Bukovynian Atlantis

At the turn of the 20th century every fourth, or even every third resident of Chernivtsi was a Jewish. Bukovyna was a very comfortable place of living for them. At that time the region had a situation unique not only for Ukraine, but for whole Europe. The many-century dream of the Jews to be equal among equal, which later found reflection in Zionism and idea of creation their own state, came true in Bukovyna in the Austrian time. Whereas elsewhere only some representatives of the Jewish people acquired a full-fledge social status, single Jewish families at best, in Bukovyna it was a whole sub-ethnic group.

FOUNDERS OF THE “OASIS OF ALL THINGS EUROPEAN IN THE EAST”

“Since the mid-19th century, when Jews in the Austrian Empire acquired equal civic rights, they became part of the local communities, and felt comfortable in Bukovyna,” says the head of the Chernivtsi-based Museum of Jewish History and Culture, Mykola Kushnir. “Since that time the history of the Bukovynian Jews has not been a history of Ostracism and suppression, but a history of success. Integration into all spheres of social life had an impact on their world outlook. Jews were patriots of the Habsburgs and at the same time, Bukovyna’s patriots. They had a lot to do with Bukovyna’s economic and cultural flourishing of that time, especially that of Chernivtsi and its image of ‘the oasis of all things European in the East.’”

The connoisseur and researcher of the Jewish culture Natalia Shevchenko called the phenomenon of local Jewishhood a Bukovynian or Chernivtsi Atlantis, because this phenomenon vanished with the outbreak of the Holocaust. In the wartime many Bukovynian Jews were deported, other emigrated, when they had an opportunity to do so at the end of the World War II. Although they were substituted by Jews from other regions, the phenomenon was lost. The Bukovynian Jewishhood, as it was identified even within the Jewish milieu, was coming to an end, represented by bits and pieces of the innumerous local families.

“When after long time of exile in the after-war period I came back to Chernivtsi, the stones were crying under my feet,” patriarch of the city’s Jewish community, writer Yosyp Burh reminisced. “I saw buildings I knew since my childhood, but it was a totally different city: even its atmosphere changed overall.”

SECOND ATTEMPT

Chernivtsi’s former residents passed on their longing for the city, lost forever, the Atlantis they loved to their offspring. Three years ago, in early October, it transformed into the Museum of Bukovyna’s Jews. It was established by the founder of the first non-governmental Jewish organization in the USSR, head of the Association of the Jewish Community of Ukraine, Yosyp Zisels. In fact, the museum was opened from the second attempt. The first is dated 1998. Several elderly enthusiasts established a museum-room in Chernivtsi. Being Bukovynian Jews, they understood the meaning of already forgotten events and historical personalities, and intended to bring them back from oblivion. However, the enthusiasts lacked professionalism. The artifacts they gathered were not systematized, and the museum did not have any concept. Hence it did not exist for long. Nobody knows where its items are now. Therefore the new museum was created from scratch.

“Owing to Yosyp Zisels, not only Ukrainian scholars joined the development of the concept of the museum which was supposed to become a monument to the phenomenon of the Bukovynian Jewishhood, but foreign scholars as well,” Kushnir says, “Those included the expert in synagogue art and architecture Boris Khaimovich and renowned linguist Wolf Moskovich (both from Israel). Since Bukovyna does not have any carriers of the lost culture, and the artifacts they left in the 1950-60 were brought in trucks in an unknown direction, it was extremely complicated to create the exposition. The items were gathered practically by every little, bought from the fund created specially for this aim. When Bukovyna-born Jews found out about the plans to open the museum, they sent us documents and possessions from their family archives from Russia, Israel, Germany, Great Britain, the US, etc. Like half-forgotten puzzles they gradually made an integral picture of the half-forgotten past.”

THE EXPOSITION IS A SYNTHESIS OF EQUAL ELEMENTS

The past was recreated on the 60 square meters of the museum area. In spite of the small space, the exposition of the museum is very rich in content. The guide’s request to touch the mezuzah at the entrance adds a peculiar tonality to its perception. Mezuzah is an ancient Jewish prayer written on a piece of parchment. It is folded into a roll and hidden into a special capsule, to be placed near the doors. It is a Jewish tradition to touch the mezuzah charm. The museum exposition is also played according to a Jewish tradition, not from left to right, but from right to left. It is a synthesis of three elements of equal value, a photograph frieze which shows photos of the most important buildings for the Bukovynian Jews, 12 thematic stands-tablets, and showcases with artifacts. The exposition is dedicated to the religious and secular life of the Jewish community. In particular, it tells about the two branches of the Bukovynian Hasidism, shows samples of the local synagogue paintings, fragment or Torah roll, the main “GPS-navigator for all Jews in the world,” as Chernivtsi’s main Rabbi Menakhem Mendel Glitzeshetin noted all of a sudden.

Two stands of the museum are dedicated to the event, which made Bukovyna known in the whole world. In 1908 Chernivtsi hosted the Worldwide Yiddish Congress, which was supposed to define what language is more important for the Jews, Hebrew, the language of the sacred Torah, or Yiddish, spoken by millions.

On the other hand, Chernivtsi acquired worldwide literary fame owing to their former residents Rose Auslaender and Paul Celan. Together with the biker and pedagogue Eliezer Steinberg their personalities are central in the next tablet of the museum. And next to it, in the showcase with folkways things, there is original ABC written by the Bukovynian “Korczak,” Eliezer Steinberg. He deserved such a comparison for his selfless devotion to pedagogy. Besides the ABC, Steinbarg also wrote many plays for the school theater societies (future German “Caruso,” a famous singer from Bukovyna Joseph Schmidt, participated in one of those), and organized summer camps in the Carpathians for the children from unprivileged Jewish families.

The museum shows the history of the political life of Bukovynian Jews and the changes the community underwent in the pre-war period. The last but one stand dedicated to the tragic events of the 1939-41 is tellingly empty.

FROM AUDIO GUIDES TO AN ELECTRONIC CATALOGUE

“It is empty because we lack documentary materials,” Kushnir explained, “According to different esteems 70,000 to 90,000 Bukovynian Jews suffered in this period. Actually, the World War II put an end to the Bukovynian Atlantis. We have to gather documents piece by piece, and corresponding, with Russia for example, may last for years. There is information that the materials have been classified again, but we still hope that we will receive them.”

According to the head of the museum, the three years of the museum’s existence have been very fruitful. Every year the number of visitors doubles. A great help has been the museum’s own website and responses about its work. That is why the museum employees took a sincere interest in the new website of Den/The Day, Ukraina Incognita. Kushnir noted, “I congratulate The Day on launching new project. It is very interesting and needed. In my opinion, the website Ukraina Incognita will help to promote the museums in Ukraine, and will be a link to unite our museums and Internet users. The current methods of communication offer huge opportunities for this. Taking into consideration the fact that youth makes a greatest part of the Internet users, the website Ukraina Incognita will play a special role in enlightening and fostering spirituality. We will be honored to present on this website the Museum of History and culture of Bukovyna’s Jews, familiarize it visitors with our expositions, and tell in detail about the outstanding people of the lost past and turn with them the pages of half-forgotten history.”

Foreigners, former residents of Chernivtsi and Bukovyna, take a special interest in the museum. Taking this into account, the audio guides, which have recently appeared in the museum,“speak” six languages. Soon it is planned to create an electronic catalogue of the museum. It will include the materials of the functioning exposition and funds. Owing to the donators, there are many items in the funds, but because the museum is limited in space, there is nowhere to exhibit them. The electronic catalogue will broaden the exposition, it will be created owing to the support of the European Association of Museums of Jewish Culture. Last year the young Chernivtsi museum became a full-fledge member of the association.