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En route: The Jewish Cemetery (Buiucani district) – one of the oldest cemeteries in Chisinau with the burials of the 19th century. There can be found the unique pre-burial synagogue (half-ruined). It contains more than 20,000 graves, which date back to the 17th century. Many other monuments and old graves lying on the territory of the cemetery are of great interest, as well. Jewish Heritage tour Republic of Moldova-Romania

10 days/9 nights

Highlights of the tour:

 Jewish Community in Republic of Moldova and Romania  Follow the routes to the Jewish roots, Republic of Monument to the Victims of the Chisinau Ghetto– erected in Moldova, Romania 1992 on Jerusalim Street in Chisinau. Chisinau Ghetto was, in fact, a  Monuments to the Victims of WW II Ghetto place where the Jews were concentrated before their deportation  Holocaust Memorials and Mass Graves in 1941.  – back to USSR: country of camps of the Former Jewish Hospital - The Jewish Hospital was established at death in WWII the beginning of the 19th century. The Hospital Constitution stated  Theater in Romania that the hospital’s mission was to provide medical help for the  Old Jewish Community in Roman, Romania patients of Jewish nationality, both men and women, the residents of Chişinău, and if there are free places medical help can be  The oldest wooden synagogue in Romania, Piatra The Memorial to the Victims of the pogroms in Chisinau in 1903 granted for the Jews living in other towns and settlements, and Neamt and 1905 situated in the area of the Jewish cemetery. The also for patients of other religions.  Landscapes of Transylvania inscription is in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Romanian. General tour of Chisinau: Central Square Stefan the Great and  One of the most beautiful castles in Europe –Peles Synagogue of the “Glaziers” – today, the only functional synagogue Saint with Monument to Stefan the Great and Saint; the Bell Castle in Chisinau built at the end of the 19th century and funded by the Tower; Lord Nativity Central Cathedral; the Triumph Arch; the  Jewish Quarter Bucharest Jewish Society of Glaziers and Bookbinders. Parliament; the Presidency; the City Hall; the Memorial Museum of Jewish History and House of the Jews “KEDEM” –The Eternity; the Souvenir’s shop and market; the Alley of Classics museum was established by the Jewish community and exposes a rich with sculptures of Romanian Classics; National Museum of Day 1: Arrival at Chisinau International Airport. (D) collection of Jewish documents, books, personal objects from many History and Archeology. Meet ESG and transfer to the city. Check-in the hotel in Chisinau. Jewish families. Afternoon at leisure. The ruins of the Synagogue Rava Tsirelsona and former Evening walk for the welcome dinner at restaurant “Vatra Almshouse (1910) “Choral Synagogue” – founded in 1812 in Neamului” with live music. Chisinau the synagogue represented the biggest and the most Return to the hotel for overnight. beautiful temple of the period. The synagogue was the most important Jewish house of worship in Chisinau in the period 1913 – Day 2: Chisinau – Jewish Community – 1940. During the Soviet Times the building was turned to a theatre Wine Cellars (B, L) where a dramatic “Chehov” Theatre has been settled till nowadays.

Chisinau- the capital of the Republic of Moldova was a flourishing Jewish center in the 18th century and had witnessed many events connected with the Jews since then. By the end of the 18th century the Jews were owners of most of the factories of those times with Jewish employees.

Jewish tour of Chisinau www.moldova.solei.md +373 22 890 900 [email protected]

Take a lunch in a local restaurant “Propaganda” offering nice European and Moldavian cuisine. Drive to Orhei town to learn about Jewish life of the region, both the past and the present. Visit the Jewish community in Orhei. Meet the local representative who will reveal the Jewish history of the area, visit to the Jewish cemetery (it’s considered to be the oldest Jewish cemetery in Europe-more than 400 years old with unique monuments to Jewish soldiers and victims of Holocaust and monument to the victims of Nazism), and the synagogue built in the 20th cent.

Day 3: North of Moldova: The Jews in town. Jewish tour of Beltsy with visit to the Jewish community and Jewish community in Balti town. (B, L) Jewish cemetery. According some historical sources, first Jews had settled in this This day you’re supposed to visit the northern locality of Moldova region of Moldova in the beginning of Xth century. Before the WW II and learn about the Jews and their life of that region over the the Jewish community of Beltsy (Balti) was a vibrant population of centuries. trade, industry and culture, Zionism and Yiddsih, political parties Jewish settlement in Soroca is first recorded in 1657 when the and youth movements. Jews came to this region escaping the persecution of the Polish and Beltsy was the second largest populated city in , with the Germans and searching a new life. An organized community, the second largest number of Jewish inhabitants after Chisinau, however, dates back to the 18th century. A synagogue in Soroca and the economic center of region. According the census of 1930 was established in 1775. Beltsy had 14229 Jewish residents. Late afternoon, visit the winery Cricova. You’ll take a train En route: In September 1941 the last Jews, some 2800 people were expelled around the underground wine city and enjoy an informative wine Pay respect at the monument to the victims of Fascism and to the Marculesti Camp, and the Jewish population of the city tour about wine production, winery collection and wine storage, as Jewish cemetery ceased to exist. well as sample some of the best Moldovan wines. Synagogue – one floor building built in 1804, a functional Today Jewish Community of Beltsy is consisted of Beltsy and CRICOVA winery lies under the town of Cricova and partially synagogue neighborhood towns, and since 1989 is ranked 2nd place by the under the capital of Moldova, Chisinau. The cellars represent 60 House of the lawyer family Iosif Gendler (Jewish) – now The Jewish population of Moldova. km of labyrinths and galleries. Museum of Natural History in Soroca Evening at leisure. Overnight at the 4*star hotel in Chisinau. Soroca fortress The first recorded mention of Soroca fortress dates back to 1499. The fortress had captured many dramatic events including the invasions of the Tatars, Cossacks, Polish King Ian Sobesky troops, military actions of Bogdan Hmelnitskyi, anti-Ottoman campaign of the Russian Monarch Peter the Great. Lunch at local restaurant “Cetatea Veche”/Old Fortress After lunch drive to another Jewish community in Balti/Beltsy town.

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Evening drive back to Chisinau. Free dinner. Overnight at the World war II the Jewish population in Rybnitsa was around 30%. there were nearly 1,500 Jews. Today, has its Jewish 4* hotel in Chisinau. During the Holacaust period on the territory of Rybnitsa and the community that counts 1700 people and “The Charity Cultural surrounding area perished more than 6000 of the Jews, both locals Center”. In 1997 there was built and put into operation the and immigrants from Bessarabia and Bukovina. synagogue that’s been activating till present. Day 4: East of Moldova - Transnistria: Dubossary Jewish Learn the story of the Jewry in Rybnitsa and visit the Memorial community, Rybnitsa town, Tiraspol, Bendery (B, L) and a Bed of Honor for 48 Jews prisoners of the Ghetto in Rybnitsa; Jewish cemetery with a Bed of Honor for more than 500 Today, we’ll explore Transnistria – self-proclaimed independent Jews – Ghetto Prisoners; Monument to the Martyrs and Victims Pridnestrovian-Moldavian Republic and find out what events had of Holocaust in Rybnitsa this country witnessed during the WWII and how Jewish The Ghetto in Rybnitsa lasted 936 days – from September 7, 1941 community is developing in the region. till March 29, 1944. There were around 3000 people subjected to the Ghetto. More than 2700 were killed, their bed of Honor lies on Dubossary-established in 1792 as a Russian military settlement. the cemetry. The Monument in their honor was set up in 2006 in The city lies 42 km from Chisinau and belongs to Transnistria. the shape of a sarcophagus. During the World War II there took place a mass destruction of the Jews living in Dubossary and nearby villages. Sites to be visited:

Memorial to the Victims of Holocaust with a mass grave. The largest mass burial of the victims of Holocaust took place at the In Tiraspol: outskirts of Dubossary. More than 3000 names of the victims are Central Area “Suvorov” with the Monument to Alexander engraved on the granite slabs. The Memorial has 11 beds of honor Suvorov with thousands of victims each. House of Sovjets Jewish Cemetery. Square with bust to Ekaterina II Glory Memorial (1972) Jewish Center with Museum Museum of Holocaust Lunch in a local restaurant “Hortitsa” (Fortress) in Rybnitsa Monument of the Victims of Fascism and the Bed of Honor Further, we continue to explore the region southern of Rybnitsa and drive to the capital of Transnistria – Tiraspol. Bendery Tiraspol - is the second largest city in Moldova. The city is located The city Bendery was founded in 1408 as the Tighina Fortress of the on the Eastern bank of the River. It was founded by the Ottoman Empire. The first documents proving the Jews presence Russian general Alexandr Suvorov in 1792 whose statue is rising there date back to the beginning of XVI c. when a synagogue was on the central square in Tiraspol. built on the territory of the fort. By 1930 the city counted 8000 Since the 19th century, this city has always had a thriving Jewish Jews and by the end of 1980 the Jewish population was 6000. presence. The Jews came here from different Russian localities as Today, in Bendery and its suburbs live around 1000 Jews. In 2001 a well as from Bessarabia. At beginning of the XX century, town Jewish community was founded in Bendery as well as the Jewish occupied only the central part of modern Tiraspol. Pokrovskaya Agency “Sohnut” and the Synagogue. Street (now October 25th) was the main street, it housed the You will explore the 16th century Tighina fortress-Turkish administrative and commercial offices and houses of wealthy fortress and visit the on-site museum and the War Memorial in the citizens. Tiraspol had a significant grain trade, concentrated almost city of Bender. In 1941, when the Red Army had left Bendery, it exclusively in the hands of the Jews. caused the occupation of the city and creation of Ghetto, thus a Before the war, in 1926 Jews accounted 6398 people. The city had number of Jews were murdered in a ditch near the Tighina Rybnitsa – another important city in Transnistria that witnessed several synagogues and two Jewish schools. fortress. In June 2001, a memorial plaque was established at a spot many horrible events referred to the Jews. The first mention of During the Holocaust, nearly the entire Jewish community where more than 600 Jews were executed between July and Rybnitsa dates back to 1628 and the first Jews had appeared in perished in Nazi concentration camps. After World War II, the September 1941. Rybnitsa toghether wth the rest of population. Nowadays there are Jewish community began to grow once again and, by the 1960s, living only 1% of the Jews from the total population. Before the