Alternate names: Focşani [Rom], Fokschan [Ger], Foksány [Hun], 45°42' N, 27°11' E, 61 miles SSE of Bacău, 49 miles NW of Brăila, 44 miles SSW of Bîrlad. Jewish population: 5,954 (in 1899), 4,301 (in 1930).
- JewishGen Romania SIG
- Pinkas HaKehilot, Romania, Vol. 1 (1969), p. 203: "Focşani".
- Encyclopedia of Jewish Life (2001), pp. 388-389: "Focsani".
- YIVO Encyclopedia has excellent history. [Julyt 2014]
-
Focsani - Jewish Virtual Library
REFERENCE: See: abandoned sites Jewish Heritage Travel: A Guide to East-Central Europe by Ruth Ellen Gruber- New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1992 - 10. Located at 45°42' 27°11' in Vrancea County, Moldavia region. Alternate name: Foksani.
website [July 2014]
CEMETERY:
An ancient cemetery in the Moldavian part of the town closed in 1691. After the cemetery closed , part of the graves were desecrated. Gravestones were taken to build the steps of the Sf.John Church; face down to hide the inscriptions. Source: "The Romanian Jews in Historic Writings", HaSefer Publishers, page 53). Another two cemeteries that vanaished were from the 18 th century (Source "450 de ani Focsani 1546-1996" ("450 Years of Focsani 1546- 1996") Dr.Virgil Paragina, page 93):
Moldavian Focsani, Perjoi-St (1781)
Muntenian Focsani, in Bahne-region, beside the "Balta lui Asanache" ("Asanache's Pool") (1787)
photos. [July 2014]
Old Cemetery :
Functioned until 1874 at 18, Nicolae Balcescu St. 4393 burials. Tis cemetery is totally neglected, the gravestones in bad condition. Contact Federation of Jewish Communities in Bucharest for more information. Two hearses were kept here, transporting the dead (one for the rich, one for the poor).until WWII. The cemetery is now completely neglected; part of the gravestones completely ruined or missing.
New Jewish Cemetery:
Located on the way to the small forest, the site was established in 1874. More than 3245 burials in 50 rows (single and family graves, for two, three and four). Earthquakes damaged many of the gravestones. Part have German inscriptions, others Hebrew, and others Romanian. Most dates from the date 1800s. JJewish War burials from WWI exist with a monument erected at the gates of the cemetery. Some 1940 burials are from an earthquake. [July 2014]
[UPDATE] Photos, probably of Old Cemetery, by Charles Burns [November 2017]