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The area around the city of Chernivtsi/Czernowitz in Bukovina, now in Ukraine, included many Jewish communities linked by history, commerce, and family. The major nearby communities were Storojinet in the southwest, and Sahdhora to the north, and several smaller Jewish communities were also nearby. This project seeks to help bring together the families with roots in the Czernowitz-Sadhora-Storojinet area and trees here at Geni, and provide some links to other useful resources online.
The city of Czernowitz and its surroundings were at various times in the 20th century located in Austria (Austrian Empire), Romania, Russia, the Soviet Union, and now Ukraine.
Jewish Communities
Town names below are linked to the JewishGen Town Finder/Communities database when an entry for it exists, otherwise to the JewishGen Gazetteer.
- Chernivtsi (Czernowitz, Czernovitz, Chernovtsy, Cernauti, Tschernowitz, Czernawka, Chernivetska)
- Sadhora (Sadagora, Sadagura, Sadgora)
- Storozhynets (Storojinet, Storozhinets, Storojineti)
- Toporivtsi (Toporwitz, Toporowitz, Топорівці, Toporoutz, Toporautz, Toporauti, Toprovtsy, Toporowce, Toporivci, Toporovtsy)
More Resources
Families Represented at Geni
Below are some extracts from first person accounts of life in these Jewish communities, including the names of people that the author felt were notable. An attempt has been made to identify Geni profiles for those names, based on name, location, and birth year, although some of these links might turn out not to be to the person mentioned.
For more Geni profiles of people from the Czernowitz area, the "Google search for" links provided above will search the whole Geni database for people who were born or died in the places listed.
Sadgura
Well-known were the families Kula in Rarancze, Rittberg and Süsser in Toporoutz, Horowitz and Winkler in Dobronoutz, the families Polesiuk in Czernawka, the bee-keeper Lohner in Toporoutz, as well as the family Blum in Rohozna. There were also many Jewish tenant farmers and part-owners who practiced agriculture, such as the families Greif, Runes, Fischbach, Rubel, Grauer and Lande. The Jewish craftsmen (shoemakers, tinsmiths, tailors, woodworkers, carpenters, butchers, bakers, barbers, metalworkers, and furriers) held their vocations in high regard and were organized into guilds. Because of their expertise, they usually became the guild masters for the guilds that were made up of Jews and non-Jews, as for example, Leiser David Isser, Mechel Fischer, Breitner, Burghäuser, Danziger, Poppel, Feldmann, Reisch and Vogel.
— From "Sadgura {also Sadagura or Sadgora} (Ukraine)." Translation of chapter “Sadagura” from Volume II: Geschichte der Juden in der Bukowina. Edited by: Hugo Gold. Written by: Dr. Leo Bruckenthal. Published in Tel Aviv, 1962. Translated by: Thea Waldman.
Storozhynets
Selected extracts featuring names:
Moses Blaukopf (1777 - 1864) was an accountant. ... One of his descendants was Fishel Blaukopf, whose son Izchak Josef Blaukopf, born in Storozynetz on January 14, 1858. ... Markus Anhauch, a merchant from Lvov, settled in Storozynetz. His son, Salomon Anhauch, was the first Jew in Storozynetz to be granted, by imperial decree of the December 2, 1865, the right to possess unlimited agricultural properties and urban-Christian real estate. ... the Jewish mayor, Dr. Isidor Katz ... who settled around 1890 as a lawyer in Storozynetz. ... The community-manager was the Jewish pharmacist Philipp Fuellenbaum. ...the medical Dr. Sussmann Kupferberg as community Medical Doctor. ... To the board of directors and the Community Council belonged: Moritz Maurueber (Vice President), Berl Sternschuss, Israel Schneider, Aron (Urzi) Froelich, Maier Schneider, Motio Preminger, Berl Menczer, Jakob Locker, Adolph Lippa, Salomon Rosner, Aron Schattner, David Tuerk, Jacob Drimmer, Moses Krau and Eisig Hermann. ... Until 1914 Simcha Guensberg served as Rabbi. ... Chaim Glasner conducted the religious instruction in the public schools.
A “Zionist” association was founded; its first chairman was a young lawyer-to-be Dr. Jacob Kommer. He was the one who brought to the Jews of the town the knowledge of the aims and endeavors of the movement. The lawyer Dr. S. Luttinger, who managed to attract a huge part of the Jews to the “ZION” -association, succeeded him. ... Worthy of mention are: the brothers Dr. Mendel & Chaim Kinnsbrunner, Dr. Max Diamant, the brothers Dr. Marcus & Kalman Shapira, and Dr. Josef Sturm. The orator Loebl Taubes, renowned in orthodox circles, often made speeches.
— From "Storozhinets (Ukraine)." Translation of chapter “Storozynetz,” from Volume II: Geschichte der Juden in der Bukowina. Edited by: Hugo Gold. Written by: Adolphe Rosenwald, Sydney. Published in Tel Aviv, 1962. Translated by: Isak Shteyn.
Chernivtsi
Selected extracts featuring names:
The orthodox leaders were honorable citizens like Herschl Welwel Juster, Josef Schmelzer, Samuel Schwarz, and Aron Goldfrucht. Among the free thinkers were Isaak Rubinstein ... and Markus Zucker.... ... a free thinking rabbi, Dr. Lazar Igel (1825-1892) ... Benjamin Weiss (1841-1912) was selected as Aw Beth Din. ...
It was quickly decided to form the Czernowitz Israelite Temple Society whose charter was approved by the Kaiser and Koeniglich state government on December 19, 1872. Well known personalities of the city sat on its board. David Rottenberg the president of the Community, Kaiser's Advisor Naftali Tittinger, Members of Parliament David Tittinger and Heinrich Wagner, the former president of the lawyer's guild Dr. Heinrich Kiesler, the assistant mayor Dr. Atlas, Captain A.D. Bernhard Boltinester, the heads of the families: Amster, Anhauch, Barber, Bronstein, Hohn, Luttinger, Nadler, Regenstreif, Rosenzweig, Steiner, Wischoffer and Zucker. ... Mrs. Amalie Zucker contributed a lot in the center of the city.... ... During the Temple's existence, the post of sermonizer was held by the praiseworthy Chief Rabbi, Dr. Lazar Igel, Dr. Josef Rosenfeld and Dr. Abraham Mark. The chief cantors were Issak Rosenheck, Simon Schaechter, Pinkasewicz, Steinberg and David Feldmann.
— From "Chernivtsi (Ukraine)". Translation of chapter “On the history of the Jews in Czernowitz” from Volume II: Geschichte der Juden in der Bukowina. Edited by: Hugo Gold. Written by: Prof. Dr. Herman Sternberg, Tel Aviv. Published in Tel Aviv, 1962. Translated by: Jerome Silverbush.