[Cz-L] old Jewish cemetery

Dear David & Czernowitzers,

I was in Lithuania and northern Poland last year and found the same t=
hing.
(next stop will be Bukovina, 2009-2010)

Following discussions with a number of people and also having done
research in several countries, the same is true of so many places. T=
he
old Jewish cemeteries, those not destroyed by the Nazis, were finishe=
d
off by the Soviets.

In Sejny, northern Poland, a Soviet built (the usual ugly architectur=
e)
apartment building stands on the site of the former Jewish cemetery.
The Jewish cemetery that still exists, if it can be called existing,=
 
consists
of flat, nondescript stones with only a Magen Dovid to signify that t=
his
is the burial place of a Jewish person. The cemetery is completely=
 
neglected
due to the total absence of a Jewish presence in this small city toda=
y.
These
stones (that have survived) are all lying flat on the ground, a large=
 number
of them hardly visible, some almost completely buried, due to the=
 
overgrowth.

The Jewish cemeteries in Vilnius and Kaunas date from Soviet times, t=
he
others having been completely destroyed. Some of the other Jewish
cemeteries I saw are so dilapidated that there is almost nothing to
indicate that they ever existed at all.

I am citing these examples to show that this situation exists in most
Eastern European countries where the Soviet presence was felt, for
however long it was. Sad, but true.

Merle Kastner, Montreal, Canada
merlek_at_videotron.ca
KASTNER & OSTFELD, Radauti, Bukovina;
NATHANSON & MENDELSSOHN, Piatra Neamt,
   Negulesti, Falticeni, Romania;
DENENBERG/DYNABURSKI & GARBARSKI/GOLDBERG,
   Sejny, Suwalki gubernia, Poland, New York, NY;
KUSSNER, Bendery, Bessarabia/Moldova, Philadelphia, PA;
MILLER/SZCZUCZYNSKI, Lida, Vilnius, Lithuania/Belarus,
   Philadelphia, PA
ALTMAN, Belchatow, Lodz
LEVITT/KISZELEWICZ, Mszczonów, Poland
SINGER, Starry Chartoriysk, Ukraine
FOX/FUCHS, Dubno, Poland



----- Original Message -----
From: "David Glynn" <glynn_at_spontini.co.uk>
To: "Czernowitz list" <Czernowitz-L_at_cornell.edu>
Sent: Monday, September 24, 2007 8:51 PM
Subject: [Cz-L] old Jewish cemetery


> Bruce asked about this link
> http://community.livejournal.com/gr_czernowitz/1000612.html
>
> This thread is entitled "Svitlini from the book of Kayndlya. The Je=
wish
> cemetery in the vicinity of vul. Odeskoi." Further down the thread=
 the
> Steile Gasse is referred to.
>
> I have no idea what the book of Kayndlya is (or what svitlini are)!
> However, vul Odeskoi is the Kaliczankaergasse. This street is adj=
acent
> to
> the Steile Gasse, they are located in the "Yiddische Gasse" area of=
 Cz,
> north of the Synagogen Gasse.
>
> This is consistent with Asher's memory. The Gerbergasse is a turni=
ng off
> the Steilegasse.
>
> If this cemetery was destroyed by the Russians, the stones might ha=
ve been
> used to build or repair the Turkish steps.
>
> It would be shocking of the stones which have been discovered are n=
ot
> preserved.
>
> Best regards to all,
>
> David
>
>
> --
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> 9/23/2007 1:53 PM
>
>
Received on 2007-09-25 01:36:54