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Geographic AreaProject Short DescriptionStatusView
GeneralBessarabia cemeteries projectIn progress
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
Cemeteries in Bessarabia are disappearing because of the passing time and vandalism.

In order to capture the information that is still available and preserve it for future generations, the Bessarabia SIG is photographing and indexing the gravestones of the Bessarabian cemeteries.


"A vanished world" - documentary about Jewish cemeteries in Moldova (Radio Europa Libera).  A terrific movie about Jewish cemeteries and Jewish Heritage.


For current list of cemeteries see following:

List of Jewish Cemeteries in Bessarabia and Moldova. (Last updated in November 2023) : web page and Excel version.
GeneralBessarabian Newspapers from 1850s to 1940In progress
Coordinator:  Volunteer needed  
There are a number of newspapers published in Bessarabia, Russian Empire in the 19th century through 1917, and in Romania from 1917 to 1940, which contain information about Jewish life in the province: Bessarabian Provincial Gazette, Universal Illustration, Bessarabian Men, Bessarabian Life, Southern Region, The Friend, The Banner, Free Bessarabia, and many more. Most of the newspapers are written in Russian, with some in Romanian or Yiddish.

Many records about Jews could be derived from these newspapers. For example: a list of Kishinev Jews subjected to conscription, published in Bessarabian Provincial Gazette of 1884; articles about famous Rabbi Abram Katlovker, hereditary honorary citizen who died in 1907. There are many business articles in each newspaper, with information on Jewish business, Jewish theaters, actors traveling to the region from other part of Russia and Europe, etc. Newspapers also contain death announcements, marriages, etc. 

Need a Project Leader / Coordinator and translators from Russian!
GeneralThe National Archive of MoldovaIn progress
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
(Added in October, 2013)
 Combined project of archival and genealogical researcher Alla Chastina, Kishinev and Bessarabia SIG.
This is an excerpt
of Jewish Material (6 sets of documents) from one of three collections Alla C. shared with Bessarabia SIG. 
 See more about Alla Chastina in this PDF file.
See more at Archives, Libraries, Museums section.
GeneralFamily Search (LDS) catalogue microfilms on Bessarabia Jewish recordsIn progress
Coordinator: Yoni Kupchik
(Updated in Sep 2014)
Project leader Yoni Kupchik, Israel.

The first part of the project is done - Revision Lists microfilms [HTML] [Excel]
were researched and a table of 45 microfilms with details by towns
presented. 5 microfilms were also looked at without any Jewish
records. The table also has information if Bessarabia SIG translated
the records or not.  Next part here is to get similar information on
Vital and any other records collected by Family Search. Updated in September 2014 by Yefim Kogan


Set of 12 Microfilms received recently from Family Search: [HTML] [Excel], September 2014,
Yefim Kogan. Please check out what is available in these microfilms.
GeneralAmerican Archives, LibrariesIn progress
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
Find out what archives and libraries possess materials and identify them about Bessarabian Jews: Library of Congress, Holocaust Museum Research Library, YIVO, HIAS, Center of Jewish History NY, the Philadelphian immigration bank, NY Public Library, JTA Jewish News Archive.

See research done at New York Public Library by Fran Cohen:Find catalogue of Bessarabian/Moldovan material at NYPL:
                            [Excel]
                            [HTML]

and research done at US Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC by Dale Pastor:
Using
                          the Library and Archives
GeneralTransliterate Landsmanshaften groups records for towns and districts in BessarabiaIn progress
Coordinator: Brooke Schreier Ganz
Go for details to Landsmanshaften section.
GeneralTranslate Bessarabia towns Yizkor books In progress
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
Make efforts from the group to translate Bessarabia towns Yizkor books (some are already in progress or translated). Also translate Bessarabia Yizkor books created by different people in 1952, 1959, 1971 and 1973. (Hebrew, Yiddish). We need a project coordinator who first will assess of how many books for Bessarabian towns are available and in what languages and what has already been translated.
GeneralCreate more KehilaLink Website for Bessarabian towns and shteitlakhIn progress
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
Possibly create web sites for Bessarabia Districts, like Bendery district, Soroki district, etc. Help "new" town webmasters in creating new websites.
- Dombroveny site was completed by Peter S. Seltser;
- Dubossary site was completed by Yefim Kogan;
- Camenka site was completed by Marilyn Feingold and Yefim Kogan; 
- Tarutino site was completed by Yefim Kogan;
- Tiraspol site was completed by Inna Vayner;
- Beltsi site was completed by Martin Davis


See the whole list of towns for which we have a website at KehilaLinks Websites.
GeneralBessarabia Vital RecordsOngoing
Coordinator:  Volunteer needed  
This is an ongoing translation/translitiration project that was started 9 years ago by Romania-SIG and it is administered by Rom-SIG. Currently, the database contains more than 144,000 Jewish births, marriages, death and divorce records from primarily Kishinev and several other towns. Project Coordinator - open.
October 2016. We need a volunteer to take over the project and complete it. Russian is essential, and also good to know some Hebrew.
GeneralObtain VIDEO TESTIMONIES OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORSNot Yet Started
Coordinator:  Volunteer needed  
Obtain from USC Shoah Foundation institute VIDEO TESTIMONIES OF HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS FROM Bessarabia. We currently have testimonies of 6 people (2 from Leova and 4 from Kaushany). They all are now at Leovo and Kaushany KehilaLink websites.  That project will require collecting funds to purchase permission for the videos. It will be part of Bessarabia Generosity projects.  We need a Project Coordinator.  For more information about the videos visit University of Southern California Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education.
GeneralWrite a guide on how to contact and use Moldavian National ArchiveNot Yet Started
Coordinator:  Volunteer needed  
GeneralThe list of people in Bessarabia persecuted by the Soviets during 1940-41Not Yet Started
Coordinator:  Volunteer needed  
Need a person who will take this project.
GeneralBessarabia Business Directory, 1924-25Completed
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
Project was completed in June of 2012.  Go for details to Bessarabian Databases section. (pdf)
GeneralRussian Jewish Fallen Soldiers of WW1Completed
Coordinator: Joel Ratner
The project for all Gubernias in Russian Empire is under coordination of Joel Ratner. Our SIG translated/transcribed only soldiers from Bessarabia.
GeneralBessarabia and Moldova: research materials in libraries and archives in IsraelCompleted
Coordinator: Harriet Kasow
Bessarabia and Moldova: A Survey of research materials in libraries and archives in Israel

Israeli sources for research material on Bessarabia/Moldova:  Status Report, July, 2012.
Project Manager - Harriet Kasow, Israel (hkasow@netvision.net.il)
GeneralTranslate sections of Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities in RomaniaCompleted
Coordinator: Ala Gamulka
Translate sections of Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities in Romania, vol.1 and 2. There are 35 towns from Bessarabia and Moldova (Transnistria) inn that Encyclopedia.
 All 35 books (sections) are translated! Thanks a lot for all recent translations to Ala Gamulka!  To complete this project 3 more introductory chapters will be translated.
See the work that has been done.
GeneralMigration of Jews to Bessarabia and from BessarabiaCompleted
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
From the lecture at 36th IAJGS International Conference On Jewish Genealogy, August 7 - 12, Seattle: When, Why and Where did the Jews arrive to Bessarabia/Moldova, by Yefim Kogan.
GeneralSocial Estate of Jews in Bessarabia in 19th centuryCompleted
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
The Law of Russian Empire of 1818 obliged Bessarabian Jews to be registered in one of several estates -- Merchants, Middle Class (Petty Bourgeois, Tradesmen, Townsmen) or Farmers (Land-workers, Peasants). What did these estates mean to Jews? What privileges did these estates grant? How could Jews change their estates, if at all? The other categories of Jews were: Honorary Citizens (hereditary, private), Colonists, Nobility (hereditary, private), Foreigners, and Military personal, State-Owned Settlers, Temporary worker.

From the lecture at 32nd IAJGS International Conference On Jewish Genealogy, July 15 - 18, 2012 in Paris, France: Estate and other categories of Jews in Bessarabia, Russia in 19th century. Speaker Yefim Kogan.
GeneralUnknown PhotosCompleted
Coordinator: Yefim Kogan
Create a webpage with unknown photos from personal collections.   The project is similar to ViewMate project of JewishGen, but only with photos, cards related to Bessarabia. Completed.
Go for details to Helping other Bessarabia SIG Members.
GeneralTowns and Shtetlakh where Jews lived in Bessarabia (Geographical Dictionary)Completed
Coordinator: Harvey Kabaker
Created a list of ALL towns and Shtetlakh where Jews lived or worked in Bessarabia in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Here is Geographical Dictionary as of September 2013.  Request to all: please check the dictionary and if you see that a town is not on the list, please contact Project Leader - Harvey Kabaker  (harvey.kabaker@verizon.net).

Total: 20 records

Note: the table is sortable by clicking on the column header