Tag #151814 - Interview #84041 (Yacob Hollander)

After returning home I got closely involved with the activities of the community in Beregovo. There was an order of the government about returning of temples and facilities to religious people and communities. Of course, they didn’t return all of it. Before World War II only Jews lived in the central street of Beregovo. This was the most beautiful street in the town. There were synagogues, a cheder and beautiful houses in it. There are still state institutions in those buildings: militia, prosecutor’s office, kindergartens, school and hostels. I began to work on returning the synagogue to the community. It took a long time, but one day the mayor handed me the executive committee decision to transfer the building of the synagogue to the Jewish community. However, this was not the end of it. The building was in terrible condition. It was used for storage. It needed repairs and we needed money for repairing it. Jews of Beregovo and Subcarpathia were collecting money for the synagogue. Rich Jews made their contribution. Perestroika made it possible to do business. It turned out that the Soviet power didn’t eliminate those who can and want to work. There were few of them in Beregovo. One of them whose last name was Gutman opened a wine factory. The Jewish community helped him with a building. We received the former building of mikveh from the executive committee and transferred it to Gutman. He paid us well for this building. Gutman modified it and the factory began to operate. At first people didn’t quite believe it would work, but in a short time many wanted to get a job there: it was clean and orderly and there were good salaries. When the factory began to give profit Gutman made contribution to the Beregovo community funds. Other businessmen also helped. So we managed to repair the building of the synagogue: we replaced the roof and restored the inside of the building and bought furniture. Now one can enjoy the synagogue inside and from the outside. Unfortunately, there are few Jews left in Beregovo who really need it. Most of Subcarpathia Jews emigrated in the 1970-1990s. The remaining Jews are Soviet people and the Jewish religion is strange to them. They do not know how to pray and do not feel the need in it. Gutman brought the Jewish cemetery of Beregovo to order. It was decayed. He gives money and workers to do this work. There are 5 employees working in the cemetery for 5 years already. Every gravestone was restored, trees planted and the territory cleaned up. Now the Jewish cemetery in Beregovo is the cleanest and most beautiful in Subcarpathia. Many Jews who had emigrated to other countries send money for maintenance of the cemetery and graves of their relatives. The community hired a person to look after those graves.