[Page 50]

In 1937–38, it was impossible to study at the University of Bucharest, as the Jewish students were assaulted and humiliated every day.

The Hebrew University in Jerusalem invited Jewish students to come and study in Jerusalem. I decided to go to Jerusalem. It is important to note that the Romanian Fascist regime gave me a passport stamped “Return Visa Denied!” I came to Eretz Israel, and my parents and family were left in Kiliya.

I received lots of letters from home even after the Romanian Army invaded Bessarabia in June 1941. After that time, I did not hear any news from my family, but I knew about the offensive of the German army and the Romanian army of Antonescu in Bessarabia. The same year I left university and enlisted in the Jewish Brigade of the British army.

In 1964, I traveled as a tourist to the USSR, but I was not allowed to go to Kiliya. In 1973, I went to Romania and took a boat tour on the Danube from Tulcea to Kiliya, and I saw my town from a 100-meter distance.

In 1990, when I retired, I finally received a visa to visit Kiliya–something was changing in this big country!

It was difficult to recognize the town. I left a town with 20,000 people, among them 2,400 Jews, and I found a place with 40,000 people and only 70 Jews. Three people were survivors of the Bogdanovka concentration camp.

The main streets are covered with asphalt; other streets are paved with cement, even the sidewalks. There were new buildings and two new neighborhoods with modern apartment buildings.

A newspaper Dunayskaya Zarea (The Danube Star) is published daily. There are three new high schools, one of them as big as the Gymnasium Herzliya in Tel Aviv. There is running water and sewers, and they say that in the winter there is no more mud and the horse and buggies have disappeared. There are cars and public transit, trucks; in the stores there is merchandise, and I did not see any queues anywhere. There are parks and gardens; all the warehouses from the Port disappeared or were renovated into apartment buildings. In their place, there are huge silos like in the Port of Haifa.

The day I arrived, May 31, 1990, a picture of Shaya Dizhur (see photo on page 89), a friend of mine, together with a Russian friend, appeared in the paper. Both were war veterans and had on their chests many medals. The Jewish doctor Dr. Dora Yakovlevna received this year the title of Citizen of Honor of Kiliya. I should have been happy for them, but I was not!

All these facts could not wash away the sorrow and the mourning I felt after 52 years.

1. In the Holocaust of the Jews of Kiliya, more than 1800 people (out of 2400), about 75% of the Jewish population, were murdered on the streets of Kiliya. Hundreds died on the way to death camps in Domanovka and Bogdanovka in December 1941. It is known that Ion Antonescu, Mihai Antonescu, Isufescu, Alexianu, and others, together with 19 Ukrainian war criminals, received death penalties in their trials, but we do not know if Colonel Miculecu and hundreds of murderers from the Romanian gendarmerie were ever punished.
2. We cannot forget the persecution of Jews by the Stalinist Soviet regime shortly after the Red Army entered the city. Why were hundreds of Jews accused of being enemies of the Soviet regime and banished from the city? They suffered through the “seven gates of hell,” and the majority never returned. Maybe if they were in Kiliya, they might have organized a resistance and saved many lives.

I am not a religious person, but I respect all who believe in God. The freedom of religion is recognized by all as far back as the French Revolution: democrats, socialists, Marxists. Why were the Jews subjected to these atrocities in Kiliya? We do not know who destroyed the two synagogues – Nosei Hamateh and Bikur Holim. Were they the Fascist Romanians or Stalin's Soviets? And I would like to add that in each Jewish home in Kiliya there were hundreds of books. In my parents' house, we had 200 books in Russian, Yiddish, literature, history, etc. Where did all these disappear? Who has the books, the musical recordings and instruments, pictures, art?

In town, there were three photo studios that functioned for many years. Where are all the pictures, the negatives they had? In Israel, there are many survivors from Kiliya. They do not even have one picture of their parents. Why is it not possible to return the pictures to the rightful owners? The regime confiscated and expropriated the Tarbut School, the Jewish library, the orchestra, etc. Maybe we can still find the archives of the Jewish Community Council?

In the center of Kiliya, on Bolshaya Dunayvskya Street, they built a big four-story building for the Ispolkom. On that terrain, there were seven Jewish homes that were demolished. Couldn't they have built without demolishing the homes?

I wonder if the Kiliya municipality and the Odessa District (now part of Ukraine) will ever change their attitude towards the Jews of Kiliya.

The municipality of Kiliya neglected to put a fence around the Jewish cemetery, and many monuments were defaced and vandalized. I was at the cemetery twice and found monuments from 60, 70, 80 and even 50 years ago in a very disastrous condition. It is impossible to go close to the monuments to read the names on the plaques. The citizens of Kiliya endangered their lives to collect and bury the Jewish dead murdered by the Romanian Fascists in August 1941. This place is called a “brotherly grave” (a mass grave), and there are more than one hundred people buried there. The few Jews of Kiliya decided to erect a monument with a Hebrew inscription.

I saw many things, and I was impressed. The sorrow is enormous. This magnificent community does not exist anymore. I hope that there will be other occasions to visit in the future.

[Page 51]

In 1937–38, it was almost impossible to study at the University of Bucharest. The Jewish students were assaulted and humiliated every day. Then the Jerusalem University invited all Jewish students who wanted to continue their studies – certificates – and that is how I immigrated to Jerusalem. I must also mention that the Romanian Fascist regime issued me a passport that did not give me the right to return.

My parents and many relatives remained in Kiliya. I received lots of letters and cards from them. Two years passed, and in 1940, the Red Army invaded Bessarabia. I continued to receive letters until June 1941. After that time, I heard nothing from them and only terrible news about the advancing of the Nazis and Romanians. At the beginning of December 1941, I left my university studies and voluntarily enlisted in the Jewish Brigade of the British army.

In 1964, I traveled as a tourist to the USSR for a month, but I was not allowed to go to Kiliya. In 1973, I went to Romania and took a boat tour on the Danube from Tulcea to Old Kiliya, and I saw my beloved town from a distance of a few hundred meters. Finally, in 1990 when I was already 73 years old, I received a visa to visit Kiliya. Better late than never.

It was difficult to recognize my town. I left a town with 20,000 people, among them 2,400 Jews. Now the population had almost doubled but had only 70 Jews, including three women who were survivors of the Bogdanovka concentration camp…

The main streets are covered with asphalt, and the rest are paved with cement and even have sidewalks. There are many new buildings and two new neighborhoods. The newspaper Dunayskaya Zarea (The Danube Star) is published daily in Kiliya. There are three large high schools. One of them, on Gagarin Street next to the old location in a huge three-story building, is bigger than the Gymnasium Herzliya in Tel Aviv. There are water pipes, and the new buildings have running water. It is said that in the winter it is not muddy like before. During my four-day stay, I did not see one horse and buggy. All of the transportation is motorized: cars, buses, and motorcycles. In the stores there is merchandise, and I did not see any queues anywhere. There are many parks and gardens. All the grain warehouse “shops,” of which there were hundreds before 1940, disappeared or were renovated into apartment buildings. The grain is stored in huge silos in the Port. The day I arrived, May 31, 1990, a picture of S. Dizhur, a friend of mine, together with a Russian veteran friend, appeared in the Dunayskaya Zarya paper. Both wore many medals on their chests. The Jewish Dr. Dora Yakovlevna Vasilkovskaya received the title of Citizen of Honor of Kiliya that same year. It seemed like I should have been very pleased about this. And these were irrefutable facts. But it did not make me happy…

All these facts could not wash away the sorrow and the mourning I felt after these 52 years of separation.

1. In the terrible tribulation of the Jews of Kiliya, 1800 out of 2400 Jews, city residents, were murdered, that is, about 75% of the Jewish population were shot on the streets of Kiliya and in their homes (105 people). Hundreds died on the way to death camps and the majority in Domanovka and Bogdanovka in December 1941. I know that the brothers Antonescu, Izopescu, Alexianu, and 19 other Ukrainian war criminals were sentenced to death, but we do not know if Colonel Miculecu and hundreds of murderers from the Romanian gendarmerie were ever punished.
2. We cannot forget the persecution of Jews by the Stalinist Soviet regime shortly after the Red Army entered the city. Why were hundreds of Jews accused of being “anti-Soviet elements” and banished from the city? Some of them never returned, apparently were killed, and the others went through a great deal of terrible persecution and suffering. If that hadn't happened, I believe they could have organized an evacuation together and saved many lives. Why were all four synagogues of Kiliya confiscated and demolished? Of the six churches, four are still in existence and functioning today. This was an anti-Semitic action, and even the non-religious see that. On top of the fact that the Jews endured so much pain and loss, most of their homes were taken and only a small portion were returned to the owners.

In the center of Kiliya, at 69-71-73-35 Bolshaya Dunayskya Street, local authorities built a big four-story building for the Ispolkom. (It seems to me that it is bigger than the Tel Aviv Workers Council Building.) Why did they have to build it and destroy seven small Jewish homes in the process?

I want to believe that the Communist Party members who now manage the city of Kiliya or the Odessa District of Ukraine – if they have changed their attitudes towards Jews in more recent times – can perhaps rectify these unjust events described above.

The municipality of Kiliya neglected to put a fence around the Jewish cemetery, and several graves were disgracefully defaced. I visited that cemetery twice and saw that the majority of gravestones from before 1940 (and even after) were in an appalling condition, overgrown with grass and weeds like a jungle. It was impossible to get close to the stones and read the names on the plaques. The Russian citizens of Kiliya risked their lives to collect and bury the Jewish dead murdered by the Romanian Fascists. They buried them in a mass grave, and everyone knows this spot.

In 1990 a small group of Kiliyan Jews decided to erect a monument at this site, but such a monument or at least a marble commemorative plaque should have been in the center of town. For example, it could be at the spot where the Great Synagogue stood and was removed by local authorities in 1949. Or at the place where the Sailors' Club now stands.

The Jewish community of Kiliya, which had 2,400 people, no longer exists. The remaining Jews who fled this community live in Israel or other places. We hope that the city and regional governments will allow them and their families to visit Kiliya in the future.

[Page 52]

At the beginning, Kiliya was a small town on the Danube, the big river that crosses many countries in Europe. The Jews settled here for long time, and their activities contributed to the town's development –evidence is the great number of houses built by Jews, from the banks of the river to the main streets full of lilac and acacia trees.

Our fathers and elders contributed hugely to the development of commerce, manufacturing, and the arts. They sustained themselves and the rest of the population of all religions.

The Port grew immensely with boats, ships, and rafts. The port workers, and especially the porters, organized themselves into a workers' union to obtain better pay and working conditions. For the children of Kiliya, the port with its ships and colorful sailors was a great attraction. Our fathers worked hard, contributing to the growth of the town. The merchants sold grain and bought all kind of products for the pleasure of the population. Tailors, watchmakers, shoemakers, carpenters, glaziers, blacksmiths, bakers, and other craftsmen were supplying all the needs of the population of Kiliya and surrounding villages. The physicians, considered the smartest of people, cared for the health of the population. The Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga, in his book The History of the Jews in our Lands, Bucharest 1913, praised the Jewish doctors who, in the past, cared for Romanian rulers from Ştefan cel Mare (Stefan the Great) to Vasile Lupul and others.

We all remember the talented craftsmen: cabinet makers Chichilnitsky, Lerner, and Berl Berkovich; blacksmiths Baruch Berkovich, Kupershmidt, and Goldenberg; the famous tailors Feldershtein, Basis, Khaimovich, Tsalis, and Ioselevich, the seamstresses Sofa Gold and Sonya Feferman; the watchmakers Oifen, brothers Dizhur, and Itskovich; the talented photographers Benharav, Kogan, and Shneider; the owner of the sawmills Gamshievich, Davidovich, Brodsky, and Brener; the grain exporters Pradis, Shimilev, Dr. Kahana, Rozental, Weinberg, Gertsovich, the Zusevich family, Abramovich, Lakhmanovich, Naftali Khaimovich, Fulferman, Bendersky, and Averbuch; the building materials, steel and general stores of Itsik Katz, Nisim Kogan, Fishel Davidovich, Zelicovich, and Litvin; textiles and accessories of Z. Davidovich, Barnovsky, Brener, Wolfovich, and Shaivich; and the shoe stores of Brailovsky and Kogan.

We have to say a good word for the talented physicians Naum Rabinovich and Dora Yakovlevna Rabinovich, Vasilkovskaya, Dr. Brener (who was active in the National Jewish List), Morgenstern, Zinger, Agras, and Fava Kogan (who worked with Dr. Rabinovich); the dentists Shwartsman and Axelrod; the pharmacists Brodsky, Goldenberg, and Camilis; the teachers Weitsman, Raduliansky, Vinograd, Woloch, Milya Rabinovich, and Vinitsky; the kindergarten teachers Galya Kritsman, Gornshtein, and Gusta Katzenshtein; the book people Aron Konstantinovsky, the printer, and his brother David, the bookseller; and the three Safris families who owned book stores and writing goods.

Kiliya's economic and cultural development is due to the hard work of all these people. We have to mention here all the people who were involved in the political and social life, all the Zionist activists like K. Leventon, A. Glukhoy, and Hinda Konstantinovsky, the Gordonia and Maccabi members; and the Underground Communists such as H. Pivovar, Srulik Bernstein, M. Rabinovich; and finally, the writers Yacov Botoshansky (Yiddish) and Ilya Konstantinovsky (Russian).

We have to mention all the families who immigrated to Eretz Israel even before the War – the Chichilnitsky family, Abraham Konstantinovsky, Roitman, Lerner, the brothers Khaimovich, David Shwartsman, Dina Kharlamb, Malca Katz (2^nd Maccabiada) Marimsky, Lebedinsky. The Second Aliyah people such as Strakhilevich, the halutsim (pioneers) Dov Konstantinovsky, Itsiya Zisman, and the student L. Konstantinovsky.

We cannot forget the role of the Maccabi, the brass orchestra, the soccer stars Borya Tsalis and Dudele Suskin.

The Jewish Community managed its cultural and charity life and worked to help the needy. It ran a school and kindergarten, an old age home, and four synagogues. Among the synagogues we have to mention the Great Synagogue with its beautiful building admired for its architecture in the entire Southern Bessarabia region. The Romanian Fascists used it as a prison for Jewish people before they were forced to march to their death, and then they desecrated it in an appalling manner.

Not long ago, we celebrated the 110th year anniversary of the foundation of the Kiliya School (1880) that became the Gymnasium. A great majority of us studied there. We have a list of students (I am among them) from the third grade published in 1935 in the Anuarul Gimnaziului Mixt, Dr. C. Angelescu, Chilia-Noua, jud. Ismail

Lyova Safris – 9.27 average (first prize at the Gymnasium), Klara Litvin – 8.34 (first in the class), Chana Katz 8.14 (second prize)

The students: Shlioma Dorfman, Yosef Umansky, Mozya Brodsky, and Froim Weinshtein.

And here is the cruelest fact: all four people mentioned were killed in this horrible war together with many Kiliya people in the death camps of Bogdanovka and Domanovka, murdered by the Romanian and Ukrainian Fascists. More than 1300 of the Jews of Kiliya, z”l, were murdered, and among them my parents and my brother.

The great tragedy of the Jews of Kiliya during the war will not be forgotten. In each and every family there were victims; for example in the Felikov family, all the children were murdered – Moshe, Felik, Shmariah, Michael, Rafael, and Lisa. The brother Shrul returned from the War without a leg. Many families were destroyed, and only their memories remain.

To all of them and to all other victims of the Fascist regime, we dedicate this book. They did not have a chance to live their natural lives to have families and to taste happiness. We will be the keepers of their memories forever.

[Page 53]

At the beginning, it was a small town washed by the lapping waves of the deep, wide Danube. Jews settled here a long time ago from the diaspora, and they were no passive inhabitants. Their productive activities contributed to the town's development. This was shown by the fact that during the days of our childhood, youth, and adulthood, Jews builts many houses that extended from the banks of the river, developing main streets here against a luscious green backdrop of acacia and other trees.

Our elders also contributed greatly to the development of commerce, manufacturing, and the arts. They sustained themselves and supported the rest of the population of widely varied nationalities, working alongside them. Thus, they helped Kiliya grow within the lively bustle of a port city, known for a strong workers' union of port workers and porters (including Jews). Especially attractive on the Danube landscape was the harbor with its assortment of ships, ocean vessels, and barges by the shore. As children, we would often greet them and wave farewell with loud, cheerful shouts. In general, our fathers and elders worked hard, starting a brick business and changing the face and the essence of Kiliya for the better. The merchants bought and shipped grain from here and brought in other goods from all over. Tailors, shoemakers, cabinet makers, carpenters, tinsmiths, watchmakers, glaziers, bakers, and other craftsmen provided the Kiliyans with everything they needed for everyday life. The physicians, considered at that time to be the smartest people, cared for the sick. The Romanian historian N. Iorga, in his book, makes special note of the use of Jewish doctors by Moldavian hospodars Stefan the Great, Vasile Lupul, and others. A number of Jewish educational workers contributed to the development of the rising generation in Kiliya and the improvement of the population's cultural level. Others took part in the publication and distribution of printed material and in the operation of clubs where discussions took place on the meaning of life, the books people had read, current happenings, and the history of our people. Of course, dance parties were also held.

That's how it was in the Kiliya of our youth. We all remember the talented craftsmen: carpenters and cabinet makers Chichilnitsky, Lerner, and B. Berkovich; tinsmiths Baruch Berkovich, Goldenberg, and Kupershmidt; the famous tailors Feldershtein, Basis, the Khaimovich brothers, Finkelshtein, Tsalis, and Ioselevich, the seamstresses Sofa Gold and Sonya Feferman; the watchmakers Oifman, Dizhur brothers, and Itskovich; the talented photographers Benerav, Kogan, and Shneider; the owners of the sawmill Gamshievich, Davidovich, and Brodsky; the grain growers Brener and Wilderman; the exporters Kitsis, Dr. Kahana, Fradis, Rosenthal, and Bendersky; dozens of merchants such as Avrumchik Lakhmanovich, Naftuli Khaimovich, Komarovsky, Strakhilevich, Srul Kats, Zusevich, Shimilev, Pulferman, Gershkovich, and others; the general stores for building materials and steel of Itsik Katz, Nisim Kogan, F. Davidovich, Zelikovich, and Litvin; the haberdasheries and manufactured clothing shops of Brener, Baranovsky, Z. Davidovich, Shaivich, Wolfovich, Roitman, and others; the fishing supplies of Shwartsman and Weinberg; and the shoe stores of Brailovsky and Kogan.

We have to say a good word in acknowledgment of the dedicated physicians Naum and Dora Rabinovich-Vasilkovskaya and the doctors Zinger, Morgenstern, Berger (also an activist of the National Jewish List), Agras, and P. Kogan (who worked with Dr. Rabinovich); the dentists Shwartsman, Axelrod, and Davidovich; the meticulous pharmacists the Brodsky brothers, Goldenberg, and Camilis; the disseminators of knowledge, teachers Raduliansky, Weitsman, Vinograd, Woloch, M. Rabinovich, Vinitsky, and Falikov; the delightful early childhood teachers Gorenshtein, Gusz, and G. Kritsman; the knowledgeable printer Aron Konstantinovsky and his brother David, the bookseller, as well as Nekhemi Safris and his two sons Reful and Volodya, who worked separately in three places in the city.

Can you imagine Kiliya without them, the rhythm of its life, its socioeconomic and cultural development? That is the essential question, and its answer is clear to all.

And what a role was played in the life of the city by the Zionist activists K. Leventon, A. Glukhoy, and Inda Konstantinovsky, the Gordonia and Maccabi members, and members of the underground such as H. Pivovar, Srulik Bronstein, and Milya Rabinovich! And we certainly must remember immigrants such as the writers Yacov Botoshansky and Ilya Konstantinovsky, journalist Boris Markuzan, and others.

Against the backdrop of all this, we have to mention all the families who immigrated to Eretz Israel even before the War – the Chichilnitsky family, Lerners, Konstantinovskys (Yatsiv), Roitmans, Lerners, the pioneer Khaimovich brothers, Dudya Shwartsman, Berka Konstantinovsky, Dina Kharlamb, I. Zisman, student Lenya Konstantinovsky, and Maccabist Malca Katz (Magazanik), and others.

Regarding the cultural life, we cannot forget the Jewish library, our klezmer musicians filling the city with the sound of brass instruments, the Maccabi athletes, and the soccer stars Borya Tsalis and Dudele Soskin.

The Jewish community was also invaluable in its establishment of the cultural life, its organization of philanthropic activities, and its maintenance of traditions. It opened and ran a school and kindergarten and houses of prayer, including the Great Synagogue with its beautiful building admired for its architecture. The Romanian Fascists used it as a prison for Jewish people before they were forced to march to their death, and then they turned it into a stable. This bitter history lesson is a caution to our current and future generations!

[Page 54]

Hebrew text:

Parades were held for the national Romanian holiday of May 10^th. All the students were gathered in the church of Ştefan cel Mare (Stephen the Great), and from there, they marched on the main street next to the Great Synagogue. The great cantor Levkivker chanted the prayer Hanoten Tshuah (Give redemption) in a very pure voice together with the students and the music teacher Manolescu, who also joined in the prayer with the cantor.

In the thirties, we heard a rumor that the Romanian legionnaires anti-Semites will come with boats from Tulcea and other places in Romania to carry out a pogrom and murder the Jews of Kiliya. The Jews of Kiliya bought a large amount of wooden clubs and distributed them to all who had the physical power to defend the community. Grisha Gamshievich, who employed many Russian workers and workers from the port, asked them to come and help with the defense against the Romanian anti-Semites. After all this was made public, the Romanian Cuzists (from Cuza, one of the anti-Semitic Romanian leaders) cancelled their plans. By Yosef Lerner.

Not long ago, we celebrated the 110th anniversary of the foundation of the Kiliya School (1880) that became the Gymnasium. If you took one class – the third (which I was in), the list of students published in a 1935 booklet would show the names and yearly grades:

Lyova Safris – 9.27 (first prize in the school), Klara Litvin – 8.34 (first prize in the class), Khona Katz – 8.14 (third prize in the class). Other students were Mozya Brodsky, Shlioma Dorfman, Yosef Umansky, and Froim Weinshtein… What a wonderful generation was coming up! But alas! All four people I just mentioned from my youth were killed at the front or went missing during the war years. And many other Kiliyans met the same fate, while those who survived were traumatized by the war and could never realize their full potential. The post-war time was exceedingly difficult.

But our people weren't killed just at the front or in captivity. Countless numbers of them were exterminated in death camps (Bogdanovka, Domanovka, and others), where, in particular, my parents and my brother died. Others returned from the front disabled from enemy bullets, and only a small number survived the camps, barely, and returned in horrible shape, in anguish, with open wounds to their souls. Thus was the fate of Kiliyans.

This dark shadow of memories gives us no peace. The terrible catastrophe (Holocaust) that unfolded during World War Two, taking the lives of millions, struck our Kiliyan citizens terribly. The nightmare of the past has not dissipated. Each and every family remembers a huge number of close ones who perished. For example, in the Falikov family, not only the parents but also the children were murdered – Moshe, Felik, Shmariah, Michael, Rafel, and Lisa. The tall, slim brother Shrul returned from the war without a leg. Many families were destroyed entirely, and only memories of them remain. Memories of those who never had a chance to experience the power of love, family happiness, the joy of motherhood, and in general the joy of a full life.

May we be worthy of their heartbreaking memory, crying to the heavens.

[Page 55]

Purim is a happy Jewish holiday, celebrating the rescue of the Jewish people from the wicked Haman. To celebrate this holiday, we bake “hamantash” and “fluden” and eat roast turkey, without thinking of how much it costs. Like all children, I loved this holiday.

Before the holiday, my mother registered with Shifra Khaimovich to receive the pans for “fluden”(cake). They were beautiful pans in the form of flowers, stars, and dolls. Only Aunt Shifra had these types of pans. She gave them to me and urged me to run home fast and not play on the street. Near my house, the son of the neighbors, Mozya Markuzan, stopped me and asked, “What do you have in there, ‘green frog’”? I must have been a little yellow because I suffered from the cholera that was caused by mosquitoes and stale water in this town. They also called me a lot of other names like “chiaynick” (kettle), “malcrovani” (pale face), and others such as “Rasputin” and “Polish soldier.”

Mozya tried to grab the parcel, and I started to scream so loud that Zipora, the fat neighbour, came out of her house, and even Mrs. Markuzan came out and chased her son away. My mother sent me again, this time to Nisim Kogan to buy Turkish delight, oranges, and chocolate. In the store, I was served by Nisim's daughter Zhuzya, and together with other girls, we started to play, and I forgot about the errand until my father came to pick me up.

I loved Purim, a good holiday, and loved to lick the pans from the fluden mixture. In the house, there was a smell of baking challahs and kugels and even herring. My father returned from the synagogue, and we lit the candles. On the table, covered with a white starched table cloth, there were challahs, vodka, vishniak, and the “sifon” (soda water) brought to us by Berkovich.

The best part of Purim was the appearance of the masked people. Itsik Marshmilis came first. He was the son of a small slim woman who lived near the market and who sold sticky paper to catch the flies. Itsik was dressed in an old large hat and with some red rags around his neck. When he came in, he said, “A good Purim my dear folks, today is Purim, tomorrow is not, give me five cents and throw me out,” and he said to my father, “You are Itsik, and I am Itsik, and I forgot the rest…” My father asked him, “What happened, you already finished your Purimshpiel? Where is your yawn?” Itsik said to my father, “For a simple yawn, I want one leu, for a yawn with a crow, I want two lei.” “OK,” said my father, “you can yawn with a holiday crow!”

After the meal, we met with our friends Yosele Lerner, Meier Weisman, Leibele Finkelstein, z”l. We dressed as gypsies, Charles Chaplin, sailors. We also had guitars. We asked for donations for the poor. In many places, we danced and sang. Mrs. Nusimovich received us with love, and her husband Moshe Nusimovich, z”l, pinched the gypsies and threw coins into our collection boxes.

The last Purim before the Soviet invasion, we went to visit the Zusevich family. It was after the engagement of my friend, Chana, and there were many people there. Chana's uncle, David, loved beautiful girls. He loved the gypsies and danced with us and tried to remove our masks and promised to donate lots of money. Even my friend Chana did not recognize me. From there, we went to Dr. Rabinovich, and we were received nicely. On the way, we met other masked kids; one was dressed as Rasputin. He and his friend complained that they did not get anything good at the house of the rich man Yosef Weitzman. They just got two rotten apples there. And we giggled and told them that Yosef is known in town for saving the good apples and eating the rotten ones.

At the end of the evening, we met other masked people, two of them designed by the art teachers and representing Herzl and Trumpeldor. They were collecting for the Keren Kayemet.

[Page 56]

It has long been known that Purim is a happy Jewish holiday. It is a big deal! The Jewish people were rescued from Haman, and in order to commemorate this, we bake beautiful “hamantash” and sweet “fluden” and eat roast turkey, giving no thought to the cost. Like all children, I loved this holiday. Before the holiday, my mother stood in line at Shifra Khaimovich's to receive the pans for “fluden” (cake). What kind of beautiful pans were they? They were decorated with butterflies, flowers, stars, and dolls stamped into them. No one else in town had these beautiful wooden pans. When I received them, Aunt Shifra told me a thousand times not to play on the way back. I ran home fast with my heart in my throat.

When I was going through the gate, my neighbor Mozya Markuzan was standing there. “What do you have in there, ‘green frog’”? They called me that because we had so many mosquitoes and, thus, many cases of malaria. That sickness got me, too, and I was greenish, yellowish. They also called me a lot of other names like “chaynik” (dummy), “malokrovny” (pale face), “gaga” (duck), “mershmil,” “Rasputin,” “Tsyleiger,” “Gonev,” “soldat” (soldier), “furtuny,” and more. Mozya tried to grab the parcel out of my hands, and I yelled, “Gevalt!” (“Help!”). Neighbors came out – Vaselina Kozhukhar and even Mrs. Markuzan, who sat on a bench in front of her house with folded arms, always keeping track of how many times the daughters of Srul Katz left the house and with whom. She rose and called out to her son – What have you made this mess for? He ran away fast…

But it didn't end there. My mother sent me again, this time to Nusim Kogan to buy Turkish delight, oranges, and chocolate. I loved it. Her daughter Zhozya was very glad that I had come. Luba Milgram lived next door, and a couple of other girls, and we played for so long that my father had to come search for me. It was so delicious to lick the fluden pans. In the house, there was an aroma of baking challahs, gefilte fish, and kugels. My father returned from the synagogue, the candles were burning, and there was the red kalach, vodka and cherry brandy, and the “sifon” (soda water) brought to us by Berkovich. The white table cloth had been nicely starched by our laundress Kharatina. But the best part of Purim was the appearance of the masked people. Who do you think came first? Itsik Mershmils. Do you all know him? He is the son of a small, slim woman who lived near the market and sold sticky paper to catch the flies, calling out “Flies, flies.”

Itsik wore red rags wrapped around his neck and an old faded hat on his head, and this was called his “mask.” When he came in, he said, “A good Purim my dear folks, today is Purim, tomorrow is not, give me five cents and throw me out.” My father asked him, “What happened, you already finished your Purim spiel? Where is your yawn?” Itsik said to my father, “For a simple yawn, I want one lei, for a yawn with a crow, I want two lei.”

I waited for the meal to be finished, and I went to see my friends Yosele Lerner, M. Weisman, and Leikale Finkelstein (z”l). We dressed as gypsies, Charles Chaplin, sailors, and had a guitar. We asked for donations for the poor. If Mrs. Nusimovich were living, she could recall this one Purim night, and if Moshe were living, he would love to pinch the gypsies, offer treats, and throw a fair amount of money into our collection boxes. On Purim 1940, the daughter of Leyb Zusevich announced her engagement. There were many guests. Usher Zusevich z”l liked my costume. I flirted with him and did a gypsy dance. He spun me in all directions and wanted to remove my mask, and he promised to donate lots of money. He did not recognize me. We sang, danced, and went on to Dr. Rabinovich's. There, of course, they recognized Meier and entertained us, and we continued on. Two people stood alongside Shapkar and cursed as only Shulem Aleikhem could. It was “Rasputin” with his wife Khaidvoira – “He gave us as much as he gave his daughter”… “Who?” “Yosel Weinberg,” the pair answered. Two rotten apples – “You foolish people. You must know that for the whole winter he walked around the market and chose the spoiled apples. He wouldn't eat the good ones…”

We walked along the streets and met other groups of young people. One group, almost 15 people, was from the Keren Kayemet organization, including Dr. Herzel with a beard (just like in the photograph) and a mask of Trumpeldor – designed by the art teacher of the Kiliya gymnasium, Adrianov…

We sang and laughed on that beautiful Purim night.

[Page 57]

Hebrew text:

Khaim Pivovar was well known in Kiliya. We regret that he is no longer with us. During the Romanian regime, Khaim Pivovar was active in the Communist underground, and he was also the cantor at the synagogue. This combination probably did not exist anywhere in Bessarabia or anywhere else.

It is a known fact that the Communists were atheists, but Khaim Pivovar went to synagogue and sang the prayers with all his heart.

I am still wondering how we can explain the case of Pivovar. Maybe the communist Pivovar wanted to hide his communist activities from the Romanian secret police, or maybe he wanted to be independent and have a dual mentality that combined the two contradictory philosophies. But we can't deny that he was an excellent cantor.

In 1940, when the Soviet regime gave to the Romanians the ultimatum to leave Bessarabia, Pivovar organized a youth choir at the workers club and taught them Soviet songs such as the Soviet Union anthem, The Internationale, Poliushka, The Happy Wind, etc.

He knew how to sing not only the prayers, but a lot more. This man lived among us. May his memory be blessed forever. Amen!

By M. Ianover

Everybody knew Vera Isachenko and her father, a tall man, half deaf, who walked around with a small dog. Vera's rapport with the Jews was different than the rest of the Goyim, the Christians of Kiliya. Many said that she had ties to the Romanian secret police, because many times she was seen with them. Many years after that my friend, the poet Emilian Bukov, told me a story that he also published. “When I studied at the University of Bucharest, Vera also studied there, but at a different faculty. In the summer, we met in Kiliya. Once Vera confessed that the secret police people asked her to follow me (Bukov) and to report to them.” We have to admit that not complying with the secret police during the Romanian regime was an act of courage.

Who in Kiliya didn't know Khaim (Harry) Pivovar? Unfortunately, he is no longer with us, but his memory lives on. He was an interesting person, and it is worth talking about him.

A remarkable individual, Khaim Pivovar was interesting in that he was a combination of seemingly incompatible things: during the Romanian regime, he was active in the Communist underground as one of the heads of the city's party organizations, and he was also the cantor at the synagogue.

This was an extraordinary situation, and it probably did not exist anywhere in Bessarabia or elsewhere. After all, it is a known fact that the Communists were militant atheists, but Khaim Pivovar went to synagogue and sang, beautifully sang, the prayers.

Contemplating this, you begin to wonder how to explain the case of Pivovar. Maybe the Communist Pivovar wanted to deflect the attention of the “Siguranta” (Romanian secret police) from his underground activities, or maybe he wanted to be original and independent in his mentality, his way of thinking, and have a dual mentality that combined the two contradictory philosophies.

Nevertheless, the fact remains that he was a unique and complex individual. It should be noted that he was involved in the development of cantor artistry, and in 1940, another aspect of his musical abilities was revealed: when the Soviet regime gave the Romanians the ultimatum to leave Bessarabia, Pivovar organized a youth choir at the workers club and taught them Soviet songs. With his leadership, we learned to sing songs that were previously forbidden, such as the Soviet Union anthem (Internationale), “Wide is My Motherland,” “The Happy Wind,” “Poliushka,” etc. That means that before 1940, he was singing more than just the prayers…

Such is the man who lived among us in Kiliya. May his memory be blessed forever!

Everybody in Kiliya knew Vera Isachenko and her father, a tall man, half-deaf, who always walked around the streets with his little dog. She was different from many other Christians because she was friendly toward the Jews and did not try to hide it.

At the same time, some believed that she had ties to the Romanian secret police (Siguranta), perhaps because she met with a few of its members. But another side of her was revealed many years after that by our fellow townsman, the poet Emilian Bukov. He told me – and then shared in his published memoirs – that he had studied at the University of Bucharest at the same time as Vera but in a different department. During summer breaks, they often met in Kiliya. Once, Vera tearfully confessed that the secret police had asked her to track his activities (because the Communist underground was under secret surveillance, which was confirmed after the war by documents). She also said that they asked her to write down what he said and report to them…

We must note that at that time, under those conditions – her admission was an honorable act.

[Page 58]

A few factors influenced the youth in the period between the two World Wars: the Tarbut School, the local Gymnasium, the synagogues, and the Jewish Youth organizations.

The Tarbut School opened because Jewish intellectuals fought for a national education for the younger generation. The minutes of the session of the Romanian Parliament from September 24, 1930, published in the official gazette (Monitorul Oficial, no. 76), recorded the appeal by the Jewish delegate Mr. M. Landau requesting that the government give more rights and some minimal funding to the Jewish schools. This request was derided by the minister of Education and Religious Affairs of Romania, Mr. D. Costescu. He denied the request and said sarcastically, “A stranger might think that the Jewish education here is in great, great distress…”

The Jewish activists continued to fight for the right to a Jewish education, and, as a result, Jewish schools opened in Kiliya and other small towns. The students (I was among them) received in these school a general education and also Hebrew studies, history of the Land of Israel, etc. We have to mention a few teachers at the school: Raduliansky, Weitsman, Vinograd, Meier Vinitsky, and Woloch. They helped form generations of youth. In this town, there was no Tarbut high school, and the students had to continue at the local Gymnasium “Angelescu.” At this school, the atmosphere was completely Romanian nationalism with only a few teachers having a more liberal view towards the Jews. They allowed some classes on Jewish religion to be taught by Rabbi Rabinovich. In the mid 1930s, the music teacher, Yosef Felikov, who graduated from the Conservatory in Bucharest, organized a brass orchestra and a theatre and music group.

The four synagogues also had an important role in the formation of Jewish identity. The Great Synagogue of Kiliya was an architectural gem inside and out. (All four synagogues were destroyed during the war.) The synagogues enforced the Jewish traditions of the families and also provided a source of news from Jewish communities around the world and in the Land of Israel. Sometimes representatives from the Jewish organizations and members of the National Jewish Party who worked for greater representation of Jews in the Romanian Parliament came to lecture at the synagogues.

Finally, we have to remember the Union of Jewish Youth, Maccabi, Gordonia, and Beitar, and their Zionist activities and clubs, such as Hachshara, that trained pioneers for immigration (Aliyah) to the Land of Israel.

The younger generation prepared for Aliyah, and even if they did not go to Israel, they had Israel in their hearts in the years of the war and during the Soviet regime until today!

[Page 59]

A few factors impacted the development of the Jewish youth in Kiliya in the pre-war period. First and foremost, it was the studies at the Tarbut School and at the local gymnasium. Then there was also the influence of the synagogues, the appearance of the Zionist organization “Gordoniya,” etc.

The Tarbut School opened in Kiliya (and in other cities and towns of Bessarabia) because Jewish intellectuals fought for a national education for the younger generation.

I have before me the minutes of the session of the Romanian Parliament from September 24, 1930 (see Monitorul Oficial, No. 76). This has a record of the appeal by the Jewish delegate Mr. M. Landau requesting more desirable conditions for the Jewish schools. This request was derided by the Minister of Education and Religious Affairs of Romania, Mr. D. Costescu. He denied the request and said sarcastically, “A stranger might think that the (Jewish) education here is in great, great distress…”

The Jewish activists continued to fight energetically for the expansion and improvement of the Tarbut network of schools, and, as a result, the Jewish school opened in Kiliya. The students (I was among them) received a general education in these schools, as well as Hebrew studies, Judaism, and history and geography of the land of Israel. We have to mention a few of the school's good directors – Weitsman, Raduliansky, and Vinograd – and teachers Meier Vinitsky, Woloch, and others.

Because there was no Jewish high school, the Tarbut students had to continue their studies at the local gymnasium with the Romanian name “Angelescu.” At this school, in spite of the chauvinistic policies of the Romanian authorities, there was still something of a Jewish spirit. Classes on the Jewish religion were taught by Rabbi Rabinovich. Thus, there was some continuation of Jewish upbringing after Tarbut.

There were occasionally other Jewish teachers at the gymnasium. In the mid 1930s, Yosef Falikov, who graduated from the Conservatory in Bucharest, was a very popular music teacher. He also directed a brass orchestra and a theatre and music group at the school. He wrote scripts himself and prepared plays for the group “Jolly Fellows.” Interestingly, this name was identical to the name of a famous Soviet film, and the standalone jolly stagings were just as good as performances on Romanian radio shows by the artists story (a Jew, by the way) and Vasilaki.

The synagogues also played an important role in the formation of Jewish identity. There were four of them before the war, including the Great Synagogue, an architectural gem. Not one of them was preserved. All four synagogues were destroyed during the war (and after).

However, while they existed, they had a major impact on the older generation and, through them, the children. The synagogues helped maintain a sense of unity among the Jews as a people. In conditions that were like the Galut, Hebrew was used during prayers and Torah study, representing the Jewish essence.

Influenced by the synagogue, Kiliyan Jews observed religious and national traditions and celebrated holidays. Also, when people gathered there, they shared news about Jews' situations in the country and around the world. Thus, Jewish life revolved around the synagogue.

The development of Jewish youth in Kiliya also took place in Zionist organizations such as Gordonia, Beitar, and Hasmonean. Here, we deepened our awareness of the difficult past of the Jewish people and their cultural values, and we studied the lives and activities of the remarkable people who gave rise to the Zionist movement.

The younger generation prepared for their journey to Eretz Israel through these organizations. Some of them left, and others could not, but the fire continued to burn in their souls, and they have carried it with honor through the years and distance right up until today.

[Page 60]

Hebrew/Russian text:

The Jewish theatre groups were active in the 1920s and 1930s. At the beginning of the 20s, the organizers were Yacov Botoshansky and Aizik Leyb Soskin.^[1] Soskin played the main role in the drama Dybbuk. In the 1930s, the Tarbut School teacher Meier Vinitsky staged the play People by Shalom Aleichem. Meier Weisman, Shaya Feferman, Zilya Markuzan, Ester Finkelstein (Shwartsman), and Dintsa Grinberg acted in this play, accompanied by Zunya Kogan on the violin. They also staged the play Motke the Thief.

In 1938, Borya Markuzan and Meier Weisman^[2] staged the play Kiliya on Stage, written by Ilya Konstantinovsky. Once, Adolf Ziglwaks came from Akerman and, employing the young people of Kiliya, put on the play Chanale.

The Jewish Savings and Loan Bank existed until 1940. Dr. Rabinovich was the honorable director, followed by Raful Safris. Karl Leventon was the acting manager, and the tellers were Raya Merems (wife of Izya Davidovich) and then Micah Weisman (sister of Meier). The bookkeeper was A. Glukhoy.

Also by Meier Weisman:

We should also mention that between 1918 and 1930, there was a Communist movement among the young people of Kiliya; Jewish youth participated in the Communist underground, and many were brought to trial by the Romanian regime.

According to Meier Weisman, in 1940, there were no less that 3,000 Jewish people in Kiliya. When the Red Army entered the city, the three synagogues were closed. Only the Beit Midrash was left open for prayers until July 1941 at the start of the war.

The Jewish Population Size

As far as I know, in 1940, there were around 3,000 Jewish people in Kiliya. (According to L.K.'s calculations, based on lists from matzah distribution committees, the Jewish community size was around 2,400-2,500.)

In 1940, three synagogues were closed. Only the Beit Midrash was left open for prayers until the start of the war.

M. Weisman

+/ This fact is still not confirmed. - LK

The Cantors

From the book The Jews of Bessarabia, page 634

Mordechai Radziviler, a student of Nisi Belzer, had a great voice and worked mostly in Kishinev at the Great Synagogue. He also toured the towns of Bessarabia, including Kiliya.

Yacov Lifkivker, a young cantor from Kishinev and then Belgium in the 1930s. He prayed during the High Holidays in the Great Synagogue of Kiliya for 3-4 years. He made a great impression in Kiliya.

Pesach Weisleib, who started his music career at a very young age. He was a lyrical tenor and sang at the Choral Synagogue in Kishinev. He worked in Odessa and studied with the singer Bialogorsky. He studied sacred music with the cantor Pini Minkovskiy. He sang in Kishinev, Akerman, and Kiliya, accompanied by a Choir. From 1948, he worked only on High Holidays in Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Bat-Yam, and Holon.

From the Book The Jews of Bessarabia, page 384.

In the summer of 1928, the Jews of Kiliya were taken to court because they kept their stores closed on Shabbat. Two cases were lost by the Jews, but they appealed to the High Court of Justice.

Translator's Footnotes

1. Hebrew text adds: (from Polya Weinshtein's generation) Return
2. The Hebrew text does not mention Meier Weisman. Return

[Page 61]

Hebrew text:

The drama/ theatre club of Kiliya presented, among many plays, a play entitled Motke the Thief. Some of the participants were Shaike Feferman, Galya Gurvits, Manya Kitsis, and others.

The brass orchestra had many young people; most of them appear in the picture published in this book. I also remember N. Kupershmidt.

The Jewish Bank was in fact a credit and savings trust; the office of this “bank” was located at the house of Shaike Lakhmanovich on Malo Dunayvskya Street.

The A. Perlshtein Jewish Library was on the main street and had books in many languages. Everybody appreciated this library.

The dangers of pogroms. I remember the events of 1924 after the uprising in Tatarbunary. Some of the provocations against the Jews started with the rumors that there would be a pogrom led by the Lipovans who lived on the outskirts of town. I remember (I was 9 or 10 then) that the Jews organized a self-defense. They divided the town into districts; each district had a supervisor. The young people received whistles, and we had to blow them in case of danger and alert the supervisor. Dr. Rabinovich, who was a member of the town council, took a horse from the firefighters and went to the Lipovanian Church to speak to the priest. He told the priest, “I heard that the Lipovans want to make a pogrom against us. I want to warn you that we organized a self defense and that first we will burn all your houses and your church and then we will defend our homes.”

The priest got scared and started to peal the church bells, and when all the Lipovans gathered there, he ordered them not to participate in any pogroms against the Jews and there were rumors that he asked them to help defend the Jewish people. I do not know how true this is, but there were many stories in town.

The Jewish drama club existed at the end of the twenties and beginning of the thirties. Leybush Rosenfeld, Usher Zusevich, Srulik Gurevich, and other Jewish students participated in it.

Jewish savings and loan bank. The director was K. Leventon, and the bookkeeper was Anneta Goldman.

The Jewish library had a wealth of books. Its readers were people of various nationalities. It was dismantled in 1940, and the premises were turned into apartments.

The Zionist Organization was very active from 1918 to 1940. There was a monetary collection for Keren Kayemet and Karen Gaeisod. Of the active and very honorable Zionists, it is worth mentioning Meier-Ioyne Glukhoy (a tailor) and his son (a bookkeeper), who were repressed for it. None of them returned.

B.S.D. – born in Kiliya, now lives in another city, tells us about several actions by the Soviet powers in Kiliya in 1945-1952.

Before the war, there were four synagogues. During the war (Romanians) and after the war (Soviets), all four synagogues were destroyed. Where the Beit Midrash once stood, now there is a square and a memorial to sailors who were killed. Where the Great Synagogue was solidly built on Lenin Street, the destroyer (1949) had to go to a lot of trouble to tear it down. On that site, a club for the ship-repairing factory was built. The other two synagogues were torn down before my demobilization (1946).

In the place of the former Jewish community – a day care center is there now? (not confirmed, editor L.K.)

After the war, Jews gathered to pray on Rosh Hashanah in one of the private homes belonging to David Mikhailovich. Suddenly, police burst in and drove away the praying Jews, and a representative of the district financial department confiscated the Torah.

Now, believers are permitted to pray freely. (Very few are left.) In 1940–1941, many people were picked up during the night, based on paragraphs 38 and 39. Some were deported 50 km outside the border. Others were sent to very distant areas. Including the Zuseviches, Katses, Weinbergs, Gertsoviches, Kogans, and many, many more! Only a small portion of them survived and returned, but not to Kiliya.

[Page 62]

The Zionist movement was strong in Kiliya between 1918 and 1940. Among the activists were Meier Glukhoy (tailor) and his son, an accountant who were exiled by the Soviet regime to Siberia and never returned.

Until 1940, four synagogues were functioning in Kiliya. During the war, the Romanians and, after that, the Soviets, demolished the four synagogues. On the lot where the Bet Hamidrash Synagogues was located, they erected a monument for the sailors who perished in the war. After the Great Synagogue was demolished in 1949, they built a club for the shipyard workers on the lot. The other two synagogues were demolished in 1946 (before I was released from the Red Army).

After the war, a few Jews gathered to pray for Rosh Hashana in the house of David Mikhlovich. The police encircled the house, ordered them to stop, and confiscated the Torah scroll. Today, although only a few Jews are left, it is possible to pray again!

In 1940–41, a lot of people were arrested according to paragraph 38 and 39 of the law. Among them were the Zusevich family, the Katz family, Weinberg, Kogan, Gertsovich, and many others. Only a few survived and returned from exile but not to Kiliya.

The wedding of Dudu, son of Aizik (Zisman) Zohar, July 10, 1973 There are a number of people from Kiliya who have not appeared in other pictures: First, from the right, Milya Kanterman, Mrs. Nusimovich, Sonya Khaimovich, Jean Nusimovich, and Izya Goldman (moved to the USA). The wife of Goldman is next to the bride.

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