We Must Act Now: In our visits to Sadgura, we have witnessed the alarming decay of the Central Synagogue and the Rabbi's home next door, as well as the lack of maintenance at the Jewish Cemetery. Understandably, the small size of today's Jewish Community in Sadgura and Czernowitz (presently known as Chernivtsi), as well as the difficulties of doing business in the Ukraine, complicate the preservation of these sites. Efforts to preserve the Central Synagogue in the early 1990's with funding from private Jewish sources were unsuccessful. We believe it is important to act quickly to preserve these sites before they are destroyed by natural causes. We seek to open a dialogue with all interested parties through this preliminary document to insure that the remnants of Jewish culture in Sadgura are preserved to the greatest extent possible. To that end, we welcome suggestions from anyone who shares a common interest in this effort. Our initial objective, with this proposal, is to identify interested parties with whom we can work toward a common goal. We would appreciate information on all funding possibilities as well as what organizations and/or experienced individuals could assist in the administration of this project.

Who we are: The undersigned individuals represent an international group with direct family ties to the Jewish Community of Sadgura. We are deeply interested in preserving its historic Jewish sites for future generations. In the mid-1800's, the Bukowina Crownland of the Austro-Hungarian Empire was open to Jewish settlement, and many towns such as Sadgura, Czernowitz, and Radautz, became centers of Zionist and Hasidic movements; and Jewish/Yiddish cultural centers of renown. World War I, and increasing levels of anti-Semitic activities, disrupted these thriving Jewish communities, which the Shoah then destroyed. Today, the surviving Jews of the Bukowina and their descendants are scattered around the world, and only a handful of the original residents remain in the Bukowina. Yet, some of the structures and the cemeteries of these communities still stand. Ultimately, we would like to see a suitable memorial created for the Jews of Sadgura and the Bukowina region, perhaps at the Central Synagogue.

This statement was prepared by descendants of Sadgura and surrounding regions. We can be contacted by email as follows: