Alternate Hungarian name: Mohaly. Located at 46°59' 24°02' in Cluj county, Transylvania region, 58 km from Cluj-Napoca, 28 km from Dej, and 14 km from Gherla. The present total town population is under 1,000 with no Jews.
- Local officials: 3494 Mãhal, Jud. Cluj, Romania; Nicolae Inoan - mayor; Valer Berciu - vice mayor; Ion Pridea - secretary. Dej Jewish community, str. Infrãþirii, nr. 8, 4650 Dej, Ph.: 40-64-215179; -president: Farkas Iosif, ph.: 40-64-212.807; secretary: Hirsch Edmund, ph.: 40-64-213.925.
- Regional authority: Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, str. Sf. Vineri, nr. 9-11, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania, Ph.: 40-01-6132538 / 6132538, fax: 40-01-3120869, telex: 40-01-10798.
- Interested: Dr. Moshe Carmilly Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, str. Universitatii 7-9, cam. 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Director: Professor Ladislau Gyemant may also have information This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Mircea-Sergiu Moldovan, PhD. Professor and architect, str. Paring, nr. 1, bl. A4, ap. 12, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Ph.: 40-64-161261
- Caretaker with key: Stefan Fodor, 3494 Mãhal, Jud. Cluj, Romania.
The date of earliest known Jewish community was in 1891 when 3 Jews of a total population of 355 inhabitants are mentioned. In 1930, there were 8. In May 1944, the Jews were confined to the Dej ghetto; and on May 28, and June 6-8, they were deported to Auschwitz. After the Second World War no more Jewish lived in Mãhal. Orthodox Jews established the Jewish cemetery in the 20th century. Other communities did not use this cemetery, which was 4 km. from the congregation that used it. The isolated rural (agricultural) hillside with no sign or marker is reached by crossing a private property. It is open with permission, surrounded by a continuous fence with a non-locking gate. The approximate size of cemetery before World War II and now is still 24 sq. m. 4 tombstones are in original locations with none broken. The cemetery is not divided into special sections.
The oldest known gravestone is from the 20th century. The limestone, sandstone and slate flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones, or flat stones with carved relief decoration have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves or structures. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania owns and uses site as a Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are agricultural, and residential. The cemetery is visited rarely by private visitors. There has been no vandalism in the last ten years. Care included clearing vegetation annually and fixing fence and gate. Dej Jewish community did restoration in the 1960s and 1970s. Dej Jewish community pays the regular caretaker. Weather erosion, vegetation, and vandalism are moderate threats. The trees extend on large parts of the cemetery. The caretaker has difficulty getting rid of them. Security is a slight threat. Evacuation of water from the hill is a threat. (sic)
Mircea-Sergiu Moldovan, PhD. Professor and Architect, str. Parîng, nr. 1, bl. A4, ap. 12, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Ph.: 40-64-161261 completed survey on September 15, 1998 after a visit on September 10. Stefan Fodor was interviewed in Mãhal on September 10.