Subject: Our Heritage for Sale
From: inwood@...
Date: Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:53:56 -0500
X-Message-Number: 1

I recently received the catalog for an auction taking place in
Budapest next week that included the following items:

Chevra Kadisha of the Kecskemet Holy Association handwritten with the
names, detailed data, list of relatives and in the funeral oration
incorporated biographical information of the deceased. Between
1922-1930. More than one hundred sheets! Some of the upper pages are
stained and wrinkled.

Birth register for the years 1911-12 >from Oradea, Romania. With the
complete data of two years on 308 and 295 people. The register
contains the civil and Jewish name of the newborn, the names and
birthplace (ancestry), address of the parents, the name of the midwife
and the mohel and the occupation of the parents. In good condition,
bound in one, 1 page is missing.

Death register >from 1885 till 1916 >from Sighisoara, Romania,
continuously led. The register contains the name, address, death date
and pace, birthplace of the deceased, the reason of death and the name
of the medical attendant, furthermore the time and place of the
funeral. Full, in fairly good condition, bound in one.


These are not likely the private papers of an individual person or
family. According to the descriptions and online photos, they appear
to be records created by three Jewish communities 80 to 125 years ago
that are now being sold on the open market.

One can only hope that whoever buys these items will donate them to an
appropriate repository so they will be preserved for future
generations.

Bob Friedman
Brooklyn, NY