US Commission No. ROCE-0640 -
Cemetery is in Saravale, 1991, com. Sanpetru Mare, judet Timis, Transylvania, Romania. Alternate names are Szarafalva (Hungarian) and Saravele (Romanian.) 4604 2044, 284.1 miles WNW of Bucharest and 9 km from Sannicolau Mare. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
- Mayor Popovici Viorel, Town Hall of Sanpetru Mare, judet Timis
- The Jewish Community of Timisoara, Gheorghe Lazar Street no. 5, Romania, tel., Timisoara, 1900, Romania
- The Federation of The Jewish Communities of Romania, Sfintu Vineri Street no. 9-11, sect. 3, Bucharest, Romania
- "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universitatii Street no. 7-9, room 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Director: Ladislau Gyemant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Caretaker and key holder: none
The 1880 Jewish population by census was 53; 42 in 1900, and seven in 1930. The unlandmarked Orthodox and Neolog cemetery was established in second half of the 19th century. Last known burial was inter-war period.
The rural/agricultural flat land, part of a municipal cemetery ((Catholic cemetery) has no sign or marker. Reached by a public road, access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate.
Approximate pre-WWII size is unknown. Approximate post-WWII size is 30 x 10 m. 1-20 stones are visible. 1-20 stones are and 1-20 stones are not in original location. More than 75% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is a constant problem preventing access. Water drainage is good all year.
No special sections. The oldest known gravestone dates from second half of the 19th century. The 19th and 20th century marble and sandstone flat shaped and smoothed and inscribed common gravestones. Inscriptions are in Hebrew, German, and Hungarian. No known mass graves. The local Jewish community owns the property used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The cemetery was vandalized occasionally in the last ten years. No maintenance. No care now. No structures. Security is a very serious threat due to no fence or gate and distance from the village.
Claudia Ursutiu, Pietroasa Str. no. 21, 3400 Cluj Napoca, Romania, tel. 0040-64-151073 visited and completed survey in 23 September 2000 using the following documentation:
- Recensamantul din 1900. (1900 Transylvania Jewish Population Census) coord.: Traian Rotariu, Cluj, 1999
- Recensamantul general al populatiei din 29 decembrie 1930 (The General Census of the Population from December 29, 1930), vol. II, Bucuresti 1938
- Recensamintul general al populatiei din Romania din 7 ianuarie 1992 (The General Census of the Population of Romania from January 7, 1992), vol. I, Bucuresti, 1994
- Zsido Lexicon, ed. by Ujvari Peter, Budapest, 1929
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. History of the Jews of Transylvania (1623-1944), Bucuresti, 1994, in Romanian
- Izvoare si marturii referitoare la evreii din Romania (Sources and Testimonies on the Jews in Romania), vol. III/1-2, coord. L. Gyemant, L. Benjamin, Bucuresti, Ed. Hasefer, 1999
- Victor Neumann, Istoria evreilor din Banat (A history of the Jews from Banat), Bucuresti, Atlas, 1999
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localitatilor din Transilvania (The Historical Dictionary of Localities in Transylvania), vol. I-II, Bucuresti, 1967
- Microsoft Auto Route Express 1999
Claudia and Adrian Ursutiu conducted no interviews. [January 2003]