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There are over a dozen towns in the Pale Of Settlement with the name of Novoselytsia or similar. Since Novoselytsia means "New Community" it's somewhat understandable. Unfortunately the researcher looking for their ancestral town needs more then the name. In my case I have been told by family members that the town was located on the Prut River. In addition there is a Holocaust Martyr List that includes my Grandmother pointing to the same town. Therefor this Kehila is dedicated to that Novoselitsia in the Ukraine on the Prut River.

Novoselytsya, Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine, Stands at what was the tripoint between Russia, Austria and Romania in fact the town itself was on both sides of the border between Austria and Russia. At the time it was at the northern tip of what was Bessarabia (Russia) on its border with what was Bukovina (Austria) an administrative division of the Hapsburg Monarchy. Currently Noveselytsia is in the Ukraine on its northern border with Moldova not far from the Ukranian border with Romania

While Jews have been in the Ukraine since the Fourth Century and there are Tombstones from the 15th Century of Jews from Noveselytsia in the neighboring hamlet of Cliscautim. The Jewish population had several migrations of new residents. The actual village however was formed by refugees from Chmelnitzky's pogroms of 1665 through 68.

Then at the end of the 18th Century Romanian Noblemen invited Jews and Bulgarians to settle on their estates granting them special rights and small plots of land. It was that wave that gave the town the name Novaseliysia (New Community).

In 1812 Bessarabia was annexed to Russia and a new wave of immigrants came to the area settling near the Austrian border. It was at this time that communal institutions were built such as a prayer house, a bath house and mikvah.

The Austrian and Russian sides of Novaselytsia were separated by a small stream the Rakytna and connected by a foot bridge. Most of the settlers were on the Austrian side which was more developed then the Russian side. A monthly pass was obtainable and people moved back and forth across the border relativity easily. While the community had it's good periods and bad for the most part relations with non Jews were usually good and Jews were able to participate in local government. At one point Jews represented over 60% of the population and were involved in all kinds of community and cross border commerce. There were Jewish doctors ,lawyers, academic professionals, bankers and smugglers. Since Novoselytsia was a border town their were custom stations on each side of the border and smuggling was popular. From about 1880 to 1910 smuggling included the large number of "illegal Immigrants" heading into Austria and continuing overseas to the Americas and Israel.

In October 1941 the Jewish population was rounded up and marched to the Transnistria many perished on our ancestors "trail of tears" of cold and attacks by peasants*. Once there they were joined by Jews from other towns. Many perished during the war of starvation and cold. Survivors have given testimony at Yad Vashem and there is a list of Martyrs whith by permission of Yad Vashem is also on JewiashGen Prior to the deportation 36 hospitalized Jews were shot by the Romanians. In Israel a synagogue bearing the name the "Martyrs of Novoselytsia" is in the "Peker Quarterof the Noveselytsia Olim in Northern Ramat Hasharon

* According to a very rough calculation with today's maps the distance is about 217 Miles. Did they walk the entire distance? I havnt been able to determine. One source indicated that they walked and had carts however it also indicated that the peasants driving these carts abandoned the people and returned to town. Another source repoorted a woman walking barefoot 6 Kilometers. I am not making light of the pain and suffering of walking 6 Kilometers barefoot but 6 Kilometers is 3.7 miles not 217 miles. Unfortunately this deportation which I called our "ancestors trail of tears" does not seem to be well documented. and if it is I havn't seen it. Nor do I intend to compare the two forced migrations Only to suggest that the two had to be terrible both physically and emotianally in ways that those that havnt experienced it cannot imagine

Memory , Pictures and Family Stories
Under Construction. While I have some stories of my own mainly from my father I welcome community input. Please forward your stories preferably in PDF format. to cyaker@yaker.org

Cemeteries
In the Novoselytsia area and around the world

Emigration
When Jews left Novoselitsa on their own accord they went to many countries and left various types of material there. Here is information about some of that material. If you have additional information and wish to share please contact me at the email above and below.

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(Yiddish)

Novoselytsya [Ukr], Noua Suliţă [Rom], Novoselitz [Yid], Novosel'tsy [Rus], Nowosielica [Pol], Nowoselyzja [Ger], Novo Selitsa, Novoselica, Novoselitsy, Sulita, Nuvaselitz, Noua Sulitsa, Noua-Suliţă, Novoselycja