Historical English-Language Newspaper Project

We are beginning to document historical English-language news stories about Romanian Jews over the past 150 years. Thanks to online newspaper databases, we are now able to delve deeper into the history of Jews in Romania, and these articles from English-language newspapers offer fascinating insights into the pre-war Romanian Jewry.

Click on a title to read these historical articles. More articles will continue to be added to this page.

History of Romanian Jews

• The Jews in Moldavia and Wallachia (part 1), The Asmonean (August 24, 1855) [situation of the Jews; status of sudits]

• The Jews in Moldavia and Wallachia (part 2), The Asmonean (December 21, 1855) [details on Ashkenazi and Sephardic communities across Romania and their different customs]

• The Jews in Moldavia and Wallachia (part 3), The Asmonean (June 27, 1856) [Sephardic Jews of Bucharest]

• The Jews in Moldavia and Wallachia (part 4), The Asmonean (July 4, 1856) [Ashkenazi Jews of Wallachia]

• Romanian Concern , The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (January 15, 1982)

• Memorial to hero, The Australian Jewish Times (December 20, 1984) 

• Romanian synagogue torn down after assurances it would remain, The Jewish News of Northern California (August 1, 1986) [Sephardic Jews of Bucharest]

• Synagogue gone, The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (September 21, 1986) [Sephardic Jews of Bucharest]

• The Last Jews tells a poignant story, The Jewish News of Northern California (April 17, 1987)

• Opinion, The Australian Jewish Times (January 5, 1990)

• Despite emigration, Moldova’s Jews create revival, The Jewish News of Northern California (May 5, 2000)

• Romanian youths spur Jewish revival; future unclear, The Jewish News of Northern California (August 3, 2001)

• Elie Wiesel receives hero’s welcome in hometown visit, The Jewish News of Northern California (August 2, 2002) [Sighet]

• ROMANIA ACKNOWLEDGES HOLOCAUST ROLE, The Australian Jewish News (Sydney) (June 20, 2003)

Hardships of Jews in Romania

• Persecution of Jews in Moldavia, The Occident and American Jewish Advocate (August 1, 1867) [English House of Lords discussion on persecution and expulsions of Romanian Jews]

• Sir Moses Montifiore and Prince Charles of Roumania, The Hebrew Leader (October 29, 1869) [planned meeting of English baronet and Prince Charles of Romania to discuss persecution of Jews in Romania]

• Foreign News: Roumania, The Jewish Voice (December 22, 1893) [restrictions on Jewish schools]

• Foreign News: Roumania, The Jewish Voice (November 26, 1903) [poverty and work opportunities]

• The Situation in Roumania, The Hebrew Standard (March 29, 1907) [pogroms, poverty and overall struggles]

• The Situation in Roumania, The Hebrew Standard (April 19, 1907) [pogroms]

• Relief Work in Roumania, The Hebrew Standard (May 10, 1907) [persecution, anti-Semitism and relief efforts]

• Help for Roumanian Jews, The Jewish Voice (April 26, 1907) [poverty and anti-Semitism]

• [Untitled], B'nai B'rith Messenger (May 17, 1907) [Jews fleeing to Bulgaria and domestic struggles]

• Book Review: FINAL JOURNEY (The Fate of the Jews in Nazi Europe) by Martin Gilbert, The Australian Jewish Times (May 15, 1980) [fate of Jewish communities of France, Romania, Hungary, Holland and Greece]

• Pogrom Remembered, The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (September 21, 1984) [commemoration of 1941 Bucharest Pogrom]

• NEWS REPORT, The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (June 1, 1990) [vandalized cemeteries]

Romanian Jewish Emigration

• Foreign Gleanings [excerpt], The Hebrew Leader (May 5, 1882)

• Misery and Emigration, The Hebrew Standard (April 6, 1900)

• In the Jewish World [excerpt], The Hebrew Standard (August 22, 1902)

• ALIYA FROM ROMANIA , The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (July 4, 1980) 

• Romanian rabbis forecast Aliya to continue despite new laws, The Australian Jewish Times (December 2, 1982)

• Increased hopes for East European Jews , The Australian Jewish Times (February 21, 1985)

• 'New chance' for Jews in E. Europe , The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (February 22, 1985)

• Eastern Europe’s Jews confronted by paradox , The Australian Jewish Times (March 21, 1985)

• SINKING OF THE STRUMA 45 years 762 Jews drowned in freedom bid , The Australian Jewish Times (January 29, 1987)

• Warsaw vies to be emigres’ transit stop, The Jewish News of Northern California (April 10, 1987)

• Reliving the fateful march of Romania’s persecuted Jews, The Australian Jewish News (Sydney) (March 11, 2005)

Romanian Jewry Abroad

• A New Synagogue, The Hebrew Standard (November 27, 1903) [laying of the cornerstone for new synagogue in NYC]

• Cong. Adath Jeschurin of Jassy, The Hebrew Standard (September 9, 1904) [opening of new synagogue in NYC]