Bucecea, Romania
Location 47°46' N, 26°26' E

    Bucecea is a town located in Botosani Judet (county) in the northeast part of modern Romania. It was officially founded in 1828 and the 1831 census showed a total population of 98 with 87% Jewish. By 1851 there were 523 inhabitants with 61% Jews. The population peaked in 1891 at 1281 with 72% Jews.
    Jews earned their livelihood as cattle ranchers, tavern owners, butchers, bakers, soap makers, shopkeepers and peddlers. Pograms and threats of expulsion for Jews occured sporadically with major incidents in September 1894 and March 18, 1907.
   In spite of this Jews remained a major part of Bucecea society for over 100 years. In 1937, the local community had five synagogues, a school with two teachers, a kindergarten, and a kosher mikva (ritual bath) However, shortly afterwards the situation changed rapidly as the Nazis came to power and gobbled up much of Europe with the goal of exterminating all Jews.
    In 1941 the entire Jewish population was rounded up and sent to the regional capital of Botosani. A few of the survivors returned after WW2 but most of the Jews were gone by the late 1950s. The latest tombstone found in the cemetery is 1975 with two earlier from 1956.

By 2008 the only evidence of the Jewish community was the old Jewish cemetery which is hidden in a thick, rectangular stand of trees with significant overgrowth throwout. The cemetery is located about 1 mile east of the town center along the main road to Botosani. It is easily visible from a large windmill overlooking the town at the top of hill about 1 mile further east. A small cement fence surrounds the cemetery with an unlocked gate directly down a steep hill from the road. Cattle pastures completely surround the cemetery.

Bucecea Links

Pinkas Hakehillot Bucecea

Lucina Millage - Bucecea Cemetery

Bucecea - Jewishgen Communities DataBase

Romanian SIG Web Site

Botosani Web Site

Downtown Bucecea - May 2008