Vatra Dornei – Bukovina Jewish Heritage Sites

75 Years Commemoration – Vatra Dornei Synagogue – 10/2016 – by Adina Babeş

In the fall of 1941, following the order of Ion Antonescu govenrment, 91,845 of Jews from Bukovina were deported. From 9^th until the 15 of October 1941, from the train stations of Suceava, Gura Humorului, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Vatra Dornei and Rădăuți, men, women, children were sent to Transnistria. Most of them died there, executed, or from epidemics, cold and starvation.

This year, we commemorate 75 years since this dark chapter of Romanian history. To honor the memory of the victims, commemorative plaques were placed on the facades of the train station from where the trains left to Transnistria.

This is a project of Federation of Communities of Romanian Jews and Elie Wiesel National institute for the study of Holocaust in Romania.

Vatra Dornei Wiznitzer Synagogue – by Bruria & Ptachia Menkin

Mr. Ptachia Menkin and Mrs. Bruria Menkin took part in the July 2015 journey, on the path of the Holocaust of Romanian Jews, in Bukovina and Transnistria valley of death, that was organized by the World Organization of Bukovina Jews. The Menkins also visited this area previously in 2011 and 2005.

One of the places they visited in over the years was the Wiznitzer Synagogue in Vatra Dornei in Romania.
See below pictures from the synagogue visit in 2011.

Vatra Dornei Jewish Synagogue – by Bruria & Ptachia Menkin

One of the places they visited in over the years was the Synagogue in Vatra Dornei in Romania.
“Vatra Dornei is the town where we were born”.
See below pictures from the synagogue from 2011, 2005 and 1958 and compare…..
1958

“This picture (from 1958) was taken with the synagogue in the background – a short time before we immigrated to Israel. you can see there my parents – Shimon and Dina Rand, my sisters Esti (Shecter), Miriam (Farbstein) and me – Bruria”.

2005

2011