International Jewish Cemetery Project - Romania Bo-Bu US COMMISSION NO. RO/MM/67
Located in Jud. Maramureş at 4737 2321, 256.3 miles NNW of Bucharest. Alternate Hungarian names: Szamosújfalu. The cemetery is reached by turning west off the main road from Baia Mare right before the far end of the village. Turn into the first small street on the left; and the cemetery is in the abandoned ground on the spur left when the road takes a sharp turn to the right.
Local authority: This site is currently not on the cemetery list provided by the Jewish community in Baia Mare, although they would be responsible for the site once it is recorded. Comunitatea Evreilor (Baia Mare), Str. Someşului Nr. 5, 4800 Baia Mare, Jud. Maramureş, Romania. Tel: (40-62) 211-231. Further inquiries about the site could be addressed to the Jewish community in Baia Mare or the Federation of Jewish Communities in Bucuresti.
Regional authority: Federation of Jewish Communities Romania, Str. Sf. Vineri 9-11, Bucureşti, Tel: (40-1) 613-2538, 143-008. Contact: Mr. Alex Silvan
This cemetery is in quite a sorry state. It is apparently unknown to the Jewish community in Baia Mare, and currently used as a rubbish dump by the local residents. The neighbor we spoke with said that he thought that the land belongs to no one and could not remember anyone ever visiting or taking an interest in the site. The five stones on the site are set within a dense thicket and surrounded by trash including rusty oil drums, plastic containers, rags, and other garbage. However, the stones are in exceptionally good condition (considering that no care has been taken of them); and the site could be fixed up without too much effort. Because the land is considered by local residents to be without an owner, the remaining stones are in danger of being stolen.
The isolated rural (agricultural) on flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all with no wall, fence, or gate. Present size of cemetery is on-site estimate - 4 m x 4 m. Five gravestones are in cemetery, regardless of condition or position: 1 toppled (but legible), 1 leaning, and 3 broken (one of which is readable). 4 are not in original position. The vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is seasonal problem that prevents access and constant problem that disturbs stones. Water drainage at the cemetery is good all year.
The limestone and sandstone flat shaped, smoothed and inscribed common gravestones have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves. The neighbor we interviewed thought that the land was not owned by anyone. The cemetery property is now used for waste dumping. Properties adjacent are agricultural and village residential. Compared to 1939, the cemetery boundaries enclose probably the same. The cemetery never is visited. Theft of stones is the primary problem encountered between 1945 and the present. No maintenance. No structures. Security (uncontrolled access), weather erosion, Pollution, and vegetation are very serious threats.
John DeMetrick and Christina Crowder (who have no further information) completed this survey on 30 June 2000 using a list of cemeteries known by Jewish Community in Baia Mare. Other documentation exists. Further inquiries about the site could be addressed to the Jewish community in Baia Mare or the Federation of Romanian Jewish Communities in Bucuresti. They visited the site 25 June 2000 and interviewed a local resident.