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Title:

Satu Mare Jewish Community Collection

Description:

This collection contains only documents related to the post-war period. Like all Transylvanian communities that came under the Horthy regime during World War II, the fate of the pre-war documents is unknown but most likely the bulk was destroyed. The two series here, however, are also unique in that Series I, administrative documents, begins immediately after the war but ends in 1960. The location of administrative documents post-1960 could not be ascertained during the course of this survey. Series II is also unique in that the documents were not created by the Satu Mare Jewish community, but rather were transferred to the community at some point in time, probably in the 1980s and possibly even later. These documents were created in Oradea by the Federation of Jewish Communities’ regional division responsible for overseeing Jewish communal properties (“serviciul bunuri”).  The documents comprising this series are of great interest, revealing details of survivor life in the post-war period, tensions between various administrative bodies (Jewish and non-Jewish), and the efforts made by this division to determine the fate of Jewish communal property. For more details, please see the scope and content note for Series II.

Creator:

Satu Mare Jewish Community and the Regional Division for Jewish property of the Federation of Jewish Communities (Serviciul Bunuri Federația Comunităților Evreești din R.P.R.)

Date:

1945-1988

See Also:

See also Sighet Jewish Community Collection.

Extent:

.9 meters

Language:

Romanian; Hungarian; Yiddish

Provenance:

The documents within this collection were stored in various storage spaces of the Satu Mare Jewish community offices. It is not clear when the documents were transferred to the community (the office spaces are in a communist-era block) and why only this selection of documents exists. As of April 2019, this material was processed and put into archival folders and boxes for safe storage.

Access Rights:

Please contact the Satu Mare Jewish Community for access.

Call Number:

Satu Mare Jewish Community Collection; box [xx]; folder [xx] (please see container list below for individual folder call numbers); Satu Mare Jewish Community

Bibliographic Citation:

Satu Mare Jewish Community Collection; box [xx]; folder [xx] (please see container list below for individual folder call numbers); Satu Mare Jewish Community

Repository:

Satu Mare Jewish Community; Str. Decebal 4A; 440006 Satu Mare; România; https://www.facebook.com/comunitateaevreilor.satuamare.7; tel. 0040 (0) 0261 713 703

Container List:

Language: Romanian; Hungarian; Yiddish
Extent: .5 meters
Scope and Content: This series contain administrative files, almost all related to community finances.
Box Folder Title (English translation) Language Date
1 1 Salary payments Romanian 1945
1 2 Salary payments Romanian 1946
1 3 Salary payments Romanian 1947
1 4 Salary payments Romanian 1948
1 5 Salary payments Romanian 1949
1 6 Administrative issues: synagogue Hebrew; Romanian; Hungarian; 1949-1950
1 7 Salary payments for Talmud Torah, press; correspondence sent Romanian 1949-1960
2 1 Assistance for the ill; salary payments Romanian, Hungarian 1950
2 2 Employees list Romanian, Hungarian 1950
2 3 Accounts: March – April Romanian, Yiddish 1951
2 4 Salary payments Romanian 1951
2 5 Accounting documents Romanian 1951
2 6 Inventory Romanian 1951
2 7 Salary payments Romanian 1952
2 8 Talmud Torah accounting documents Romanian 1952
3 1 Accounting documents Romanian 1953
3 2 Unresolved correspondence Romanian, Hungarian 1953-1959
3 3 Accounting documents Romanian 1954
3 4 Salary payments Romanian 1954
3 5 Welfare documents Romanian, Hungarian 1954-1958
3 6 Salary payments Romanian 1955
3 7 Accounting documents Romanian 1955
4 1 Protocol statements after leadership meetings Romanian, Hungarian 1955-1957
4 2 Salary payments Romanian 1956
4 3 Accounts: January Romanian, Hungarian 1956
4 4 Inventory Romanian 1956
4 5 Accounting documents Romanian 1956
5 1 Accounts: September Romanian 1957
5 2 Accounting documents Romanian 1957
5 3 Accounts: March Romanian 1958
5 4 Accounts: October Romanian 1958
5 5 Salary payments Romanian 1958
5 6 Accounting documents Romanian 1958
Extent: .4 meters
Scope and Content: Despite originating from the post-war period, when northern Transylvanian communities had been decimated by the Shoah and then disappeared almost entirely with the mass emigration of survivors, these files contain startling revelations regarding rural post-war Jewish life, administrative attitudes towards survivors, community strategies for engaging with communist officials, and especially, efforts to exert control over the fate of architectural remnants of Jewish life. These files are rich and varied, containing numerous reports from Andrei Partos, the director of the regional division responsible for community property (“serviciul bunuri Oradea”) of the Federation of Jewish communities, as he traveled throughout the region inspecting synagogues, cemeteries, and other properties. They also reveal the extent to which there were synagogues in countless villages in this region. To the knowledge of the Leo Baeck archivist who undertook the surveying, these documents may represent, in some case, the sole extant records testifying to the erstwhile existence of these village synagogues. Many files record dimensions or other architectural features of the structures, some even include photographs. On occasion there is correspondence between multiple parties regarding what should be done with the synagogue, these conversations reveal tensions between Jewish officials and local officials as well as between Bucharest Jewish leadership and the local leadership (Andrei Partos was based in Oradea). In general, Partos almost always advocated the demolition of the synagogue, so as to, according to his written reasoning, avoid profanation of the building. Several times survivors oppose the demolition and on occasion appeal to Bucharest. Buy-sell contracts are also included in the files. Most or all of the synagogues listed here were demolished. The files appeared to have been stored in Oradea for many years and it is not clear when or why they were transported to Satu Mare. Please note that there is a similar collection of documents in Sighet, please see the Sighet Jewish Community Collection on the JBAT site for more information. We maintained the titles of the folders given at the time of creation, these generally list the respective village and then greater administrative designations. The designations relate to the administrative divisions under communism, we have translated “raion” as “district”, “regiunea” as “region”, “judet” as “county”. Some of the nomenclature was altered over the course of the communist period. When a photograph was included in the file, we tried to note this in the title.
Box Folder Title (English translation) Language Date
6 1 Acaș, Carei district, Maramureș region (content: synagogue, cemetery, Holocaust monument with photo) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1984
6 2 Agriș, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery with photo) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1979
6 3 Apa, Satu-Mare district, Maramureș region (Content: synagoge with photo, cemetery) Hungarian; German 1955-1982
6 4 Ardusat, Satu-Mare district, Maramureș region (Content: cemetery and other property) Romanian 1955-1972
6 5 Bercu, Satu-Mare district, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue with photo) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1970
6 6 Bicsad, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery with photo of man praying there) Romanian 1964-1975
6 7 Boghiș village, Doba commune, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery) Romanian 1965-1970
6 8 Botiz, Satu-Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1973
6 9 Carașeu, Satu-Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, cemetery, other property) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1983
6 10 Carei: file containing papers required for changing properties in the town of Carei, Satu Mare county Romanian 1974
6 11 Cămărzana, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery) Romanian 1968-1968
6 12 Certeza, Satu-Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, cemetery) Romanian 1949-1975
6 13 Culciu, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery) Romanian 1969-1970
7 1 Halmeu, Satu-Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue and prayer house, cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian; Yiddish 1955-1978
7 2 Hrip, Satu-Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: cemetery, other property) Romanian 1955-1970
7 3 Jibou, Sălaj county (Content: synagogue, prayer house) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1980
7 4 Jojib, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery) Romanian 1968-1969
7 5 Livada, Oaș-Negrești district, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue and prayer house, cemetery, other properties) Romanian; Hunagrian 1956-1971
7 6 Medieșul-Aurit, Satu Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: prayer house, cemetery) Romanian; Hungarian 1955-1970
7 7 Moftinul Mic, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery) Romanian 1965-1980
8 1 Negrești, Negrești county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue) Hungarian; Romanian 1956-1973
8 2 Odoreu, Satu-Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1975
8 3 Orașul Nou, Oaș-Negrești county, Maramureș (Content: synagogue, cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1958-1972
8 4 Pir, Carei county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1978
8 5 Porumbești, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1965-1981
8 6 Rătești, Satu-Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, cemetery) Romanian; Hungarian 1955-1978
8 7 Recea and Petin, Satu-Mare county (Content: cemetery) Romanian; Hunagrian 1977
8 8 Santău, Carei county, Maramureș region (Content: cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1965-1972
8 9 Săcășeni, Carei county, Maramureș region (Content: cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1965
8 10 Sânislău, Carei district, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, cemetery) Romanian; Hungarian 1959-1978
8 11 Supurul de Jos, Carei county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, cemetery, also synagogue in Nusfalău is mentioned) Hungarian; Romanian 1952-1978
8 12 Tarna-Mare, Oaș county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, mikvah, cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1963-1964
9 1 Tășnad, Carei district, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue with photo, cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1960-1988
9 2 Turulung, Oaș county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue) Hungarian; Romanian 1961-1972
9 3 Turț, Oaș Negrești county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, cemetery with note listing requests to demolish synagogues in 18 other villages) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1988
9 4 Vama, Oaș county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue, cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1960-1974
9 5 Viile Satu-Mare, Satu-Mare county, Maramureș region (Content: synagogue with sketches, cemetery) Hungarian; Romanian 1955-1976
9 6 Carei, Tarna-Mare, Tășnad, Satu-Mare, Satu-Mare county (Content: property inventory in Carei 1965, other admin. docs) Romanian 1983-1984
9 7 Carei, Gherman-Pop (Content: other properties) Romanian, Hungarian 1953-1981
9 8 Carei property documents. Sale [contracts], excerpts from the cadastral register (Content: other properties) Romanian 1982-1983
This is an ongoing project. Please check back for updates and additions to the catalogue.

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