I Explored My Jewish Roots in Sighet, Romania

This trip, my visit to Sighet, had been a long time coming. I originally planned to visit in May of 2020 after learning that my great-grandmother, Bertha Lax, was likely born in the northern Romanian city back when it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. I'd been looking forward to it ever since my first Jewish heritage trip to Bardejov, Slovakia.
Then, the pandemic happened, and leaving Germany for any kind of travel beyond an emergency seemed like a bad idea. When countries started to open back up the following year, I determined to make it happen knowing how quickly things could change. I booked a flight to Cluj-Napoca, took the bus up to Sighet, and spent the better part of a week in town before taking the overnight train from Sighet to Bucharest.
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#jewishfood #jewishhistory #jewish #romania

[@faceconomicstv]

We were just in Sighet promoting economic development via social media utilization. You just proved our concept....thank you

[@BaurJoe]

Happy to be of service! 🤓

[@gatheringleaves]

My great grandmother Julia Fischer was born in Maramures back in 1906 and she along with the rest of her family emigrated to the United States, settling in NY around 1920, just over 100 years ago!

[@BaurJoe]

That's great you're still aware of that connection!

[@mkphilly]

My mother was from Sighet when it was still culturally and linguistically Hungarian, and the family was rounded up in 1944. My grandmother birthed all her children across the river in Solotvina

[@BaurJoe]

Wow, what a heart-breaking story…

[@shellylittlefeather883]

My mother-in-law's family was there then also. They probably knew your relatives. Her sisters were rounded up. My mother-in- law had left and was living in New York. She spoke 5 languages including Yiddish. I am wanting to visit here.

[@BaurJoe]

@shellylittlefeather883 I hope you get the chance to visit! It’s a special place.

[@jf5177]

My family is from their (Neiman), my great-great grandfather was a Rabbi and my great-great grandmother was a midwife there. She among other family members were rounded up in 1944 and brought to Auschwitz.

[@BaurJoe]

Very sorry to read that.

[@Bluelots]

Yes. In nanesti there was an all out war between the Romanian Bulgarian and German against the soviets in 1942 and 1944. and my great grandfather was there because we own land there. and 3 German soldiers died in the land and there was tanks also there in our land. I went metal detecting there and found so much relics and I found broken down tank by the germans.

[@nicusc1046]

It so sad to here that humans can do such a horrifying things to the other humans. I leave near Sighet.Visit Memorialul durerii(a former comunist prison,now museum of cumunism). It is worth it to visit.

[@mirelalupsac3855]

Sunt măndră că s din Sighet, ce amintiri frumoase, copilăria mea, cum au zburat anii!😔❤

[@LiunaTiger]

My paternal grandparents were from Rozavlea (grandmother, family name Szabó) and Sighetu (grandfather, family name Hoffman). I live in Budapest, but I would love to visit these places someday!! My great uncle (Lajos/Leib Szabó) married a Lax from Sighetu, Aranka Lax (born in Sighetu, 1898)! Her parents were David and Rosalia Schneesbalg, if that helps. Originally written as Lachs earlier.

[@BaurJoe]

Thanks for writing, Dora! I believe my great-grandmother, Bertha Lax, was born around that time. Possibly a bit earlier. But if your great aunt was born Aranka Lax, why were her parents Schneesbalg? Would be interesting if they were related somehow! I unfortunately know nothing on whether or not my great-grandmother had any siblings or cousins.

[@Jake76787]

My paternal grandfather (Kahan) was from Rozavlea as well.

[@AncaBerciu-r1i]

❤

[@BaurJoe]

Thanks for watching!

[@lawrencelitwin1807]

MY Grand mother and Great Grandmother are from Viseau De Sus Hungary/Romania until they moved to Belgium to wait out the war.. My great grandmother and her husband were killed in Bergen Belsen and my grandfather in Mathausen.

[@BaurJoe]

I’m sorry to read that 😔

[@lawrencelitwin1807]

@@BaurJoe thanks at times it's tough to move forward knowing this information

[@samuelsterncompass8427]

Joe - regards from Sighet. I was just there for a Shabbat. A sweet jew "Chaim" from nearby Solotfina joined us. Love this video - Fantastic job!

[@BaurJoe]

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed Sighet.

[@Jake76787]

My great great… grandfather was one of the first rabbis of sighet. Rabbi Yehuda Kahan(a). My paternal grandfather’s family (Kahan) was living in Rozavlea near Sighet when the war broke out.

[@BaurJoe]

That’s great you know that much about your family history. I take it your grandfather survived?

[@Jake76787]

@@BaurJoe He did. Him and his brother were somewhere else at the time so they survived but the rest of his family did not.

[@BaurJoe]

@@Jake76787 After doing some research, I found a similar story in my family as well in Slovakia. Not sure what happened to relatives in Sighet, unfortunately.

[@lcfatima]

My grandmother also has Transylvanian roots and has said that she never cooked or ate kasha until she married my Pale of Settlement origin grandfather, though I associate the dish kasha varnishkes with her, and I now make it myself. She said she was a mamalige person, not a kasha person. Although kasha varnishkes is iconic in Ashkenazi-American cuisine (sadly, many American Jews of younger generations have never even heard of mamalige), not everyone in the Alte Heim actually ate it! I envy your trip to explore your roots. Such a beautiful place we're from!

[@BaurJoe]

Thanks for sharing your story! Yes, I was incredibly look to return to my roots here in Sighet and hope I can go back again.

[@lisasingh6329]

Beautiful.

[@BaurJoe]

Thank you!

[@faheemmaqbool9845]

Hi

[@alexzaharia2867]

Im from sighet too!

[@BaurJoe]

You yourself or ancestry? Either way, cool!

[@gunerashraf1634]

Maramuresean adevărat, Sighetul a avut o mare contribuție din partea evreilor ultra-ortodocși. Din păcate au ramas prea puțini.✡️🕎

[@gabrielamaramures289]

🤨🤔

[@gatheringleaves]

Joe, we might be distant cousins!

[@BaurJoe]

Maybe! Thanks for watching!

[@keysalicia_]

May I ask you something, guys? A personal question: Had you guys gotten the abomination of the Farmakeia Jab Technology? I am very curious about this, especially because you have Jewish heritage!