Translation of
“Bulgarian Jewry”

Project Synopsis

This project aims to translate from Hebrew the book, Bulgarian Jewry, which is also known as Encyclopedia of the Jewish Diaspora: A Memorial Library of Countries and Communities, Volume 10: Bulgaria.

This is a Memory Book about the Bulgarian Jewish community before World War II. It contains nearly 1000 pages of memories, essays, facts and biographical vignettes, written by a number of Jewish Bulgarians who immigrated to Israel after the War. The book was published in 1967, in Jerusalem, in Hebrew.

To date, very little of the book has been translated into English, only the Table of Contents and an introductory section called “When did the first Jews come to Bulgaria?”

Continued translation of the book would be useful for readers and researchers of all types who have an interest in the history of Jewish life and community in Bulgaria.

The five major sections of the book include:

Part 1: The Early Generations
Part 2: The Zionist Movement in Bulgaria (in 3 periods)
Part 3: Bulgaria under Fascist Rule
Part 4: Liquidation of the Bulgarian Diaspora (1944-1949); Liberation; The Zionist Press; The Youth Movements; and The Struggles to Preserve the Characteristics of Bulgarian Jewry
And finally: Yizkors

The whole book in its original Hebrew is available online at the New York Public Library at: https://www.yiddishbookcenter.org/collections/yizkor-books/yzk-nybc314140/romano-a-romano-a-ben-yahadut-bulgaryah

Key Audiences

There are many potential audiences for this work in the English-speaking world, but perhaps chief among them are: Jews of Bulgarian heritage and their families; Jews and others with an interest in the history of Bulgaria or Southeastern Europe; anyone with an interest in the history of Sephardic Judaism; anyone with a broad interest in the horrors of the Holocaust and its impact on Jews and the Jewish diaspora.

Project Importance

To date, it appears that no yizkor book about Bulgaria has been translated, and in fact this publication appears to be the only yizkor collection specifically associated with Bulgaria.

Bulgaria holds a rich place among the histories and memories of Jewish communities. The community is predominantly Sephardic. There is an important story about how ethnic Bulgarian citizens (generally Bulgarian Orthodox Christians) contributed to the rescue of large numbers of Jews during the Holocaust. And Bulgaria's history of being first within the Ottoman Empire and then the USSR is fascinating.

Project Description

This project is intended to result in the translation of as much as possible of the Bulgarian Jewry Memory Book. The Project Coordinator will assist with fundraising and is available to proofread the translation. The translation will be arranged by JewishGen, which will submit the translation to the Yizkor Book Project. The resulting translation(s) will be posted, as completed, on the JewishGen Yizkor Book Translations site.

Estimated Cost

A complete translation of the book, over 1000 pages, is estimated to cost $35,000. Translation will take place as sufficient funds become available through the fundraising effort. JewishGen will be responsible for paying the translator(s). Donations to the fund will be tax-deductible for U.S. citizens.

You may donate to this translation project here: JewishGen-erosity - Yizkor Book Translations