International Jewish Cemetery Project - Romania F-J Located at 47°32' 26°54' in Botosani county, Moldavia region. Town population: under 1,000 with no current Jewish population.
The mayor of the town of Frumusica is interested in the site and may share information.
Caretaker.A miniscule Jewish community, 15 km. from Hirlau, Frumusica (probably suburban to Hirlau.)
From the respondent's father's account, the town had maybe fifty Jews. Jewish Encyclopedia says the Jewish population was less than 200.
The inactive cemetery location is isolated rural/agricultural flat land of a slight incline has a sign. The cemetery is reached by turning directly off a public road (by side of road). Access is open with permission obtained at the City Hall. Someone from City Hall probably will accompany the visitor to the cemetery surrounded by a continuous wooden fence with an entry opening. Probably about 500 or more tombstones are visible with about 75% or more topped or broken. Inscriptions are in Romanian and Hebrew. The cemetery is visited rarely by private visitors. Village officials say that they have funds to do anything for care or maintenance but they need medical supplies. If they get medical supplies, they will try to do something for the cemetery. The condition of the cemetery is a very serious problem due to neglect. The fence indicates some desire to protect it. Ravishes of time and nature have wrought great damagfocsanie. Jack H Bloom, 23 Sherman Street, Fairfield, Connecticut. Tel: 203/255-0600, ext 111. Home tel: 203/374-5600 completed this survey on 25 August 1997. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
US Commission No. _
Frumusica is located in Botosani judet, Moldavia region at 47°39' 26°58', 46 km from Tîrgu Frumos. Present town population is 5,000-25,000 with no Jewish population.
- Local Authority: Mayor Bleanca Gheril, Frumusica, Botosani judet.
- Religious Authority: The Jewish Community of Botosani, Soseaua Nationala no. 220. Phone: 514659
- Regional Authority: The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Sf. Vineri str., no. 9-11, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania.
- Interested: "A.D. Xenopol" Institute of History, Lascar Catargi str., no. 15, 6400- Iasi (Iasi judet), Romania. Tel. 032/212614; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Director: Alexandru Zub.
- Caretaker with key: Cretu Constantin, Frumusica, Botosani judet. Phone: 032/554108
The 1831 Census registered 82 Jewish inhabitants and that from 1899 registered 79 Jewish inhabitants. The 1930 Census registered 36 Jewish inhabitants. Prominent residents include Avraham Sechter (1853-1918), scholar rabbi. This Jewish cemetery was established in the 19th century. The last known Jewish burial in cemetery was in 1941. The unlandmarked Conservative cemetery is 2 km from the congregation that used it.
The isolated flat rural (agricultural) land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open with permission. A continuous masonry wall and a gate that locks surround. The pre- and post-WWII size is 70 m X 60 m. 100 - 500 tombstones are visible with 1 to 20 not in original location. More than 75% are toppled or broken. Vegetation overgrowth and water drainage are not problems. Tombstones date from end of the 19th to the 20th century.
The marble, limestone, and sandstone tombstones are rough stones or boulders, flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, and flat stones with carved relief decoration. Some have portraits on the stones. Inscriptions are in Hebrew and Romanian.
The national Jewish community owns the cemetery property now is used for Jewish cemetery and agriculture. Compared to 1939, the cemetery boundaries enclose the same area. Rarely, private visitors (Jewish or non-Jewish) stop. The never vandalized cemetery has no maintenance but care is by the regular unpaid caretaker. No structures. Security, weather erosion, and vegetation are slight threats.
Lucian Nastasa, Clinicilor str., no. 19, Cluj, Romania, tel. 064/190107. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. completed the survey on July 21, 2000 using the following documentation:
- Leonida Colescu, Analiza rezultatelor recensamîntului general al populatiei Romaniei de la 1899, cu o prefată de Sabin Manuila, Bucuresti, Institutul de statistica, 1944.
- I.M. Dinescu, Fiii neamului de la 1859 la 1915. Statistica sociala pe întelesul tuturora, Iasi, Institutul de Arte Grafice N.V.Stefaniu, 1920.
- Pinkas Hakehillot, Encyclopedia of Jewish Communities Romania, I-II, Jerusalem, 1980.
- D. Ivanescu, Populatia evreiască din orasele si tîrgurile Moldovei între 1774-1832 , în "Studia et acta historiae iudaeorum Romaniae", II, Bucuresti, Edit.Hasefer, 1997, p. 59-65.
- I. Kara, Inscriptii funerare ebraice din judetul Botosani, în "Memoria Antiquitatis", II, 1970, p. 523-531.
- George I. Lahovari, Marele dictionar geografic al Romaniei, 5 vol., Bucuresti, Edit.Socec, 1899.
- E. Schwarzfeld, Din istoria evreilor: împopularea, reîmpopularea si întemeierea tîrgurilor si tîrgusoarelor în Moldova, Bucuresti, 1894.
- N. Sutu, Notiti statistice asupra Moldaviei, Iasi, 1852.
He visited July 21, 2000 and interviewed Cretu Constantin, Frumusica, Botosani judet. Phone: 032/554108. [June 2002]
Photos by Charles Burns [March 2016]