Thursday night, I had an exhibition opening at Bukowina-Institut and my dear friend Katharina Haberkorn was so kind to guide me through Jewish and non-Jewish sites in the city.

Katharina Haberkorn

Anna Hahn

exhibition opening

Augsburg Jewish Museum

Augsburg synagogue

Kriegshaber synagogue

Kriegshaber Jewish cemetery

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A last Day of Discoveries

Posted on December 14, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

On December 11 we returned to Lviv from Zalishchyky and our four days trip through Ternopil oblast in Ukraine came to an end. But at that day there were still some places to visit and some discoveries to make. Korolivka and Ozeryany were along the road and at the very end we found a synagogue or beit midrash, which seems to be so far undocumented.

Zalishchyky – Great Synagogue

Zalishchyky – Jewish cemetery

Zalishchyky – Dniester canyon near the Jewish cemetery

Polish Catholic church between Zalishchyky and Korolivka

Korolivka – Jewish cemetery

Ozeryany – Jewish cemetery

Ozeryany – synagogue or beit midrash

Our travel team says good bye – from left to right: Vasyl, Anna, Jay, Iryna and Marla

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Walking on Memories

Posted on December 13, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

December 10 was the third day of our four days trip through Ternopil oblast in western Ukraine. Starting in Chortkiv we traveled further south until we reached Zalishchyky in the evening. In between we visited Jewish heritage sites in Probizhna, Skala-Podilska and Melnytsia-Podilska.

Chortkiv – cholera epidemic cemetery

Chortkiv – Jewish tombstone in the pavement of Roslyanka Street

Chortkiv – trace of a mezuzah

Chortkiv – new Jewish cemetery

Probizhna synagogue

Probizhna Jewish cemetery

Ruins of a Polish church

Skala-Podilska – Jewish neighbourhood

Skala-Podilska – trace of a mezuzah

Skala-Podilska – Jewish neighbourhood

Skala-Podilska – former synagogue

Skala-Podilska – Jewish cemetery

Melnytsia-Podilska – former synagogue

Melnytsia-Podilska – Jewish cemetery

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From Ternopil to Chortkiv

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

Our heritage trip through eastern Galicia continues. The rain stoped at night. Fog followed a sunny morning and turned the landscape into a mystic place while we traveled further south. En route were Skalat, Terebovlia, Strusiv and Yazlovets – all of these towns are located in Ternopil oblast of Ukraine.

Skalat synagogue

Skalat – Holocaust memorial next to the territory of the Jewish cemetery, now a football field

Skalat – Jewish cemetery, now a football field

Skalat – searching for a mass grave site in the mist

Skalat – returned Jewish tombstones at a mass grave site

Terebovlia – synagogue or not?

Terebovlia – former Beit Midrash

Terebovlia – former synagogue

Strusiv synagogue

Yazlovets – Jewish cemetery

Yazlovets – Catholic church

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Through the Rain

Posted on December 8, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Volhynia (Volyn)

A new Jewish heritage trip through western Ukraine has begun. For four days my friends and I will explore towns and villages in Galicia and Volhynia. Today, through constantly falling rain, we traveled from Lviv to Ternopil and had stops in Toporiv, Lopatyn, Berestechko, Demydivka, Mlyniv and Dubno.