YEDINITZ

Yad l'Yedinitz; memorial book
for the Jewish community of Yedintzi, Bessarabia
 

THE VILLAGE  YEDINITZ          

YEDINITZ IS LOCATED IN NORTH-WEST BESSARABIA AND CONTROLS THE CROSSROADS OF THE KHOTIN, BELTZ AND SOROKA DISTRICTS.

DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARDS, THE POPULATION OF YEDINITZ WAS APPROXIMATELY 12-13,000, ABOUT HALF OF THEM JEWS. IT IS APPARENT THATAS EARLY AS 1850 YEDINITZ WAS HOME TO AN IMPORTANT JEWISH SETTLEMENT.  MOST  JEWS CAME FROM PODOLIA AND RUSSIA. MANY ALSO CAME FROM NEIGHBORING VILLAGES.

THE CENTER OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES WAS OF COURSE THE SYNAGOGUE. ALSO IMPORTED TO YEDINITZ, FROM SATELLITE VILLAGE OF LIPKAN, WERE ALL KINDS OF SOCIAL SERVICES AND CHARITY GROUPS, MOST OF WHICH OPERATED SECRETLY.  THERE WERE SIXTEEN SYNAGOGUES IN THE VILLAGE.

AFTER THE VILLAGE WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE ROMANIAN GOVERNMENT IN THE AFTERMATH OF WORLD WAR ONE, BUSINESS ASSOCIATIONS WITH CERNOVITZ AND YASSI WERE CLOSE, WHERE THE JEWISH PUBLIC WAS LARGE AND ORGANIZED.

THE SITUATION OF THE BUSINESS PEOPLE AND WORKERS IMPROVED FROM YEAR TO YEAR. THE MAIN HINDRANCE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF YEDINITZ WAS THE FACT THAT IT WAS LOCATED FAR FROM THE RAILROAD.  SO A NEW FORM OF INCOME DEVELOPED: LOAD DELIVERIES  BY HORSES, WHICH GAVE THE WORKERS A DECENT INCOME.

(ACCORDING TO AN ESSAY BY CHAIM HORWITZ, IN THE BOOK "A MEMORIAL OF YEDINITZ")

WHEN THE SECOND WORLD WAR BROKE OUT WE LIVED IN YEDINITZ:

FROM FAMILY GERSTEIN: GRANDFATHER AND GRANDMOTHER YAAKOV-YOSEF AND RIVKAH- MIRIL GERSTEIN,THEIR SON YESHAYAHU AND HIS WIFE MANIA WITH THEIR DAUGHTER LEAH/LISA,THEIR SON LEIB-AVRAHAM AND HIS WIFE BEILE WITH THEIR CHILD SHIMSHON ,THEIR DAUGHTER SIRRIL WITH HER SON AHARON.

FROM ELKIS FAMILY :  ISRAEL-AVRAHAM ELKIS (COSIN OF GRANDFATHER MOSHE-YEHUDA),  HIS WIFE ITA-GITL, AND THEIR CHILDREN: MORDCHAI WITH HIS WIFE (OUR AUNT) CHAVA, AND MEIR.

NONE OF THAM SURVIVED TO TELL HIS STORY.

MAY GOD AVENGE THEM ALL!