Early Communal History

Jewish agricultural colony in Bessarabia, founded in 1836 on approx. 3,217 acres of land bought by settlers from Podolia. It developed the most advanced level of farm economy in the Jewish colonies in the region. 371 families (1,874 persons) were living there in 1899. In 1930 there were in the colony 1,198 Jews (87.30f the total population).

The Holocaust Period

After occupation by the Soviet Army in June 1940, the rabbi and community leaders of Dombroveni were exiled to Siberia; Jewish property was confiscated in stages and all Zionist activity outlawed. In 1941, in the interval between the withdrawal of the Soviet forces and the entry of German-Romanian troops, Dombroveni was plundered by the inhabitants of the nearby villages, and the Jews fled to the outlying fields. When they were caught by the Rumanian troops they were all concentrated in the school courtyard, robbed of their money and jewelry, and ordered to leave the place. Those who turned west were murdered by the Germans they met en route; others turned east and reached the Dniester, where some succeeded in crossing the river with the help of the remaining Soviet authorities and took refuge in the Soviet Union. Still others were caught by Romanians and dispatched to Transnistria, where they were either killed or died of starvation and disease. The settlement itself was leased out and all the property seized and distributed among local peasants.

Courtesy of:
"Encyclopedia Judaica"
©1972, Keter Publishing House Jerusalem Ltd
Jerusalem, Israel

Surnames: Alphabetical list of surnames appearing in the Dombroven Partial Residents' List
Transliterated, translated and submitted by Dr. Arnold Davidson. This list of names appears at the end of the book. It is titled "A taylvayse reshima fun die mishpachos in Dombroven faren umkum" [A partial list of the families in Dombroven before the destruction] and was assembled by A. L. Fromerman.  [AD] For the complete list you must click on the link above.

No Surnames:  – Aharon Der Shamash [= the beadle] – Alta and Shayve  – Dovid (der staler) [= the joiner]   – Layzer Shuster [= shoemaker]  – Moishele Baal Agule [= the cartman]   – Urtze shnayder   – Vove der Roiter (a shnayder) [= a tailor]  – Yisrael Kavel [= blacksmith] 

A: Abramovitz   Aharonovitz  Akselrod   Aksenfeld   Alkin
B: Barash  Barg   Bas   Benderski   Berkovitz   Blubshtayn   Botnik   Braytman   Bronshtayn   Bubis   Budman
C: Charast   Chariton  Choshech
D: Davidzohn   Davidzon  Dayn   Dechter   Derman   Dimenshtayn   Dorogoy   Dovava   Drinberg
E: Elgurt
F: Feldman   Fichman   Fildish   Fintzevski   Flaysher   Fridman   Frivman   Fromerman   Fuks
G: Gertzenshtein   Glayzer   Glozman   Goldrige   Grinberg   Grinshtayn   Grosman   Gufshpan
H: Harst   Hartzenshtayn   Heksler   Hoychberg
K: Karenblit   Katzke   Kayser   Kentzis  Koler   Komarov   Koplibotzki  Korenblit   Korenfeld   Kornblit   Kremer  Kuperman   Kuzminski
L: Laber  Layzerman   Levental   Lichtman   Lifshitz   Lipshitz
M: Magen-Ginzberg   Magner   Malmud   Mariase   Melamud   Melech   Merlin   Milshtayn   Mogolayner Moldotzinski
N: Nusinkes
P: Pesach   Podgaist   Podgaitz   Polotnik   Pomerantz
R: Rabinovitz   Riblis   Rilberg   Rimer   Rogotke   Roitman   Rubinshtayn
S: Saltanovitz   Seltzer  Sendler   Shimshovitz   Shlayzer   Shlimovitz   Shlimovitz   Shmukler   Shmunim   Shmunis  Shperling   Shternberg,   Shtupman   Shvartz   Sirota   Skverer   Socher   Sofer   Sorotzki   Sotzki   Sperling
T: Telegraftzik  Toltzes   Tzirulnkik   Tzisin   Tzugel   Tzvi
V: Varete   Vaserman   Vaynberg   Vaynshtayn   Vayser   Vaytzman   Vernever   Vindetshanski
Y: Yorgel
Z: Zaltzman   Zatz   Zeltzer   Zigelboim   Zilberman   Zlotnik   Zusman