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]

• News from Abroad, The Hebrew Standard (May 25, 1894) [Romanian royalty on Jews]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (May 25, 1894) [Royals visit to Jassy]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate, Chicago (August 17, 1895) [Herr Neuschotz moving from Berlin to Bucharest ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (January 6, 1895)

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (February 1, 1895)  [Jewish Students admitted to student medical society ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (April 10, 1895)  [ Jewish Tiktin appointed professor of German in Jassy]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate, Chicago (November 2, 1895) [Jewish academic declines a professorship appointment due to unwillingness to sign a Christian oath ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (November 8, 1895)  [Requirement of embracing Christian faith to accept Professorship ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (September 18, 1896)  [Bernard Taussig obituary ]

• From Roumania - Death of Dr. Taussig, The Australasian Hebrew (October 16, 1896) [Bernhard Taussig obituary]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (March 6, 1897)  [ Dr  J. Nierimirower appointed rabbi in Jassy ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis Missouri) (March 19, 1897) [Restrictions on education for Jewish students ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate (March 20, 1897) [Bill will require compulsory closing of businesses on Sundays and Christian holidays and restrictions on kosher slaughter of animals ]

• A Protest from Germany Editorial, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (July 3, 1897)  [Editorial about Zionism ]

• The Zionist Congress, The Jewish Voice, St. Louis Missouri (September 17, 1897) [Report on Zionist Congress]

• Foreign News Roumania , The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (November 5, 1897) [Effects of observance of high holidays on economy]

• Foreign News Roumania, Emanu-El, Weekly Paper (November 12, 1897) [Effects of observance of high holidays on economy ] 

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (June 18, 1898) [Anti-Hungarian demonstration and outbreak against Jews ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (June 25, 1898)  [students celebrating the 1848 Hungarian revolution confronted by police ]

• Zionism, Emanu-El, Weekly Paper (December 9, 1898)  [editorial on Zionism ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (March 24, 1899)  [Donation to help Jewish schools ]

• Editorial Notes, Emanu-El, Weekly Paperurl (April 28, 1899)  [Jewish Colonial Trust editorial]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (September 1, 1899) [Report of trial for ritual murder]

• Zionism, Emanu-El, Weekly Paper (September 15, 1899) [report and editorial on 3rd Zionist Congress ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (September 1, 1899) [blood libel trial]

• American Zionist News, Emanu-El, Weekly Paper (November 24, 1899)  [ Pending publication of Herzl zionist novel]

• American Zionist News, Emanu-El, Weekly Paper (December 15, 1899) [Announcement of new Yiddish paper in Jassy ]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (December 8, 1899) [obituary, emigration report, employment ]

• Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (January 19, 1900) [Twenty-fifth anniversary Egalitatea, etc.]

• Everywhere, The Hebrew Standard (New York City) (March 16, 1900) [Ezra society founded for emigration]

• (no title), The Hebrew Standard (New York City) (December 6, 1900) [Dr. Lippe celebration]

• Announcements, The Jewish Comment (Baltimore) (September 19, 1901) [Announcement of Israel Abraham

• In Old Holland, Jewish Comment (Baltimore, Maryland) (December 5, 1901) [Dutch Jewry]

• Jewish Congregational Conference in Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (February 15, 1902) [Jewish Congregational Conference in Romania]

• Foreign News, The Jewish American (Detroit, Michigan) (February 21, 1902) [Congress of Jewish Communities]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (October 31, 1902) [Israel Chalm Daniel obituary]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish News of Northern California (November 7, 1902) [Israel Chaim Daniel death and fortune]

• Literary, The Hebrew Standard (New York City) (July 22, 1904) [publication of The Jewish Encyclopedia Vol. VII]

• Literary Notes,  The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (July 28, 1904) [Announcement of 7th edition of the Jewish Encyclopedia]

• The Roumanian Situation, The Jewish News of Northern California (November 17, 1904) [Royal visit to Jassy]

• Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (July 21, 1905) [Request to abolish More Judaico oath]

• The Voice of Truth, The Maccabaean (Federation of American Zionists) (October 1, 1905) [List of Zionist readings and education]

• (untitled), The Hebrew Standard (New York) (August 16, 1906) [Minister of Justice, said to be a friend of Jews, resigned]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish  Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (March 28, 1907) [Liberal party in Romania supports of Jews owning land, citizenship)]

• Foreign News, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (June 14, 1907) [Meeting of principal Jewish organizations]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (September 20, 1907) [Relief work in Romania]

• Abraham Goldfaden. CHARACTER SKETCH AND APPRECIATION, The Hebrew Standard (New York City) (January 23, 1908) [Abraham Goldfaden influence on writer]

• Foreign News, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (April 18, 1908) [More Judaico]

• Memorable Dates in September, The Hebrew Standard (New York City) (September 4, 1908) [memorable events over the years in September]

• Necrology July 16, 1907 to July 31, 1908,  The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (September 24, 1908) [listing of deaths from American Jewish Year Book]

• Memorable Dates in December, The Hebrew Standard (New York City) (December 17, 1908) [listing of Jewish deaths]

• Miscellaneous, The Maccabaean (Federation of American Zionists) (January 1, 1909) 

• News from Everywhere, The Canadian Jewish Times (January 7, 1909) [More Judaico abolished; anti-semitism]

• The Yiddish Stage,  The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (February 20, 1909) [Yiddish theater]

• Memorable Dates, The Hebrew Standard (New York City) (June 14, 1909) [memorable dates in June]

• News from Everywhere, The Canadian Jewish Times (July 8, 1909) [restriction of travel of anti-semite]

• Foreign News,  The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (July 22, 1909) [Boycott of tramways by Jews]

• News from Everywhere, The Canadian Jewish Times (August 12, 1909) [street-car boycott by Jews]

• Romanian Concern , The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (January 15, 1982) [Romania’s Jewish community disappearing]

• Memorial to hero, The Australian Jewish Times (December 20, 1984) [memorial service in honor of Colonel Reviczky who saved Jews during WW2]

• Dying with dignity, The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (March 15, 1985) [The situation for Jews in Eastern Europe ]

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

• Synagogue gone, The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (September 21, 1986)  [Sephardi Synagogue in Bucharest demolished as part of redevelopment plan]

• The Last Jews tells a poignant story, The Jewish News of Northern California (April 17, 1987) [chronicle of remnants  of tiny Jewish communities]

• Opinion: Romanian rabbi’s profound dilemmas, The Australian Jewish Times (January 5, 1990)  [ Rabbi’s dealings with political leaders to save Jewish lives.]

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

• Romanian youths spur Jewish revival; future unclear, The Jewish News of Northern California (August 3, 2001)  [Youth organization to prevent the extinction of Romanian Jewry. ]

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

• ROMANIA ACKNOWLEDGES HOLOCAUST ROLE, The Australian Jewish News (Sydney) (June 20, 2003) [ Romania acknowledges Holocaust participation]

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) [Sir Moses Montefiore to confer with Prince Charles of Roumania on behalf of the Roumanian Jews]

• Revival of the Form of Oath. More Judaico, The Jewish Times (San Francisco) (September 4, 1890) [Benjamin F. Peixotto obituary ]

• Foreign News: Roumania, The Jewish Voice (December 22, 1893)  [limitations placed on fundraising for Jewish schools ]

• Outrages on Jews in Roumania, Emanu-El, Weekly Paperurl (June 19, 1896) [Exploitation of Jews in Roumania ]

• The Jews of Roumania, The Australasian Hebrew (July 3, 1896) [Jewish children discriminated against in state public schools]

• From Roumania, The Australasian Hebrew (October 9, 1896)  [Jews obliged to take mere Judaico, viz oath; also obituary Taussig]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis Missouri) (March 19, 1897) [restrictions on Jewish schools]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (November 19, 1898) [University students’ manifesto against Jews]

• Items of Interest in the Jewish World, B’nai B’rith Messenger (Los Angeles, California) (March 22, 1900) [act of violence/displacement in Kotna]

• Foreign News Notes, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (April 7, 1900) [Emigration continues mostly to US]

• Items of Interest in the Jewish World, B’nai B’rith Messenger (Los Angeles, California) (March 22, 1900) [act of violence/displacement in Kotna]

• Echoes of the Jewish World, The Canadian Jewish Times (June 21, 1900) [Candle tax, Christian and Jewish philanthropy, emigration]

• Distress in Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (June 23, 1900) [Crop failure, starvation and emigration]

• Ill-treatment of Roumanian Jews,  The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (August 24, 1900) [hunt to frighten the Jews]

• A Criticism, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (November 9, 1900) [opinion piece re yellow press]

• Jewish and Christian Roumanians, The Jewish Comment (Baltimore) (June 13, 1901) [situation in Romania for Jews]

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (July 26, 1901) [Threats against using Jewish craftsmen]

• Financial, Jewish Comment (September 13, 1901) [Depressed economy and starvation in Romania ]

• The Sincerities of Sincerus, Jewish Comment (Baltimore, Maryland) (August 22, 1901) [book review]

• Without Prejudice, Jewish Comment (October 25, 1901) [Expulsion of Jews ]

• Jews Starving and in Despair in Roumania, The Reform Advocate (Chicago) (June 20, 1902) [starvation, secret police, humanitarian aid]

• A Monthly Record of Jewish Progress, The Maccabaean (Federation of American Zionists) (May 31, 1903) [summary of events in May 1903]

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

• The Massacre in Roumania, The Hebrew Standard (New York) (March 21, 1907) [Town of  Podihilo destroyed in massacre]

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

• Synagogue Wrecked and Jews Wounded, The Hebrew Standard (New York City) (March 29, 1907) [Synagogue destroyed, rioting, and refugees]

• Aufruf , The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (April 12, 1907) [Translation from German article: Livelihoods destroyed and Jews robbed of their last possessions.]

• 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]

• The Roumanian Situation, The Canadian Jewish Times (June 27, 1907) [displacement of Jews, emigration]

• Terrible Distress in Roumania, The Hebrew Standard (New York) (September 13, 1907) [Great need in Roumania for funds]

• Foreign News. Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (September 18, 1908) [Jewish schools and contractors]

• A Review of the Month, The Maccabaean (Federation of American Zionists) (February 28, 1909) [More Judaico]

• Foreign News, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (March 5, 1909) [Some provinces still enforce More Judaico]

• News from Everywhere, The Canadian Jewish Times (July 16, 1909) [expulsion of viticulturists /grape vine cultivators]

• News from Everywhere, The Canadian Jewish Times (November 4, 1909) [possible reversal of the More Judaico]

• ROUMANIA PERSISTS IN HARASSING JEWS, The Temple (Louisville, Kentucky) (October 1, 1909) [limitations to employment; blame for Typhoid ]

• Fierce Anti-Jewish Riots at Jassy, The Jewish News of Northern California (January 30, 1914)  [Anti-Jewish riot in Jassy ]

• King Promised to Settle the Jewish Question, The Jewish News of Northern California (January 30, 1914) [King to alleviate the conditions of Jews.]

• On the Fate of the Jews of Romania and Bessarabia, The Hebrew Standard (May 24, 1918) [Bessarabian Jews may be deprived of rights under Rumanian domination.]

• Book Review: FINAL JOURNEY (The Fate of the Jews in Nazi Europe) by Martin Gilbert, The Australian Jewish Times (May 15, 1980) [journey of the Jews from antisemitism to the Holocaust]

• Pogrom Remembered, The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (September 21, 1984) [deaths from 1941 Bucharest pogrom commemorated]

• NEWS REPORT: Many Jewish graves defiled; this time in Romania, Poland,  The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (June 1, 1990)  [Jewish graves desecrated]

Romanian Jewish Emigration

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

• Foreign News Roumania, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (December 8, 1899)

• Misery and Emigration, The Hebrew Standard (April 6, 1900) [Emigration from Romania]

• Foreign News,  The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (April 27, 1900) [rioters’ trial]

• Foreign News, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (June 23, 1900) [Conditions for Jews around Europe]

• Foreign News,  The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (August 24, 1900) [emigration]

• The Propaganda, The Maccabaean (Federation of American Zionists) (November 1, 1901) [proposed expulsion and Ottoman prohibitions on immigration to Palestine]

• Emigration of Jews from Roumania, The Canadian Jewish Times (July 3, 1902) [Conditions necessary to emigrate]

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

• untitled, The Canadian Jewish Times (August 28, 1902) [ inheritance recipient postponed emigration]

• Foreign News Roumania,  The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (September 18, 1902) [emigration]

• Echoes of the Jewish World, The Canadian Jewish Times (September 25, 1902) [degradation of city due to Jewish emigration]

• Echoes of the Jewish World, The Canadian Jewish Times (April 23, 1903) [emigration]

• Echoes of the Jewish World, The Canadian Jewish Times (October 22, 1903) [Proposed colony of Jews in Uganda]

• Echoes of the Jewish World, The Canadian Jewish Times (January 14, 1904) [emigration effects]

• ALIYA FROM ROMANIA , The Australian Jewish News (Melbourne) (July 4, 1980) [Chief Rabbi of Romanian confident Jews will again be allowed to emigrate to Israel during 1980]

• Romanian rabbis forecast Aliya to continue despite new laws, The Australian Jewish Times (December 2, 1982)  [Rabbis forecast continued Aliya despite restrictions placed on emigration.]

• 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)  [Hope for better conditions for  communities in Eastern Europe]

• Eastern Europe’s Jews confronted by paradox , The Australian Jewish Times (March 21, 1985) [Jewish life and attitudes towards Israel in Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Hungary]

• SINKING OF THE STRUMA 45 years 762 Jews drowned in freedom bid , The Australian Jewish Times (January 29, 1987) [The sinking of the Struma and the 762 jews who drowned]

• Warsaw vies to be emigres’ transit stop, The Jewish News of Northern California (April 10, 1987)  [Polish involvement in Jewish emigration from USSR]

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

Romanian Jewry Abroad

• News from All Lands. DEATH, The Maccabaean (Federation of American Zionists) (September 1, 1902) [death - Clara Samitca nee Goldener]

• (untitled),  The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (October 10, 1902) [teacher forced resignation because Jewish]

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

• The Making of Americans, The Jewish American (Detroit, Michigan) (November 27, 1903) [experience of immigrants to NYC]

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

Fiction

• Parsley Puss, The Jewish Voice (St. Louis, Missouri) (July 10, 1896) [serialized fiction]

• The Auction, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (August 2, 1907) [fiction]

• Fulfilled Promises, The Reform Advocate (Chicago, Illinois) (December 28, 1907) [Fiction]