| Language: Romanian; Hungarian; Yiddish |
| Extent: .35 meters |
| Scope and Content: This series contains various registers and photographs. The two registers in box R1 contain information about Jewish individuals who returned or came to Sighet after deportation or forced labor. The earliest entries in the register are from October 1944, the last ones are from 1946. The information recorded includes: date (when information was recorded), first and last name of individual, residence, profession, place and date of birth, name of mother, number (unclear to what this refers), a series of possible welfare items received (boxes are checked), where deported from, name of camp, monetary assistance received, and handwritten additional items received besides what was in the earlier checked boxes above; in some cases, the number of days the individual was in Sighet is recorded. On occasion additional notes are made such as “relocated to Cluj”, though this is rare. The individuals here are overwhelmingly from the region, though not necessarily overwhelmingly from Sighet, many were born in surrounding villages or small towns. Many, but not all were in Auschwitz, there were many in other camps or labor camps. More so than the first register, the second register has a noticeable number of names that were in work detachments rather than Auschwitz. The second register may also record a majority of individuals from small villages and towns rather than Sighet; perhaps they initially returned to those small settlements (according to the column: residence). The first register contains 2,039 names on 138 pages; the second register 5,062 names on 319 pages. The register Welfare Lists. 1946 was printed in 1934 in Uzhhorod and the printed pages are in Ukrainian and Czech or Slovak, entries are in Romanian. It seems to have been used only for 1-2 years. It is arranged alphabetically. Information includes name of individual, year and place of birth, parent names, residence, notes on fate during the war (i.e. deported), occupation, marriage status, and welfare received. For example, one Helena Appel, born 1912 in Ieud to Mendel Leb and Maria Appel, lives in Sighet (address), was deported, is impoverished without profession, non-married, and lives with Markovits Cili, a seamstress. Dates are given for money received and amount, as well as dates and receipt of other items such as boots, soap, sugar, various items of clothing. There are, however, only a handful of names per letter and as such, it seems unlikely the register reflects a comprehensive picture of the community in 1946-1947. Nevertheless, it is certainly a valuable resource for researchers examining the reestablishment of a community in the immediate post-war years. The register entitled “Chevra Kadisha” contains burial information beginning in 1941. There is no indication, however, regarding to what cemetery it refers or to what specific community it belonged. In 1941 the Jewish community in Sighet still numbered in the many thousands - this book certainly did not record all the deaths in the community. In light of its title, perhaps it was originally intended only for the members of the Chevra Kadisha but over time, it began to be used more generally, especially after the war. The Sighet community today (2019) is not aware of other extant burial record books (they are likely in the National Archives branch in Baie Mare, but unfortunately the LBI survey could not cover this material). The information in this book includes the date of death, Hebrew date of death, name, place of birth, profession, age, name of parents, name of wife or husband, place of death, cemetery plot. The book stops abruptly on March 29th, 1944. After several blank pages it begins with much less thorough recording in 1944, no month provided (those returning from deportations arrived at the earliest in October or November). Afterwards it is used with some frequency though with fewer and fewer entries until 2010, the last entry. The item entitled register of civil records was casually maintained and there is no indication of when it was started or for what precise purpose it was used. It appears to have primarily served for recording Jews in the surrounding villages, perhaps from circa 1970s to the 1990s. It is arranged alphabetically. Information generally includes the name of an individual, perhaps an address or the name of the village in which they lived, then some notes on family members or occupation and a date for when they emigrated or when they died. Three registers in box R3 relate to the cemetery and appear to have been made after the war. The creator is not known nor is it known on what basis they were created, that is, whether they copied an older register or worked from the cemetery itself. They are in Hebrew with very little transcribed Romanian and are incomplete. The information contains the name on the tombstone and plot number, sometimes dates of death are recorded. The earliest entries are from the late 1800s (but it is incomplete). Two of these registers are variations of the same information (chronologic versus alphabetic), the third item may be a typed version of one of the other registers. There is no indication to which cemetery these items belong. Finally, there are two boxes of photographs. The photographs were found within the synagogue. There is no indication regarding the subjects or when they were taken. All except one appear to be from the post-war period; they depict community gatherings, Rabbi Rosen, a wedding. |
| Box | Folder | Title (English translation) | Language | Date |
| R1 | Register I: Jews from Sighet who returned from work detachments and deportation camps | Romanian | 1944-1946 | |
| R1 | Register II: Jews from Sighet who returned from work detachments and deportation camps | Romanian | 1944-1946 | |
| R2 | Welfare lists. 1946 | Romanian | 1946-1947 | |
| R2 | Chevra Kadisha: register of deaths | Hungarian; Romanian; Yiddish | 1941-2010 | |
| R3 | Register of civil records [for villages?] | Romanian | circa 1970s-1990s | |
| R3 | Sighet cemetery: alphabetic index | Hebrew; Romanian | no date | |
| R3 | Sighet cemetery: chronologic register from 1-38 | Hebrew; Romanian | no date | |
| R3 | Sighet cemetery list (see scope and content note for more information) | Hebrew | no date | |
| P1 | Photographs | Hungarian; Romanian | circa 1920s-1950s | |
| P2 | Photographs | Hungarian; Romanian | 1950s-1980s |
| Language: Hungarian; Romanian |
| Extent: .6 meters (6 boxes) |
| 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 Sighet. Please note that there is a very similar collection of documents in Satu Mare, please see the Satu Mare 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”, “region” 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. “Prayer house” and “synagogue” were used interchangeably in the files, the designations below may likewise refer to either. |
| Box | Folder | Title (English translation) | Language | Date |
| 9 | 1 | Bârșana, Sighet district, Maramureș region (content: mikvah, cemetery, synagogue) | Romanian | 1950-1974 |
| 9 | 2 | Berbești, Sighet district, Maramureș region (content: synagogue with sketch, school, mikvah, cemetery) | Romanian; Hungarian | 1955-1972 |
| 9 | 3 | Bistra, Vișeu district, Maramureș region (content: synagogue, cemetery) | Romanian | 1962-1976 |
| 9 | 4 | Budești, Sighet district, Maramureș region (content: wooden synagogue, “big” synagogue -unfinished- with photo) | Romanian | 1951-1970 |
| 9 | 5 | Câmpulung la Tisa, Maramureș county (content: synagogue, mikvah, cemetery, other properties) | Hungarian; Romanian | 1955-1984 |
| 9 | 6 | Coștiu, Maramureș county (content: synagogue, correspondence from Rona de Sus/Ronaszek) | Hungarian | 1971 |
| 10 | 1 | Crăciunești, Sighet district, Maramureș region (I) (content: wooden and stone/brick synagogue, cemetery) | Romanian | 1955-1976 |
| 10 | 2 | Crăciunești (II) (content: wooden and stone/brick synagogue, cemetery, Bocicoi) | Romanian | 1964-1984 |
| 10 | 3 | Cuhea (Bogdan Voda), Maramureș county (content: synagogue) | Romanian | 1962-1972 |
| 10 | 4 | Folder on books in Hebrew (inventory?) | Romanian | 1978 |
| 10 | 5 | Iapa, Sighet district, Maramureș region (neighborhood in Sighetul Marmației) (content: other property) | Romanian | 1955-1972 |
| 10 | 6 | Ieud, Vișeu district, Maramureș (I) region (content: synagogue, mikvah, cemetery) | Romanian | 1962-1980 |
| 10 | 7 | Ieud (II) (content: cemetery) | Romanian; Hungarian | 1980 |
| 11 | 1 | Leordina, Maramureș county (content: two synagogues) | Romanian | 1954-1970 |
| 11 | 2 | Moiseiu, Vișeu district, Maramureș region (content: cemetery and synagogue with sketch) | Romanian | 1955-1980 |
| 11 | 3 | Petrova, Vișeu district, Maramureș region (content: synagogue with photos, cemetery) | Romanian | 1955-1970 |
| 11 | 4 | Remeți, Sighet district, Maramureș region (content: synagogue and other property) | Romanian | 1964-1983 |
| 11 | 5 | Rona de Jos, Maramureș county (content: synagogue) | Hungarian; Romanian | 1974-1988 |
| 11 | 6 | Rona de Sus, Sighet district, Maramureș region (content: synagogue, cemetery, mikvah) | Hungarian; Romanian | 1967-1984 |
| 12 | 1 | Rozavlea: property issues (content: other properties) | Romanian | 1970-1975 |
| 12 | 2 | Rușcova, Vișeu district, Maramureș region (content: synagogues (2) with photos of one, mikvah) | Hungarian; Romanian | 1955-1984 |
| 12 | 3 | Sălistea de Sus, Vișeu district, Maramureș region (content: synagogue, wooden synagogue, mikvah) | Romanian | 1954-1973 |
| 12 | 4 | Sein [sic: Sieni], Maramureș county (content: cemetery) | Romanian | 1962-1975 |
| 12 | 5 | Strîmtura, Maramureș county (content: cemetery, prayer house) | Romanian | no date (circa 1980) |
| 12 | 6 | Tisa, Sighet district, Maramureș region (content: other properties) | Romanian | 1954-1974 |
| 13 | 1 | Vișeu de Jos, Vișeu district, Maramureș region (content: synagogue – possibly regarding Vișeu de Mijloc, see folder 2) | Romanian | 1955-1984 |
| 13 | 2 | Vișeu de Mijloc, Vișeu district, Maramureș region (content: mikvah, synagogue, also see folder 1) | Romanian | 1955-1971 |
| 13 | 3 | Vișeu de Sus, cemetery and synagogue (content: mikvah, prayer house, synagogue) | Romanian | 1964-1983 |
| 13 | 4 | Vișeu, Str. M. Eminescu (content: other property) | Romanian | 1981-1987 |
| 13 | 5 | Vișeul de Sus (I) (content: synagogue, mikvah, other properties) | Romanian; Hungarian | 1969-1976 |
| 13 | 6 | Vișeul de Sus (II) (content: other property) | Romanian | 1973 |
| 13 | 7 | Vișeul de Sus, Str. Carpați 16 (content: former butcher) | Romanian | 1969-1972 |
| 13 | 8 | Vișeul de Sus, Str. Carpați 31 (content: other property) | Romanian | 1965-1971 |
| 13 | 9 | Vișeul de Sus, Str. Carpați 37 (content: other property) | Romanian | 1965-1975 |
| 14 | 1 | Vișeul de Sus, Str. Deportaților 13 (content: other property) | Romanian | 1965-1974 |
| 14 | 2 | Vișeul de Sus, Str. Eminescu Nr. 6, 8 (content: Talmud Thora, possibly synagogue) | Romanian | 1964-1983 |
| 14 | 3 | Vișeul de Sus, Str. Griviței 7 și 6-5 (content: possibly synagogue) | Romanian | 1966-1980 |
| 14 | 4 | Vișeul de Sus, Str. T Vladimirescu 14, 16 (content: other property) | Romanian | 1968-1970 |
| 14 | 5 | Vișeul de Sus, Str. T. Vladimirescu 31, 19 (content: other property) | Romanian | 1965-1980 |
| 14 | 6 | Vișeul de Sus: Str. Carpați 35 (content: other property) | Romanian; Hungarian | 1965-1972 |
| 14 | 7 | Vișeul de Sus: Str. Maramureșului 20 (fost Deportaților) (content: other property) | Romanian | 1965-1974 |
| 14 | 8 | Property lists (content: former owners killed in deportations, subsequent users and owners) | Romanian | 1952-1980 |
| Language: Romanian; Hungarian |
| Extent: .8 meters (8 boxes) |
| Scope and Content: This series contains documents related to properties held by the Jewish community of Sighet. Some of these were previous community holdings, such as synagogues and other communal buildings (schools, etc.), some appeared to have been private residences and the chain of events that led to these being community property is not always clear (that is, whether the addresses were community property prior to the war or whether they belonged to individuals who were killed and the community managed to assume ownership). The vast majority of these files contains correspondence and paperwork regarding rental and/ or selling of the respective property; when related to a former synagogue there is paperwork regarding demolition. Folders 2 and 3 have more unique content, including correspondence regarding a conflict situation surrounding Jewish individuals receiving welfare with arguments around the topics of definitions of Jewishness, poverty, returned deportees. There is also correspondence regarding books brought from the demolished synagogue in Vișeu de Sus and other documents related to property expropriated in order to construct residential blocks. Folder 3 also contains documents regarding the former Talmud Thora in Sighet and its demolition. |
| Box | Folder | Title (English translation) | Language | Date |
| 1 | 1 | Sighet: cemetery and other documents | Romanian | 1984 |
| 1 | 2 | Sighet I, Jud. Maramureș | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1971-1978 |
| 1 | 3 | Sighet II, Jud. Maramureș | Romanian | 1971-1982 |
| 1 | 4 | Sighet, Str. 1 Mai 30 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1973 |
| 2 | 1 | Sighet, Str. 9 Mai 33 | Romanian | 1982-1984 |
| 2 | 2 | Sighet, Str. 9 Mai nr. 33, 17, 30, 41 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1984 |
| 2 | 3 | Sighet, Str. 9 Mai nr. 75, IRVA Sighet | Romanian | 1969-1973 |
| 2 | 4 | Sighet, Str. Bogdan Vodă 130 (I) | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1968-1980 |
| 2 | 5 | Sighet, Str. Bogdan Vodă 130 (II) | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1976-1980 |
| 3 | 1 | Sighet, Str. Caprioarei 26,28 | Romanian | 1966-1983 |
| 3 | 2 | Sighet, Str. Cloșca (Gării) nr. 1, 13 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1966-1980 |
| 3 | 3 | Sighet, Str. Corbului nr. 19-21 | Romanian | 1966-1976 |
| 3 | 4 | Sighet, Str. Coșbuc nr. 1, 9 | Romanian | 1964-1976 |
| 3 | 5 | Sighet, Str. Creangă nr. 13 | Romanian | 1972-1975 |
| 3 | 6 | Sighet, Str. Deportaților (Traian) nr. 11 | Romanian | 1967-1975 |
| 4 | 1 | Sighet, Str. Deportaților (Traian) nr. 27, 34, 47 | Romanian | 1965-1973 |
| 4 | 2 | Sighet, Str. Dragoș Vodă 4, 7, 19, 116 (I) | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1968-1984 |
| 4 | 3 | Sighet, Str. Dragoș Vodă 4, 7, 19, 116 (II) | Romanian | 1974-1984 |
| 4 | 4 | Sighet, Str. Eroilor nr. 74 | Romanian | 1971 |
| 5 | 1 | Sighet, Str. Fost. Republicii | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1976-1984 |
| 5 | 2 | Sighet, Str. Gheorghe Doja 29 | Romanian | 1966-1976 |
| 5 | 3 | Sighet, Str. I. Ehrenburg nr. 5 (Zorilor) | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1984 |
| 5 | 4 | Sighet, Str. I. V. Lenin nr. 16 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1974 |
| 6 | 1 | Sighet, Str. Kogălniceanu nr. 4 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1978, |
| 6 | 2 | Sighet, Str. Mara nr. 21 (I) | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1969-1970 |
| 6 | 3 | Sighet, Str. Mara nr. 21 (II) | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1970-1974 |
| 6 | 4 | Sighet, Str. Mara nr. 21 (III) | Romanian | 1974-1981 |
| 6 | 5 | Sighet, Str. Mărășești nr. 6 | Romanian | 1966-1983 |
| 7 | 1 | Sighet, Str. Plugarilor nr. 27, 22, 47,34, 38 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1986 |
| 7 | 2 | Sighet, Str. Republicii nr. 13, 4, 23, 30 | Romanian | 1965-1979 |
| 7 | 3 | Sighet, Str. Rodnei nr. 4, 6, 8 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1983 |
| 7 | 4 | Sighet, Str. Ștefan cel Mare 16,22,33 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1966-1976 |
| 8 | 1 | Sighet, Str. Traian 27 | Romanian | 1973-1980 |
| 8 | 2 | Sighet, Str. Viseului nr. 8 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1980 |
| 8 | 3 | Sighet, Str. Xenopol nr. 3, 55 | Romanian, Hungarian, | 1965-1976 |
| Language: Romanian |
| Extent: .1 m. (1 box) |
| Scope and Content: This series is one box and contains accounting paperwork from the community for the 1960s. The last folder contains accounting paperwork related to properties in the larger Maramureș region, including information on rented properties and leases. |
| Box | Folder | Title (English translation) | Language | Date |
| 15 | 1 | Accounting papers | Romanian | 1960-1962 |
| 15 | 2 | Accounting papers | Romanian | 1963 |
| 15 | 3 | Accounting papers | Romanian | 1964 |
| 15 | 4 | Accounting papers | Romanian | 1965 |
| 15 | 5 | Accounting papers | Romanian | 1968-1969 |
| 15 | 6 | Maramureș county | Romanian | 1983-1984 |