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This project seeks to collect all of the Jewish families from the town of Boyany, Ukraine, also known as Boyany [Ukr, Rus], Boian [Rom], Bojan [Ger, Pol], Boyan [Yid], Boianceni.
https://www.jewishgen.org/Communities/Community.php?usbgn=-1036272
https://dbs.bh.org.il/place/boian
Bojan
Village in Ukraine in the region of Bukovina. It belonged to Austria from 1774 to 1918 and to Romania from 1918 to 1940.
In 1807 there were in Bojan only 3 Jewish families, occupied in agriculture. Its situation near the Russian and Romanian borders contributed to the growth of the community, which numbered 781 in 1880 (14.9% of the total population). It was first affiliated to the community of Sadagora. An independent community was established in 1860. Bojan became a Chasidic center when the tzaddik R. Isaac Fridman, a grandson of R. Israel of Ruzhin settled there in 1886. In consequence of the influx of the Chasidim who settled near the tzaddik's home, Bojan developed into an urban settlement. In 1913 the community numbered 2,573. It had a synagogue and four prayer houses. When the Russians occupied Bojan during World War I, the Jewish quarter, including the residence of the tzaddik, was destroyed and most of the Jews there fled. R. Isaac Fridman fled to Vienna where he died.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boiany
The Hasidic dynasty of Boyan was founded here in 1887 by Rabbi Yitzchok Friedman (1850–1917), eldest son of the first Sadigura Rebbe, Rabbi Avrohom Yaakov Friedman (1820–1883). Upon the death of his father in 1883, Rabbi Yitzchok and his brother Rabbi Yisrael (1852–1907) assumed joint leadership of their father's Hasidim. Although they were content with this arrangement, many of the Sadigura Hasidim preferred to have one Rebbe, and in 1887, the brothers agreed to draw lots to determine who would stay in Sadigura and who would move out. The lots fell to Rabbi Yisrael to remain as the second Sadigura Rebbe, while Rabbi Yitzchok moved to the neighboring town of Boiany (Boyan) and established his court there, becoming the first Boyaner Rebbe.[1] Under his leadership, Boyaner Hasidut flourished. Boyaner communities were established in nearby towns as well as in Tiberias, Safed, and Jerusalem, Israel.[2]
At the beginning of World War I, the town of Boyan was completely destroyed and the Rebbe and his family escaped to Vienna, where the Rebbe died in 1917. After the war ended, his four sons each moved to a different country to establish their court.[3] Boyaner Hasidut continues today under the leadership of Rabbi Nachum Dov Brayer, great-grandson of the first Boyaner Rebbe, who makes his home in Jerusalem.
Bojan The little city Bojan which was situated on the train line from Chernivtsi to Nowosielitza was home to a small but lively Jewish community. In 1817 there were Jewish farmers there. In the years 1839 to 1842 several Jewish families settled there (see volume I, p. 88). According to the census of 1880 781 of the 5227 inhabitants of Bojan were Jewish (14.9%) (see volume I, p. 46). In 1860, Bojan established its own Jewish community and in 1873 this community had 200 members. Since the beginning of the 19th century the town was the seat of the “Wonder Rabbi” Jizchak Friedmann, who after the death of his father the Wonder Rabbi of Sadagura, left the succession to his younger brother and moved to Bojan where he founded a new branch of the Sadagura Rabbinic dynasty. His numerous followers (Chassidim) spent the high holidays at his court, which provided a favorable opportunity to conduct business.
Before World War I, the economy grew continually. Agriculture blossomed thanks to the diligence of the Jewish estate owners Motio Gottesmann and Schmiel Metsch. The deputy mayor was Abraham Retter. His representative was Dr. Nathan Feuerstein. The pharmacists were the Jews Gottesmann and Mag. Benedikt Sternberg. There was one Jewish school in the town that was supported by the Baron Hirsch endowment. The school was directed by the teacher Ephraim Seidmann. Judge Bogen was employed in the District Court. The Jewish teacher Berta Schecht-Zuflucht taught at the Romanian elementary school.
Herr H. Metsch (Naharia) tells us about a well known “original” from Bojan, “Chajiml den Meshuggenen” (Chajiml the deranged or crazy one). This man, once a successful businessman, was ruined by poor business deals and excessive drinking and ended up taking his “pension” from the Bojan rabbi. He got his food at the charity kitchen and slept in the prayer house. The students of the town who spent their summer vacations at home, would not be denied the pleasure of buying a few drinks for the fellow which encouraged him to supply “gems of wisdom.” This proved that he really wasn't meschugge, for the life knowledge he imparted remained in the minds of the younger generation.
In 1914, the community which had separated itself from the Sadagura Jewish community in 1860, counted 2573 souls of whom, 272 were tax payers. The head of the community was Hersch Rappaport. The members of the executive committee were Dr. Nathan Feuerstein, Motio Gottesmann, L. Klinger, J. Sonnenblum, Simon Baltuch, Isaak Retter, Israel Margulies, Ephraim Seidner (secretary), Mottel Markus, Moses Barbasch, Abraham Isaak Schneider and Mechel Schaechter. The rabbi was Isser Sternhell. At the head of the organization, “Ahavath Zion, was H. Margulies, the Talmud Torah was lead by J. Margulies. The community income was 18, 112 Kronen, the expenses 25,758 Kronen. There was a synagogue and 4 prayerhouses in the town. The Cantor was David Schaechter. The religion teacher was Moses Rosenblatt. The Gottesmann, Kellmer, Metsch, Meidler, Ritter, Rendel and Schaechter families were among the most respected in the town.
Bojan was destroyed during the First World War. The reconstruction of the town was a drawn out affair Rabbi Izchak Friedmann died during the war His successor was his son Raw Nuchem Muniu, who, after the war moved to Chernivtsi. His sons Ahron and Mottale died in Transnistrien.
As told by Max Rendel, Caracas, Venezuela