Sephardic Jews in Romania: A Historical Overview and Genealogical Guide
The Sephardic Jewish community of Romania, dwarfed by the much larger Ashkenazi population is today largely forgotten, including by Sephardim. It deserves to be remembered.
Timeline of Sephardic Jews in Romania and Major Romanian Events:
- 16th Century: First Sephardic Jews arrive in Wallachia from the Ottoman Empire
- 1600: First unification of Romanian Principalities under Michael the Brave
- 1730: Prince of Wallachia, on the advice of Daniel de Fonseca and Celebi Mentz Bali, allows Jewish communities to be organized
- 1819: First Sephardic synagogue built in Bucharest
- 1859: Unification of Moldavia and Wallachia
- 1877: Romania gains independence from the Ottoman Empire
- 1890: Cahal Grande synagogue rebuilt in Bucharest
- 1918: Greater Romania formed after World War I
- 1934: Sephardic communities reported in multiple Romanian cities
- 1940: Romania joins the Axis powers in World War II
- 1941: Cahal Grande synagogue destroyed in a pogrom
- 1947: Communist regime established in Romania
- 1955: Remains of Cahal Grande synagogue demolished
- 1989: Romanian Revolution, fall of communist regime
Early Sephardic Settlement in Romania
Sephardic Jews first arrived in the principality of Wallachia from the Ottoman Empire in the 16th Century. In 1730, the prince of Wallachia, on the advice of Daniel de Fonseca and Celebi Mentz Bali, allowed Jewish communities to be organized. However, a Sephardic synagogue was not built until 1819. The original Cahal Grande synagogue was rebuilt in 1890, but was tragically destroyed in a pogrom in 1941, and its remains were finally demolished in 1955.
Sephardic Communities in Romania
As of 1934, Sephardic communities were reported in:
- Bucharest (largest)
- Craiova
- Ploiești
- Turnu Severin
- Timișoara
- Corabia
- Calafat
- Brăila
- Galați
- Tulcea
- Constanța
- Giurgiu
According to historians:
- Iuliu Barasch: Sephardic community in Focșani
- Moses Gaster: Sephardic community in Alba Iulia
Notable Facts and Figures
- Romania had a mixed community of Sephardim and Ashkenazim
- Sephardim primarily came from the Ottoman Empire
- Two Sephardic synagogues existed in Bucharest
- Moses Gaster, Haham of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews of London and eminent academic, was a Romanian Jew, questionably described as Sephardic
Resources for Sephardic Jewish Research in Romania
Historical Sources
Professor Felicia Waldman at the University of Bucharest is the expert on Sephardic studies in Romania.
- Tales and Traces of Sephardic Bucharest by Anca Tudorancea (Ciuciu), Felicia Waldman
- The Sephardic Jews in Rumania: The Rise and Decline of the Sephardic Jewish Community in Bucharest (Hebrew) by Jacob Geller
Online Resources:
- Bucharest’s Lost Sephardic World
- Sephardic Studies – Romania
- Craiova Jewish Community
- Bucharest: A Sephardic Outlook
- Sephardic Jews in Romania (Romanian Wikipedia)
Organizations:
Video Resources:
- Sephardim in Romania – Felicia Waldman
- The Sephardic Jews of Romania – World Jewish Congress
- Bucurestiul sefard
Romanian Civil Resources for Jewish Genealogists
- Civil Registration: Romania began civil registration in 1865, but implementation varied by region. Records include births, marriages, and deaths.
- Census Records: Romania conducted several censuses before 1945, including those in 1859, 1899, 1912, 1930, and 1941. The 1930 census is particularly valuable as it includes information on ethnicity and religion.
- Romanian National Archives (Arhivele Nationale ale Romaniei) (Romanian) They hold various records including civil registration and census data.
- Romanian State Archives: Some records are available through FamilySearch:
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