An Important Event Took Place in Telenesti: The Opening of the Restored Fence at the Jewish Cemetery

This week, a series of meetings were held aimed at strengthening cooperation and constructive dialogue between the Jewish community and international partners in the field of preserving Jewish heritage.

The President of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova, Alexander Bilinkis, met with the Chief executive officer at the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF), Philip Carmel, who arrived in Moldova. Mr. Bilinkis thanked the head of the Fund for the long-term and fruitful cooperation in the field of preserving Jewish heritage, restoring fences at Jewish cemeteries throughout the country and efforts in the field of education and dissemination of information among the population of the places where our ancestors once lived.

The President of the Jewish Community of the city of Bender, Marc Finkelzon, took part in the discussion together with Mr. Carmel, Dr. Peter Buschmann Deputy Head of the German Embassy in Moldova, as well as members of the Directorate of the Jewish Community, noting the importance of implementing projects to preserve heritage on both banks of Nistru.

As part of the visit, a significant event took place in Telenesti – the opening ceremony of the restored fence at the old Jewish cemetery. This cemetery was founded in the late 19th century and contains approximately 1,000 gravestones. The Jewish community in Telenesti was very significant: according to the 1897 census, almost 4,000 Jews lived here, representing about 90 percent of the city’s total population. The restoration of the fence was made possible thanks to the constructive cooperation with the ESJF and the invaluable financial assistance of the government of the Federal Republic of Germany with the support of the local authorities and Jewish Community of Moldova.

At the ceremony, addresses were made by Nicolai Nastas, representative of the Telenesti City Council, Peter Buschmann and Philip Carmel.

The presenters read a special address from Mrs. Marina Anuсova, head of the Nativ office in Moldova

Pavel Tuev, member of the Community Council and head of the expert group for preserving the heritage of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova, presented the project leaders with letters of gratitude from our organization, thanking them for their contribution and support. Rabbi Rachamim Belenky read the memorial prayer. The event ended with the traditional laying of flowers and stones at the cemetery.

The ceremony was preceded by a lecture on the topic “History of the Jews. Preservation of heritage and Jewish traditions”, which was held in the meeting room of the Telenesti City Hall by Doctor of History Roman Rabinovici. His speech to students and teachers of one of the local lyceums emphasized the importance of preserving the cultural and historical heritage of the Jewish community for current generations of Telenesti residents.

The opening of the restored fence not only improves the condition of the cemetery, makes its protection more effective, but also symbolizes respect for the Jewish heritage in Moldova, and is also a clear example of how fruitful the joint efforts of local authorities, international organizations and civil society can be in preserving Jewish heritage in Moldova.