Note: To see the full list of projects carried out by the Bessarabia SIG please go here

Projects and support

The Kishinev team has a number of projects on going concerning Kishinev:

* Improving the Kishinev KehilaLinks
* Enlarging of the Kishinev records collection (Romania/Moldova Database)
- Identifiying available "fonds"
- Acquiring, indexing and translating new "fonds"

The Kishinev team, as well as the rest of JewishGen is mainly supported by volunteers and donations.
In order to succeed in this ambitious project, we need your help that can be on several forms:
* Improving the Kishinev KehilaLinks
     - If you have information, documents or pictures related to Kishinev
     - If you can write an article about a subject related to Kishinev
     - If you want to share a family story or anecdote
* Enlarging the Kishinev Database
     - If you have documents or data related to Kishinev people (vital records, census, other historic documents)
     - If you can work on the classifiying of the data available on the internet
You can contact us.

You can also make a donation to the Bessarabia SIG Program on the JewishGen-erosity (the main target is the acquisition and translation of new "fonds")

Thanks in advance for your support.

Ariel Parkansky
Kishinev Town Leader
Bessarabia SIG - Jewishgen.org

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Ongoing Projects for Kishinev

Kishinev Doyna Cemetery (St. Lazar): indexing and photographing 9630 records were added to JOWBR with 9333 photos. There is a part to be done with about 1000-1500 graves which are located in non-Jewish sectors of the cemetery.
Project is 90% completed.
Please see the overview, maps, phtographs at the Doyna Cemetery Project Report (pdf)

Kishinev Main Jewish Cemetery (Skulyany): (Feb. 2017) Sector 2 was photographed and indexed. 1341 burials recorded with 1165 photos. Also there are 48 photos of Unknown Graves available at the website and from Kishinev Jewish Cemetery report. Please see the overview, maps, photos, and more at Skulyani Cemetery Project Report on Sector 2 (pdf)

Kishinev Yizkor Book: Translation by Dalya Danish (September, 2013).
A part is already translated and available at JewishGen Yizkor Books Project
Dalya Danish for now finished working, and we need translators from Hebrew to continue

The National Archive of Moldova (Added in October, 2013): Combined project of archival and genealogical researcher Alla Chastina, Kishinev and Bessarabia SIG. This is an excerpt (pdf) of Jewish Material (6 sets of documents) from one of three collections Alla C. shared with Bessarabia SIG.

Family Search (LDS): catalogue microfilms on Bessarabia Jewish records. (Updated in Sep 2014)
Project leader Yoni Kupchik, Israel.
The first part of the project is done - Revision Lists microfilms were researched and a table of 45 microfilms with details by towns presented. 5 microfilms were also looked at without any Jewish records. The table also has information if Bessarabia SIG translated the records or not. Next part here is to get similar information on Vital and any other records collected by Family Search. Updated in September 2014 by Yefim Kogan
Set of 12 Microfilms received recently from Family Search, September 2014, Yefim Kogan. Please check out what is available in these microfilms.

Bessarabia Annual books, 1862-1914: It is a collection of very valuable information on Jews in Bessarabia from 1862 to 1914 who held government positions. There are 23 books available for research and translation. The information include statistics of birth, death, marriages per year, list of Rabbies in towns and shteitlekh, list of people working in Jewish Hospitals, Jewish schools, and more.
Project Leader, translator - Yuriy Daylis, Minnesota, USA
Nine books from 1862, 1872, 1875, 1882, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1888 and 1893 were already researched and translated.
See the list of Jews from the books in order by year of the book, in the alphabetical order by Last Name, and some statistics, as of August of 2014.

Bessarabia Vital Records: This is an ongoing translation/transliteration project that was started 9 years ago by Romania-SIG. Currently, the database contains more than 144,000 Jewish births, marriages, death and divorce records from primarily Kishinev and several other towns. Until 2014, project Coordinator was Bob Wascou Z"L and we cannot thank him enough.
Starting in 2015, someone from Bessarabia SIG will take it over.

Bessarabia Revision Lists: Revizskie Skazki (Revision Lists) project started in 2009. The Revision Lists (census, family lists) enumerated individuals/families subject to taxation and identified men to draft into the army. The database contains more than 80,000 records from the 9th, 10th and Additional Revisions from 1840-1870s. It now covers 43 towns from all 9 districts in Bessarabia Gubernia and several towns from Podolya Gubernia. Project Coordinator - Yefim Kogan (yefimk@verizon.net).
We need volunteers to help translate/transliterate the records from hand written Russian.

Transliteration of Landsmanshaften groups records: Go for details to Bessarabia SIG Landsmanshaften section.

Bessarabian Newspapers from 1850-1940: There are a number of newspapers published in Bessarabia, Russian Empire in the 19th century through 1917, and in Romania from 1917 to 1940. Go for details to Bessarabia research projdcts section (number 39).
Need translators from Russian to get excerpts from the newspapers.

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Completed Projects for Kishinev

Graduation records from Kishinev ProGymnasium 1872-1882: Records in Russian are available online.
Translated by Claire Stuart
See List of Jewish Graduates of Kishinev ProGymnasium (1872-1882) (pdf)

Russian Jewish Fallen Soldiers of WW1 (updated Dec. 2014): The project for all Gubernias in Russian Empire is under coordination of Joel Ratner.
The part corresponding to soldiers from Bessarabia was completed by Terry Lasky (Bessarabia SIG).
Records are available at Bessarabia SIG website and soon be part of JewishGen database.

1940 Kishinev Business directory (added March 2014): 1278 records were indexed. Records include Type of Business/Profession in Romanian and English. You will find dress makers, painters, lawyers, and also Chief Rabbi of Kishinev Yehuda Leib TSIRELSON.
Project Leader: Harvey Kabaker, also translated byPaola Khalili, and Carol Shkolnik.
Records are available at Bessarabia SIG website and soon be part of JewishGen database.

1924/25 Bessarabia Business directory: 13,144 Jewish businesses in nine districts and the capital Chisinau (Kishinev). Available at Bessarabia SIG and at JewishGen Databases.
See records at Bessarabia SIG for Kishinev district (not including town) and Kishinev town.

More Coming Soon

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