On to the Ukraine - the Sub Carpathian Region

Some points written near midnight Wednesday night in Uzhorod.

Early start to get to Slovakian - Ukranian border crossing early after loading all the luggage on to the bus.

Drove through Michaelovtzaand discussed the Orthodox Rabbis Council that in effect split from the Neolog communities.

Crossed border before Uzhorod with no trouble. Long drive past Munkacs (passing by Solotvyna, Kedaniv on the way.

Visit Buhstina during the weekly goose market. Important place of geese in the Sub Carpathian economy and social life. 

On to Hust, visit old synagogues and other Jewish remains.

 Long drive back to Uzhorod, where we eat a wonderful Jewish ethnic dinner in the Chabad Carpathian Community center and pray the evening prayers in the newly renovated Chasidic Shtiebel in Uzhorod. Check into the hotel and write this short outline of today's long hot journey.

Tomorrow devoted to a visit in Uzhorod and a Carpathian Jewish Cooking workshop with Shmil. Better be good, cause that's gonna be our supper!

Presov & Kosice - Tuesday in Slovakia

After a good night's sleep in Kosice, we breakfasted at  the Kosice community restaurant and headed north on our bus to Presov. We utilized the trip to hear from our guide Shlomo Tikochinsky about the history of the Jewish communities in Hungary and the surrounding areas.  We heard about the Austro - Hungarian Emancipation, The formation of the Neolog reformed communities and the reaction of the Orthodox communities lead by the Rabbis affiliated with the Chatam Sofer, Rabbi Moshe Shreiber who split from the Neolog communities. We also heard about the status quo communities, who did not formally affiliate with either.


Presov, presently serves as the capital of the Presov Province  in Eastern  Slovakia. During the second World War, Kosice was seperated from the region and was turned over to the Hungarian Horty regime, while Presov became part of Slovakia.  

Points to be developed later:

Visit to the the beautiful Nelogi Synagogue and compound in Presov/

The Orthodox Synagoue in Presov and the Judaica Museum.


Visit to the Orthodox Jewish cemetery in Presov, was locked.

Reuturn to Kosice and detailed tour of Kosice.

Sleep in Kosice.

Arrival in Budapest, Hungary - Learning Some Basics

After a nice 3 hr. flight we arrived in Budapest. Claiming luggage and checking through went fine. Here we were joined by Shmil Holland who had arrived before our group to finalize arrangements for the tour. Reuben - Robert from Uzhorod, our on the ground local liaison and our Ukrainian semi air conditioned tourbus were also on hand.

We did a little bit of touring of Budapest, starting from the Fisherman's fortress, an impressive structure overlooking the two main sections of  the city, Buda & Pest separated by the Danube River running between them.

We also got to visit and tour the majestic Neologi Synagogue, the largest in Europe and the fourth largest in the world.  We visited the Jewish Museum and the synagogue compound including the mass graves and monuments for the victims of the Holocaust.

We then began our journey to Kosice, now in Slovakia. It took us over four hours to traverse the Hungarian countryside north east to Kosice. We learned much from our guides about the general and Jewish history of this region, particularly since the time of the emancipation and rift in the Jewish community.

We made it to our hotel, the Centrum, in Kosice. The best things we can say about it is that it is near the old Jewish Quarter and it has a wifi internet connection.

We had a local traditional dinner in the Jewish community restaurant.

Tomorrow we head north to Prezov and then back to tour Kosice.

Sorry for being so brief. Will add more later on with pictures and video, but now I must shower and sleep to get ready for tomorrow.

Ben Gurion Airport Abuzz

5 AM at Ben Gurion International Airport abuzz at 5 AM.

Saying Goodbye to Savta & Saba

Didi and his kids popped in on their way home (Bet Shemesh) from a visit to Israel Museum.  Also a chance to try blogging from my phone.

Planning to get to sleep early so we can get up at 2 am to make check in in time for our 7 am flight.

Family Geography

Erev Shabbat before the trip to Carpatho Rus. Buying things we need (batteries, food supplements, etc.) and packing. Got the file on Kashrut abroad from our Rav, Elyashiv Knohl. Made arrangements for our early morning drive to the airport on Monday. (Arik, our tzadik son-in-law, volunteered to drive us.)

In preparation for this trip I have been in contact with my cousins, Helen Spiegelman and Lillian Lieberman who have been enriching my knowledge of our family who lived in the Munkacs (Mukachevo) area, now in the Ukraine, then Czechoslovakia and before that, part of the Austro - Hungarian Empire. Lillian has gotten some more information from her mother, Frimet Gross.

Below is a copy of the family tree of my mother's family, the Klines, put together over years by another cousin, Allen Stark with the help of Lillian Lieberman's years of work.


My grandmother Sura Rivka Hershkowitz, nee' Kline, came from the town of Kedaniv about 12 kms. from the city of Munkacs. My father's family, the Werbers, also lived in Kedaniv. After her marriage to Moshe Hershkowitz, my grandmother moved to the village, Solotvyno (Nyzhnje Solotvyno, I think) about 14 kms. northwest of Kedaniv.

Kedaniv - Munkacs Area

Apparently after the deaths of my great grandparents, Alter Akiva and Toibeh Kline, my mother's uncle, Harry Kline, who was living in New York City, visited the "old country" and erected respectable tombstones on their graves in the Jewish graveyard in the town of Benedykivtsi right near Kedaniv. Will we be able to get to these towns on our trip? Will we be able to find the tombs or their remains? We certainly hope so!

From the Good Land - Springs Flowing in the Valleys & Hills

This week we made a break in our preparations for the trip to Carpatho Rus. We have been planning a gala outing for the whole family in the beautiful green and wet Galilee region for a number of weeks. This Sunday  our family vacation began with a get together at Nachal Hakibbutzim in the Valley of Springs area. The shade and running spring water made the nearly 40 degree temperature enjoyable. Most of our kids and their families made it to the rendezvous and the little ones really loved the dip!

Harel with Yifat & Chen

From the Valley we headed to our camp site near Kibbutz Dafna in the Upper Galilee. Everyone pitched in to make camp and our outdoor barbecue.

Shlomi Pitching the Geva Tent

The next days were spent hiking, enjoying water activities (swimming, water sports, fishing and kayaking).

Tzion & Adi - the Two new High School Girls

This past Shabbat we read Parshat Ekev, in which the wonderful natural attributes of the Land of Israel are described:

Ori & Aviyah in the Dan

For the L-rd your G-d is bringing you into a good land--a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills;  a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing...                            Devarim 8

Linda & Reuven in the Center of Kibbutz Dafna

These days together in the beautiful green, wet landscapes of our country helped us appreciate our Land and its Divine blessings. 

The Women of the Tribe Relaxing

It provided us with a chance to cement our family relationships and the for third generation to get to know their cousins. 

During our three day outing Linda & I visited the awesome Memorial Site at Dafna dedicated to the memory of the 73 soldiers and flight crew who perished in a tragic collision of two military helicopters in February, 1997. The soldiers were on their way to forward positions in Lebanon. The memorial utilizes the natural landscape and springs to create a monument which emphasizes the bravery and dedication of these young men who perished while serving to protect the borders and people of the State of Israel.

The Helicopter Tragedy Memorial

As we departed the Galilee, I noticed that our grandson, Carmi, was wearing a T shirt  with a very pertinent message: "I feel that my roots are here. Here I was born."

This is the message that will accompany us on our trip. How I would love to be able to show my family that perished there,their offspring with such deep roots in the Land of Israel which was chosen & blessed by the L-rd; in the Jewish State which has arisen from the ashes.