Soroca

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Christian Herrmann 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 – mass grave site

Soroca – Jewish cemetery

Soroca – “Gypsy palace”

Soroca – synagogue

Semen Veksler

Soroca – street view

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Into Transnistria

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Christian Herrmann 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

Raşcov – synagogue

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On the road to Bălţi

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Christian Herrmann 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 – synagogue

Teleneşti – Jewish cemetery

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A first trip into rural Moldova

Posted on March 22, 2016 by Christian Herrmann 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 – former synagogue

Vărzăreşti – Jewish cemetery

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A Time Of Gifts: Calendar For Free Download

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Media, Northern Bukovina, Podolia, Synagogues, Volhynia (Volyn)

Hanukkah and Christmas are coming closer – a time of gifts in which I would like to give a present to all who accompanied my trips to Eastern Europe’s Jewish past and present via Facebook and my Vanished World blog: a calendar for 2016, which can be downloaded for free and be produced on your own printer or at an on-line print shop.

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Bukovina in Black and White

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Northern Bukovina, Southern Bukovina, Synagogues

So far 2015 was a busy year, four times I have been to Ukraine, once to Romania. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have traveled too much. For months I was not able to edit the black and white photos of my journeys properly. Now I’m happy to be home and finally have time to work on the photos. Here is a selection of black and white images of the journey through Bukovina in April.

Carlibaba Jewish cemetery

Arbore Jewish cemetery

Rădăuţi (Radautz) – synagogue

Siret – New Jewish Cemetery

Solca Jewish cemetery

Vatra Dornei synagogue

Chernivtsi (Czernowitz) Jewish cemetery

Chernivtsi (Czernowitz) – Temple Synagogue, now a movie theatre

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A missing Center at the Golden Creek

Posted on July 21, 2015 by Christian Herrmann under Eastern Galicia, Jewish Cemeteries, Synagogues

It was the wish of my friend Arthur to go to Horodenka and Zolotyi Potik (Golden Creek) – small towns in Galicia, from which his ancestors came to Chernivtsi (Czernowitz). Today we have been there; a long day trip through the beauty of the Galician summer. An ocean of flowers over which the storks circle. With us was Maxym, a local photographer and journalist, who maneuvered his car bravely around the potholes.

Horodenka Synagogue

Horodenka Jewish Cemetery

Zolotyi Potik – Potocki Castle

Zolotyi Potik Jewish cemetery

Zolotyi Potik – former Jewish quarter, now a park

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In Transnistria

Posted on June 10, 2015 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Podolia, Synagogues

Transnistria was a Romanian deportation zone for Jews and Gypsies during the war. Thousands died of typhus, inhuman working conditions, of hunger or were shot. My fellow traveler Sylvia was here more than 70 years ago when she was a little girl. Today we explored some places in Transnistria – now part of Podolia in Ukraine.

Nemiriv – mass grave

Bratslav synagogue

Bratslav Jewish cemetery

Tulchyn Jewish cemetery

Tulchyn – former ghetto

Cariera de Piatra

Mykhailivka – site of former concentration camp

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Further East

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Moldavia, Synagogues

On the way back to Suceava, we took another excursion to the east into the Bukovina adjoining Botoșani county. Botoșani and Bucecea and the traces of Jewish heritage in both places were our destinations.

Botoșani – New Jewish Cemetery

Botoșani – Old Jewish Cemetery

Botoșani – synagogue

Bucecea – Jewish cemetery

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North of Radautz

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Christian Herrmann under Jewish Cemeteries, Moldavia, Southern Bukovina, Synagogues

Siret is a small town north of Radautz; from there we went on to Mihaileni and Dorohoi. Both places are no longer in Bukovina, but already in the neighboring Botoșani county. The traces of Jewish life are easy to find in all three places.