In the aftermath of WWII, residents of the displaced Jewish communities of Europe often came together to remember the world they had known. Yizkor books were written by these community groups--books which enumerated the names of those they had lost and the way of life they had endured. When I started studying my family's history, I was fortunate enough to be working next to a world class university library with an extensive collection of these books. In particular, the Yizkor book for Bivolari, the town in Romania where my paternal grandmother's family is from, provided a wealth of information. I also found the books for several other towns in Europe important to my family, Khotyn and Tarnobrzeg chief among them. Unfortunately for me, these books are typically in Yiddish and Hebrew, and I speak neither.JewishGen has be posting translations of these Yizkor books, and I found out today that Bivolari is now among them! Our Town Bivolari is written in Hebrew with a Romanian summary, and I may have an extract of the Romanian section courtesy of a professor in The Ohio State University Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Literature. The JewishGen page currently has a translation of the "List of Martyrs," which includes several members of my extended family. With time--and donations--perhaps the entirety of the book could be translated. That would really help give me and my contemporaries more insight into the world of our ancestors.
Hello! My name is Manastireanu-Anton Liviu and I'm from Bivolari, Romania.I was very surprised to find this blog and to find that someone so far wrote about my borne place.I'm not living in Bivolari now, but my parents and one of my brothers live there.I know about the jewish who lived in Bivolari from my grandfather, who tell me story of the interbelic age.The story was about a community very ....ok! II have two wishes if is possible.The first, my great-grandfather was mayor in Bivolari in the 30's I gues, and if you can tell me anything about what kind of mayor he was, if yoy have information or your family,of course.His name was Manastireanu Grigore.the second, I want a copy of "Our Town Bivolari", fully transleted in romanian or english.I'm a person with a passion for history and a want to know the historical truth from many side.Unfortunately, in Romania, the society live in a newcomunism or postcomunism period, after 25 years from "revolution of 1989",that in my opinion, of course, therefore the romanian knows only half of truth or false truth about everything, including abaut the what was the community of jewish, for Bivolari for example.
ReplyDeletePlese excuse my english, but it's a long time since I finish my studies.I'm 40 years old.
My email is liviu34312002@yahoo.com
If I can help you with anything please tell me
Respectfully,
Manastireanu-Anton Liviu
Do you have more information regarding the english translation of the romanian section? A more specific link perhaps? The name of the professor at Ohio State who I could contact? My uncle ( Reuven Solomon ) wrote one of the sections and I would love to be able to read what he wrote.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Bob
bobsoguy@gmail.com