Alternate names: Moldoviţa [Rom], Rusii Moldovitei, Ruşii Moldoviţa, Moldorita Ferăst. 47°41' N, 25°32' E in Bucovina. Famous for its painted monastery, a Holocaust memorial exists. "Romania's Changeless Land" in NY Times Magazine. Moldoviţa is a commune in Suceava judet composed of four villages: Moldoviţa, Argel, Demacuşa and Raşca. [June 2009]
web site of the writer, Ruth Ellen Gruber. Jewish Cemeteries of the Bucovina by This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ISBN 978-973-1805-50-4. Romanian, Ukrainian, English, French, and German. This book may soon be available via commercial booksellers, but can also be obtained directly from the author <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>. Though very fews Jews remain in the Bucovina, the cemeteries represent the culture and prominence of the Jewish populations of pre-WWII Romania. This volume provides information on and pictures of the Jewish cemeteries of Campulung Moldovenesc, Vama, Gura Humorului, Solca, Arbore, Radauti, Moldovita, Siret, Mihaileni, Storozhynets, Vyzhnytsia, Banilov, Vashkivtsi, Novoselitsa, and Hertsa. [Mar 2014\
Ehpes-Chernowitz [Mar 2014]
Jewish Bukovina. [Mar 2014]
CEMETERY:
The cemetery is located in Suceava County, 26km from Campulung Moldovenesc and 37km from Gura Humorului. 2008 town population is 5,236 with no Jews.
- Local authority: Mayor Traian Iliesi, Str. Principala 421, Moldovita.
- Religious authority: Jewish Community of Suceava, President Sorin Golda; and The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, Str. Sf. Vineri 9-11, Bucharest.
No census data on Jewish population available. The Jewish cemetery was established in the 19th century. The rural (agricultural) cemetery location is separate, but near other cemeteries, on a hillside without a sign or plaque. Reached by crossing public property, access is open to all. A broken fence surrounds the site. The cemetery has a gate that does not lock.
The present size of the cemetery is approximately 40m x 30m. 20 to 100 stones are visible in the cemetery with some not in original location. 50%-75% are toppled or broken. The location of the stones that have been removed is not known. Vegetation overgrowth is a constant problem, disturbing stones. It is impossible to determine if the cemetery is divided into special sections. Tombstones in the cemetery date from the 19th century. Inscriptions on tombstones are in Hebrew, German.
Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. Care is occasionally clearing or cleaning by individuals. No structures. Uncontrolled access, weather erosion and vegetation are a moderate threat. Vandalism is a serious threat. According to some information received by villagers, the cemetery has been vandalized by village's youth in 2007.
Dr. Simon Geissbuhler, E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., completed this survey on May 31, 2009 and took the photo below. More information and pictures are included in S. Geissbuhler, Jewish Cemeteries of the Bucovina, Bucharest, Noi Media Print 2009. He visited on February 24, 2009. Interviews with several unidentified individuals.
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [March 2016]