BRICENI JEWISH CEMETERY

In the 19th century, one of the largest Jewish communities in Bessarabia lived in Briceni. Most Jews worked as craftsmen, often furriers, who produced and exported up to 25,000 coats and hats a year. In June 1940, Briceni, along with the rest of Bessarabia, was occupied by the USSR, which confiscated most Jewish property and community buildings. The synagogue was turned into a warehouse and the community leaders were exiled to Siberia. On July 8, 1941, German and Romanian troops captured Briceni and killed many Jews. The others were sent to Transnistria at the end of July, but many were shot en route (the young people were murdered in a forest near Soroca). After 1945, only 1,000 Jews returned to Briceni. The cemetery remains today the witness of the important presence of the Jews.

The cemetery has 5,000 tombs, on 10,000 ^m2_, most of them dating from the 19th century. The size of the cemetery indicates the importance of the local Jewish community in the history of Briceni. There are very old stelae with inscriptions written in Hebrew characters. Depending on the historical periods, the alphabet used varies and the Soviet period is characterized by inscriptions in Cyrillic. The tombs are valuable clues to the community's past, its sociology and culture, and the tragic events of the Second World War.