International Jewish Cemetery Project
International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies

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Alternate names: Sokyryany, Secureni, Secureni Târg, Sekiryany, Sekuren', Sekureni, Sekuryany, Sokiryany. 48°27' N 27°25' E , 195.2 miles SW of Kyyiv. In N Bessarabia, 42 miles E of Khotyn (Hotin), 18 miles W of Mohyliv-Podilskyy, 16 miles ENE of Briceni (Brichany).

CEMETERY:

US Commission No. UA25160101

Alternate name: Secureni Targ (Yiddish), Sekiryani (German), Sekureni Targ (Hungarian), Sekurian (Slov), Sikuran (Polish), Sokorone (English) and Secureni (Ukraine.) Sekiryani is located in Chernovitskaya at 48°27 27°25, 150 km from Chernovtsy. The cemetery is located at SE part of town, Petrovskogo Street. Present town population is 5,001-25,000 with 11-100 Jews.

  • Town officials: Town Executive Committee Chairman Medvedev Eugeni Yefimovich [Phone: (03739) 21173].
  • Regional: Region Executive Committee, Chairman Rusnak Georgiy Petrovich [Phone: (03739) 21493]. Region Executive Committee of Chernovtsy, Chairman Gasyuk P.P. [Phone: (03722) 22640].
  • Chernovtsy Jewish Community, Finkyel Eugeniya Manusovna [Phone: (03722) 24170]. Jewish Foundation of Tau Yakov Adolfovich [Phone: (03739)21940]. Kigelman Michail of Shevchenko Street. 8, Apt. 6 [Phone: (03722) 21454].
  • Caretaker: Shvets Vasiliy Ivanovich.

1939 Jewish population (census) was 4216. Effecting the Jewish Community was 1920 founding of Jewish Hospital. The Jewish cemetery was established in 18th century with last known Hasidic burial 1990. Oknitsa (6 km away) used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated suburban flat land has no sign, but has Jewish symbols on gate or wall. Reached by crossing Lenina, Tolbuhina and Shchersa Streets, access is open to all. A continuous masonry wall with non-locking gate surrounds the cemetery. 501 to 5000 stones, most in original location with 25%-50% toppled or broken, date from 18th to 20th century. Location of any removed stones is unknown. Some tombstones have portraits on stones and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery contains marked mass graves. Municipality owns site used for Jewish cemetery only. Properties adjacent are residential and truck garden. The cemetery boundaries are larger now than 1939Occasionally, Jewish or non-Jewish private visitors stop. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II. Jewish individuals within country did re-erection of stones, cleaned stones, cleared vegetation and fixed wall 1950-1990. Now, there is regular unpaid caretaker. Vegetation overgrowth and water drainage are seasonal problems. Moderate threat: vegetation, vandalism, existing nearby and proposed development. Slight threat: uncontrolled access, weather erosion and pollution.

Hodorkovsky Yuriy Isaakovich of 252037, Ukraine, Kiev, Vozduhoflotsky 37a, 23 [Phone: (044) 2769505] visited site on 3/10/95. Interviewed were Shvets V.I. Hodorkovsky completed survey on 03/20/1995. Documentation: Encyclopaedia Judaica , vol.14.