Figure 1.--This is apparently a Jewish school in Romania during the 1930s,perhaps 1937. Unfortuately we can not read the placard the boys are holding. We are unsure how many Jewishchildren attended separate schools or to what extent the Government jelped finance these schools. The way the boys are dressed and their hair cut, they seem to come from assimilated families. There is writing n the back, but in pencil and faded. Click on the image to see if you can make anything out.

The first Jews to arrive in Roman Dacia may have been merchants. Jewish tombstones have been found in Romania dating from the Roman era. The first Christians in Romania may have been associated with the earky Jews as Christianity began as the Jesus movement within Judiaism. Almost not information about early Jewish communities from this era survive. Aurelian was forced to withdraw the Roman Legionsn from Dacia allowing the Germanic Barbarians to occupy the province (272 AD?). Much of the Romanized population was evacuated. It is likely that this included most if not all of the small Jewish community. Romania did not exist in the Medieval era, but principaloties from which modern Romania was formed coaleased in this period. One of the most important Romanian principalities was Walachia which was founded about 1290. Many Jews expelled from Hungary (1387) emmigrated to Walachia. More Jews arrived after Spain expelled its Jews (16th century). Moldavia was an important stop in the trade routes between Poland-Lithuania and the Ottoman Empire. Jewish merchants participated in this trade and some settled in Moldavia. Jewish settlement was encouraged by Moldavian princes as helpful for this lightly populated principality. Moldavian princes in the 18th century the granted charters guaranteing a range of privliges to Jewish communities. These offers attracted Polish Jews. Anti-semitism was not as pronounced in Romania as in many other European countries. It has the same kind of roots in Romania as in other European countries. A major source of anti-Semitsm was not religious, but commercial. Greek Orthodox Christianity while geneally not as intensely anti-Semetic as Roman Catholcism was intolerant and priests preached anti-Semetic semons. The Church also influenced anti-Jewish legal measures. Anti-Semetic liternature began to appear in the late-18th and early-19th centuries, including Tthe Golden Order (Jassy, 1771) and A Challenge to Jews (Jassy, 1803). Emerging Romania Most of Romania's historic Jewish popultion was murdered by the NAZIs and Romanian Fascists during the World War II Holocaust.

Roman Era

Modern Romania is roughly the same location as that of ancient Dacia. After a series of wars with Rome, Trajun conquered Dacia in two campaigns (101-106 AD). This was after the Roman supression of the Jews and in the resultung Dipora, Jews were dispersed throughout the Empire. This included Dacia which was converted into the Roman province of Dacia. The first Jews to arrive in Roman Dacia may have been merchants. Jewish tombstones have been found in Romania dating from the Roman era. The first Christians in Romania may have been associated with the earky Jews as Christianity began as the Jesus movement within Judiaism. Almost not information about early Jewish communities from this era survive. Many historians believe that the Dacians were largely Romanized during the Roman era and the Latin basis of the Romanian language suggests that this is the case.

Early Christian Era

Aurelian was forced to withdraw the Roman Legionsn from Dacia allowing the Germanic Barbarians to occupy the province (272 AD?). Much of the Romanized population was evacuated. It is likely that this included most if not all of the small Jewish community. No informatin is available on the Jewish community. Khazars dominated parts of Dacia for some time. Contact with Byzantium which had a Jewish community probably continued..

Walachia

Romania did not exist in the Medieval era, but principaloties from which modern Romania was formed coaleased in this period. One of the most important Romanian principalities was Walachia which was founded about 1290. Many Jews expelled from Hungary (1387) emmigrated to Walachia. More Jews arrived after Spain expelled its Jews (16th century). The Spanish Jews at this time migrated into many Balkan areas. Many Spanish Jews were highly educated and included physicians and other learned men. The princes of Walachia employed them as diplomats and other posts both because of their learning and internationl contacts.

Moldavia

Moldavia (northesern Romania) was another Romanian principality. It was founded after Walachia in the mid-14th century. Moldavia was an important stop in the trade routes between Poland-Lithuania and the Ottoman Empire. Jewish merchants participated in this trade and some settled in Moldavia. Important rivers flowed south from Poland through Moldavia to the Black Sea, especially the Dneister. Jewish settlement was encouraged by Moldavian princes as helpful for this lightly populated principality. Jewish communities existed in some Moldavian towns by the 16th century. Jewish communities were noted at Botosani, Jassy, Siret, and Suceava. Cossack massacres of the Jews in the Ukraine deove more Jews to Moldavia. The most horrific was the Chmielnicki massacres (1648–49). Moldavian princes in contrast to many other Christian princes were sympathetic to the Jews. This was in part because many Jews were learened at a time when education was very limited in the prvince. In addition the Jews could be trusted poltically. Moldavian princes in the 18th century the granted charters guaranteing a range of privliges to Jewish communities. These offers attracted Polish Jews. The charters included exemption from taxes, permissin as well as land ground for prayer houses, ritual baths, and cemeteries. Moldavian princes saw Jews as useful in rebuilding war-damaged towns (Suceava, 1761) or as part of efforts to expand other towns (Focsani, 1796). The landed aristocracy saw the Jews as useful in establisgh trading centers. These centers grew into towns, many of which had names ending in "burg",of course increased the value of the aristocracy's estates. Jews often served on the local town councils. Moldavia was located at the intersection of three great empires (Austrian, Russian, and the Ottoman). Ottoman power was receeding, but the Austrian and Rssian empires were expandong. These two empires annexed sections of Moldavia. Austria annexed Bukovina (1775). Russia annexed Bessarabia (1812). Many Jews from the annexed areas, especially the areas annexed by Russia, fled to the unoccupied area of Moldavia. Here they were protected or at least not percecuted by state authorities. Many had family and business connections to help them adjust. Mist jews lived in the towns. Jewish merchants were active in the trade of agricultural products (leather, cattle, and corn). Jews were also active as craftsmen (furriers, tailors, boot makers, tinsmiths, and watchmakers).

Early Anti-Semitism

Anti-semitism was not as pronounced in Romania as in many other European countries. It has the same kind of roots in Romania as in other European countries. A major source of anti-Semitsm was not religious, but commercial. Romanian and foreign mercghants to had to compete with Jewish merchants were thecsource of considerable anti-Jewish sentiment. While many Moldavian princes were sympathetic toward the Jews, this was not always the case. Petru Schiopul (Peter the Lame) attemted to bannish the Jews (1579). He claimed that they were harming Romanian merchants. Greek and Bulgarian Christian Orthodox merchants active in the Danube ports spread accusations about the Jews and often incited vicious riots. This often occurred during Easter. Cossacks notorious for horific pogroms against the Jews invaded Romania and killed Jews at Jassy (1652-53). Greek Orthodox Christianity while geneally not as intensely anti-Semetic as Roman Catholcism was intolerant and priests preached anti-Semetic semons. The Church influenced the first legal codes in both Walachias and Moldavia--the Church laws of Moldavia and Walachia (1640). The Church code identified Jews as heretics and prohibitedethe faithful from contasct them. Jews were not llow to appear as inesses in trials. Interstingly an exception was made for physicians, presumably because their expert testimony was needed. Anti-Semetic liternature began to appear in the late-18th and early-19th centuries, including Tthe Golden Order (Jassy, 1771) and A Challenge to Jews (Jassy, 1803). Emerging Romania

The Holocaust

About half of Romania's Jews were killed in the Holocaust. The fate of Romanian Jews was differed, depending on where they lived in the country. The borders of Romania changed greatly in the late 1930s and eraly 40s and the Jews were significantly affected by these changes. Members of the pro-NAZI and virulently anti-semeitic Iron Gurard assasinated Prime Minister Armand Calinescu on September 21, 1939. Calinescu had sought to supress the Iron Guard. The Iron Guard was being trained by German army officers suposedly in Romania as teachers at Romanian schools. [Gilbert, p. 276.] General Ion Antonescu who had been the Minister of War seized power on September 6, 1940. He ininiated a Fascist state. Despite an Alliance with Hitler, the Romanians had lost considerable territory. As a result of the NAZI-Soviet Non-Agression Pact, Stalin had ceased Bessarabia and northern Bukovina. Bulgaria had obtained southern Dobruja. About 40 percent of Transylvania had gone to Hungary under the terms of second Vienna Award. These humiliating losses had fueld the rise of Antonescu and the Iron Guard. The territorial changes also affected the NAZI strategy at getting at Romanian Jews.

Sources

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Created: 11:14 PM 8/7/2006
Last updated: 10:35 AM 6/4/2014