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Translation of chapter
Mihowa from Volume II:
Geschichte der Juden in der Bukowina
Edited by: Hugo Gold
As told by: Jakob Enzenberg, Kfar Ata, Israel
Published in Tel Aviv, 1962
Jerome Silverbush zl
On the Mihowa, a tributary of the Sereth, lies the village of Mihowa, inhabited by Ruthenes. Jews have also lived in Mihowa for many generations, earning their living in farming, lumber transportation, as cattle dealers, and as merchants. The Jews were industrious and showed great community spirit. They build a steam bath that served the entire community and a beautiful centrally located synagogue and other prayer houses on the periphery, religious private schools (chedars) and gave their children who only had the Ruthenian village school to attend, private instruction in German. The Jews were the only group in the village who had no illiterates.
The industrial enterprises in the hamlet were owned by Jews. Two steam powered saw mills, two distilleries, and a yeast factory. Since the new railroad line from Hliboka to Berhometh didn't run through Mihowa, a downturn in business set in which lead to emigration. Many of the youth, because of their Zionistic education went to Eretz Israel where they later fought in the War of Independence.
In 1941 doom overtook the Jews of Mihowa. They were deported. Their possessions were plundered by the local Ruthenian population who along with the German-Romanian murder bands carried out infamous deeds.
An eyewitness, Zuniu Schutak, son of Theodosie Schutak from Mihowa reported the following: In the Summer of 1941, a convoy of 300 people who came from the prison camp Jedinetz and were on the way to Transnistrien, were robbed of all they owned at the Dniester River by a Romanian non-commissioned officer. Then the Jews were driven into the water by the soldiers. Anyone who tried to get back to shore were stabbed with bayonets or shot. The few who were able to swim to the other shore were able to tell the terrible story.
Many Jews from Mihowa were sent to the prison camp, Tarasivka on the far side of the Bug, where after the Russian breakthrough at Umanon the 10th of December, 1943 they were liquidated by the Germans. The victims included the nephew of the writer of these lines, Mucky (Moschele) Enzenberg, a picture perfect child of 18 months. Today, Mihowa is Judenrein1 A small number of survivors of the catastrophe still live in Romania. An even smaller number had the luck to find a home in Israel.
As told by Jakob Enzenberg, Kfar Ata, Israel
1) Judenrein: A euphemism used by the Nazis meaning that all the Jews in an area had been murdered.
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