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.

Toporiv – territory of the destroyed Jewish cemetery

Toporiv synagogue

Lopatyn synagogue

Berestechko synagogue

Berestechko Jewish cemetery

Berestechko – territory of the destroyed Jewish cemetery

Demydivka – mass grave site at the destroyed Jewish cemeteryDemydivka – mass grave site at the destroyed Jewish cemetery

Demydivka – mass grave site at the destroyed Jewish cemetery

Mlyniv synagogue

Mlyniv Jewish cemetery

Dubno Great Synagogue

Dubno – former Beit Midrash

Dubno – destroyed Jewish cemetery

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From Ivano-Frankivsk to Lviv

Posted on May 31, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

May 25 was the last day of our 12-day journey through Galicia, Bukovina and Bessarabia in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Our itinerary took us on the way back to Lviv to Tysmenytsia, Halych, Burshtyn, Rohatyn and Bibrka.

Ivano-Frankivsk – kloyz and court of Rebbe Haim Leifer from Nadvirna

Ivano-Frankivsk – Jewish cemetery

Halych – Karaite cemetery

Burshtyn – synagogue and beit midrash

Burshtyn – Jewish cemetery

Rohatyn – eastern mass grave site

Rohatyn – Heike reading out

Rohatyn – the group listening

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From Lviv to Chernivtsi

Posted on May 17, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina, Synagogues

Our journey through Galicia, Bukovina and Bessarabia goes on. During the last two days we went further south. Between the regional metropolises of Lviv and Chernivtsi we visited the towns and villages of Busk, Olesko, Brody, Skalat, Hrymailiv, Sataniv, Husiatyn, Chabarivka, Zalishchyky and Yuzhynets. What a trip!

Busk – Jewish cemetery

Busk – Jewish cemetery – there is always somebody to tell the story

Olesko synagogue

Brody – Jewish cemetery

Skalat synagogue

Hrymailiv – interior of the synagogue

Sataniv – Jewish cemetery

Chabarivka – tombstone fragments from the destroyed Jewish cemetery of Husiatyn

Zalishchyky synagogue

Chorus in Yuzhynets

Yuzhynets – war memorial opposite of the former property of the Reich family

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A new Experience

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

Today, a new journey to Jewish heritage sites has begun and it is different from all others before. I’m going to guide a group of 16 Germans through Galicia, Bukovina and Bessarabia in Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. We started with day trips from Lviv – while one part of the group went to Drohobych and was guided there by the wonderful Tanya Firman, the other part went north to Zhovkva, Uhniv, Belz and Velyki Mosty.

Zhovkva – trace of a mezuzah

Zhovkva synagogue

Uhniv – beit midrash and synagogue

At Uhniv synagogue

Catholic church in Uhniv

In Uhniv

Belz Jewish cemetery

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Transcarpathia is different

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Transcarpathia

Yesterday was the last day of our 5 days trip through Transcarpathia. We visited Jewish and non-Jewish heritage sites in Bila Tserkva, Velykyi Bychkiv, Rakhiv, Yasynia, Halych and Bilshivtsi. On our way home we contemplated on what we saw and experienced. Transcarpathia differs in many aspects from Galicia.

Bila Tserkva – Jewish cemetery

Bila Tserkva – building with holocaust memorial

Bila Tserkva – holocaust memorial

Velykyi Bychkiv -former synagogue

Velykyi Bychkiv – Jewish cemetery

Rakhiv – Jewish cemetery

Yasynia

Yasynia – wooden church

Halych – Karaite cemetery

Halych – medieval church

Bilshivtsi – Jewish cemetery

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From the Flatlands to the Mountains

Posted on March 31, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Transcarpathia

Our route lead us along the Romanian border today. We found Jewish heritage sites in Vynohradiv, Sasovo, Khust, Tiachiv, Teresva and Solotvyno – and beyond this the traces of literally collapsed industries and profitable smuggling activities.

Vynohradiv – synagogue

Vynohradiv – beit midrash

Vynohradiv – Jewish cemetery

Sasovo – Jewish cemetery

Khust – synagogue

Khust – Jewish cemetery

Tiachiv – Jewish cemetery

Tiachiv – synagogue

Teresva – Jewish cemetery

Solotvyno – synagogue

Solotvyno – old Jewish cemetery

Solotvyno – collapsed salt mine

Solotvyno – new Jewish cemetery

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In the Borderlands to Hungary and Romania

Posted on March 30, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Transcarpathia

Our Transcarpathia trip goes on. South of Mukachevo are towns and villages with traces of a rich Jewish heritage. Berehove is known for it, but we also found traces in Irshava, Velyki Komiaty, Khmilnyk, Siltse and Kamyanske – cemeteries and synagogues, and in Velyki Komiaty even the remains of a wooden synagogue.

Berehove – active synagogue

Berehove – former Great Synagogue

Berehove – Jewish cemetery

Khmilnyk – Jewish cemetery

Slitse – Jewish cemetery

Irshava – former synagogue

Irshava – Jewish cemetery

Velyki Komiaty – former synagogue

Velyki Komiaty – Jewish cemetery

Kamyanske – Jewish cemetery

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In Uzhhorod and Mukachevo

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues, Transcarpathia

The damages to Jewish life are visible in the Transcarpathian towns of Uzhhorod and Mukachevo: synagogues used for other purposes than worship, a destroyed cemetery and the missing Jewish presence in public life due to mass deportation and extermination under Hungarian and German rule and later Sovietization. Nevertheless, there are rays of hope. In both towns we found functioning synagogues, active communities and well maintained cemeteries.