Sopotskin Cemetery Project Correspondence (3/25/2003 through 7/17/2005)
In a message dated 3/25/03 5:36:21 AM Eastern
Daylight Time to AlfredNeilKramer :
You are probably aware that in June 2002
there was a RESTORATION PROJECT carried out
at the Sopotskin cemetery in Belarus.This
was carried out by Dartmouth University students
and faculty in collaboration with Hillel
Rabbi Edward Boraz.They discovered numerous
covered headstones,some of which they re-erected
and also trimmed the grounds and built a
fence around it.
Details are available at: www.dartmouth.edu/~hillel/belarus/ccesp.html
and www.restorejcem.org
I recently became aware of this project and
contacted Dr.Michael Lozman who is a driving
force behind this project.They are going
back to Amdur(Indura) Belarus in August,as
well as to Sopotskin.Their main interests
are to stimulate understanding of the Holocaust
by the students and by their efforts to clean
up ,fence and identify the cemetery. His
concern is that Belarus law provides that
a cemetery not used for 25 years can be taken
over by the state and used for other purposes.There
is thus a danger that if restoration is not
done soon the site may be lost irrevocably.
In their project they received the close
co-operation of the Sopotskin authorities
who provided some of the work force for their
project.
During their work they discovered a large
number of headstones and were only able to
clean up a few.
My interest was that their presence on site
or nearby provided an opportunity to clean
and re-erect the headstones, to digitally
photograph the inscriptions on the headstones,
and to map the location of the headstones
for future visitors.
We discussed the possibility of hiring local
workers to carry out the cleaning and re-erection
of the stones so that on the student's arrival
photography and mapping could be undertaken.
Dr.Lozman felt this would be feasible with
proper co-ordination and planning providing
funds could be provided to cover costs,which
he felt would be relatively modest.
I thought Jewish Gen might be interested
on two counts:
1)By providing direction and assisting planning,
a database for Sopotskin could be generated.To
date it had been believed that the cemetery
had been completely destroyed and no official
vital statistics have been found. Also through
your auspices those with family ancestors
from Soptskin(including me) could most easily
be reached to raise the necessary funds.
2)It is possible if this project is successfully
carried out that campus Hillel groups might
develop into a valuable resource for collecting
genealogical data,as well as permitting cemetery
maintenance. Indeed Dr.Lozman has already
initiated steps to initiate similar projects
on other campuses with community and voluntary
financing.
I would appreciate your input as to the desirability
of this project. I realize that time is very
short but believe it is nevertheless feasible
to raise funds quickly.
I am at this E-mail address until March30,
but I can be reached at
malcal@rogers.com both now and after Mar.30
Marvin Langer
In a message dated 4/7/03 3:03:35 AM Eastern
Daylight Time, yaacovs@abramson-law.co.il
writes:
I'm forwarding you this e-mail because it
looks that it might interest you.
-----Original Message-----
From: Marvin Langer [mailto:malcal@rogers.com]
Sent: Sunday, April 06, 2003 1:47 AM
To: Belarus SIG
Subject: Sopotskin Project
In June 2002 Dartmouth University students
and faculty in collaboration
with Hillel carried out a RESTORATION PROJECT
at the Sopotskin cemetery
in Belarus.They received the close co-operation
and assistance of
Sopotskin authorities.There they discovered
a large number of headstones
imbedded in the ground.They were only able
to clean and re-erect some 20
of them.They trimmed and beautified the cemetery
grounds and built an
imposing fence around it.Details and pictures
are available at:
www.dartmouth.edu/~hillel/belarus/ccesp.htm
Dr.Michael Lozman, a driving force behind
the project, is taking a group
again in August of 2003.Dr. Lozman believes
it is feasible to
uncover,clean and re-erect all of the headstones,to
map their
location,and to digitally photograph them.It
will then be possible to
create a data base for the use of those researching
their ancestors in
Sopotskin.
If you are interested in this project would
you please contact me
privately at:
malcal@rogers.com
Dr.Marvin Langer,
Toronto, ON
researching CADESKY;LEVINSKY,Sopotskin,Belarus
In a message dated 4/12/03 8:37:01 AM Eastern
Daylight Time, malcal@rogers.com writes:
Alfredorad@aol.com wrote:
I wrote to you a while ago. Didn't you receive
my e-mail? I said how may I help? Al Kramer
Dear Al: I did not receive your earlier e-mail.Thank
you for your offer.
My grandfather comes from Sopotskin.To
my knowledge there have as yet been no archival
vital statistics records(ie. births marriages
and deaths)
located..That was what excited me about the
discovery of numerous
tombstones in the Sopotskin cemetery which
could be a source of
possible information about our ancestors.While
exact
costs aren't available as yet, it appears
that for a modest
expenditure it is possible to restore and
re-erect many of these
headstones,photograph and translate them
into English from the Hebrew
or Yiddish and make them available online
through
the JewishGen(.JOWBR)This would permit some
of us to gain more
information about our ancestors.This is only
possible because a
group will be on site to supervise the work
and take the final
pictures.A number of my relatives have expressed
support for
the project and we are meeting to collect
some funds and hope that
others will also be interested in contributing
as well..If so we will set up a
mechanism to collect and safeguard the use
of the funds solely for
that purpose, possibly through Hillel.Because
the project involves cemetery restoration
as well,
fund raising cannot be done directly through
JOWBR..Since the group is
going in August speed is essential to take
advantage of their trip.Your feedback would
be greatly
appreciated. It is not only the collection
of the funds that we wish to stimulate
but also a participation and communication
between those who have a common interest.
Again, thank you for your reply and I will
certainly keep you informed of what develops.
Your expertise and knowledge of Sopotskin
will undoubtedly be most helpful.
I hope to have firm figures as to costs next
week and will get back to you with specifics.
Thank you for your kind offer of help.
Regards,
Marvin Langer
In a message dated 4/16/03 12:27:57 AM Eastern
Daylight Time, malcal@rogers.com writes:
Alfredorad@aol.com wrote:
Marvin, you know there were two Jewish cemeteries
on the same street. The older one was closer
to town and the newer one further, where
the non-Jews lived.
The cemetery being restored is the new one
at the end of synagogue street. I asked Michael
tonight, by coincidence, if he had visited
the old cemetery. He was unaware of its existence,
and I mentioned your papers and web site
about Sopotskin. He would be pleased to hear
from you about how he might access the old
cemetery. He will be sending me cost figures
for the work of cleaning, restoring and photographing
the headstones on their visit this summer.
I hope to send an update this week-end to
all who expressed interest.
Regards,
Marvin
Subj: Re: Sopotskin Cemetery
Date: 4/28/03
To: MLozman
CC: malcal@rogers.com
Hi~!
Let me thank you on behalf of all the Jewish
people actually from Sopotskin who are alive
today and living throughout the world; as
well as, on behalf of all the descendants
of all the Jewish people from Sopotskin.
Restoring the cemetery is indeed a blessing
on you and the other wonderful people who
have and are participating in this project.
We are very, very grateful and eternally
indebted to you for this.
With regard to the old cemetery, it was located
between Synagogue Street and Vasalevitch
Streets, close to the market square. This
information comes from my cousin who was
born in Sopotskin and lived there until she
was 17 years old (1941). If you were standing
on the market square facing Synagogue Street
and started walking up Synagogue Street on
the left hand side of the street, about a
half of a block up you would find the well.
First, before you came to the well, on the
left of you, you would see the "old
shul," then the "summer shul."
The summer shul, which was the big fancy
wooden one, that's pictured in the book Wooden
Synagogues. Then you would reach the "new
shul." The well was in the middle, about
abreast of the summer shul. So, when you
got to the well, from walking up Synagogue
Street, you make a left turn and face the
well. If you kept walking in a straight line,
going toward Vasalevitch Street you would
pass the well and come to the side of the
summer shul. On this side would be the side
entrance for the women. Turning to the left
at the women's entrance and going around
the corner of the building, would take you
to the front entrance of the summer shul
(which faces the Market). If you continue
past the summer shul towards Vasalevitch
Street, just on the other side of the summer
shul was the old cemetery. Diagonally, to
the right of that end of the summer shul
was a school building. To the left was the
rear of the stores that faced Market Square.
Straight ahead past the cemetery were the
rear of the homes that faced Vasalevitch
Street. In front of the summer shul was the
"old shul" and behind the summer
shul was the new shul. If you need more I
can draw a map, send it to my cousin for
confirmation, and then forward it to you.
My cousin states that she doesn't remember
any headstones, but it was so long ago. She
said when she lived there she didn't know
anyone who was buried there, that evidently
they had stopped using that cemetery in her
lifetime and started using the new one that
you are working on.
Of major concern to all the descendants from
Sopotskin who are doing genealogical research
are the vital records for Sopotskin. No one
so far is able to locate them. We have tried
many, many depositories, archives, and the
like, but to no avail. We have tried in Poland,
Belarus, Lithuania and Russia. We have tried
in regional and county archives, in church
records, etc. This has gone on for over 12
years that I know about. We have been told,
but not in any official capacity, that no
civil records exist in Sopotskin for Sopotskin;
but no one has ever been there to confirm
this one way or the other. We know that in
1906 there was a synagogue fire, where it
is said that the records kept there were
burned and destroyed. Nevertheless, in all
other towns records that were kept in synagogues
and churches were also kept by the civil
authorities. Why wouldn't the civil authorities
in Sopotskin also have their own records?
So, having said all that, is it possible
that on your next trip there you could inquire
locally about these records?
All over the world, Jews are tracing their
roots successfully and linking with the past.
A chain of ties that was unbroken until the
Holocaust. Now, they are fixing the broken
chain and finding what little solace there
is in that endeavor. Until your efforts,
hope was fading for any further genealogical
information about Sopotskin. Now there is
the possibility of gaining some information
from the tombstones. Perhaps you may also
locate the civil records.
My very best regards~!
Alfred Kramer
June 11, 2004
Alfredorad@aol.com wrote:
> Marvin, Hi~! Do you know who he went with? If they were going to
> Sopockin? If so, were they going to decipher the tombstones, and with
> what method? Please give me some meat for the bones. Regards, Al
Hi A l:
Michael has gone to Belarus with his group to save and restore another
Belarus cemetery.While there he,and hired Belarusians are to uncover,
clean and photograph the stones.As you recall this was to have been done
on his last visit which was interrupted by his recall to his mother's
funeral.I have sent him in the past the Internet instructions for
improving legibility and best photographic techniques. However I suspect
we will rerceive images similar to the earlier photographs and will
still have to find techniques for capturing as many images as possible.
Also there will undoubtedly be many readable and usable images as well.
I gather he will be back within a couple of weeks and I shall keep you
apprised of the situation.
Again Al, good luck on your paper on Sopotskin. Any pre-publication
advanced information about the gist of your article?
Regards,
Marvin
June 26, 2004
August 2, 2004
Dear Alfred,
Sorry for the delay. I will be sending you pictures of gravestones I uncovered and uprighted this June. Please let your readers know that we can continue to do this work on Sopotskin and other Jewish cemeteries only with their fianancial support. In another few generations these cemeteries will not even be here to discuss unless we put fences around them. I have just returned from two more villages in Belarus where we installed fences for that purpose. If you can help me reach others with this message, please let me know. Just for the record, I am not part of Dartmouth College., I invited them to join me on these projects. Actually, I am a full time working orthodontist.
Regards, Michael
October 16, 2004
July 17, 2005
Dear Alfred,
Thank you for your recent e-mail. I returned from Belarus on June 23. I coordinated a cemetery restoration project in Lunna, Belarus, with a group from Dartmouth College. We did a wonderful restoration of the Jewish cemetery and also engaged in integrating with the local school. I presented the school with a gift, and also ,for the first time, encouraged them to have an essay contest about the Holocaust for their students. This was designed to encourage the students to think about the contribution and fate of the Jews of their country; there has been no contact with Jews for the past three generations. I awarded a first ,second, and third prize to the winners, and the essays were brilliant. Many of the school children volunteered to help on the cemetery project and about 80 townspeople attended the dedication ceremony when we were completed. The added effect of this is that it draws the village into our work, and I think, protects the cemetery from vandalism after we leave. I will certainly do this contest again. With all due humility, this cemetery was a showpiece when we were "completed". So far, Sopotskin, Indura, Svir, Kamenka, and now Lunna, are all villages with Jewish cemeteries that I have now put fences around as well as righting gravestones and clearing the land of sixty years of overgrowth. The cemeteries we work on are those that have no walls, fences or perimeter demarcations. The primary purpose at this time is to give the cemeteries an identity by installing a fence around them. This helps to establish its presence. Oftentimes a cemetery may have only a handful of stones standing and the land is often used as a garbage dump or has structures such as garages built on them. Our wrought iron fences are installed in holes filled with cement and then the fence panels are welded together as a unit. I will send you pictures of our most recent work ( Lunna) and I think you will be amazed. I truly believe we are doing important work to preserve Jewish heritage and that we are fighting time to protect these cemeteries. With adequate funding and support from individuals, Jewish organizations, and grants, we will have the potential to grow large enough to make a significant change during our lifetime. Eventually I feel we will attract enough funding that will enable us to support a small staff, and then we will be able to organize enough colleges to work on numerous cemeteries each year. Each cemetery translates to about 2000-3000 graves, and it is this number that helps drive home the value of our project. In talks that I often am asked to give, I always remind my audience that these Jews buried there were not able to have family return from the concentration camps to preserve their names; that is the least we can do for them. The tax deductable foundation I have set up to receive donations is: The Restoration of Eastern European Jewish Cemeteries Project, Inc. c/o Dr. Michael Lozman 17 Johnson Rd. PO Box 821 Latham, NY 12110 Alfred, thank you for your offer of support. I have several villages lined up for next year and beyond. I will try to keep you posted as we progress.
Best Regards, Michael