International Jewish Cemetery Project - Romania Bo-Bu
Alternate name: Bruck in German and Bonchida in Hungarian. The cemetery is located at Dambul Rapos - Bobos Kert, 3479 Bontida, in the county of Cluj, Transylvania at 46° 95' N, 23' 30° E/ 35 km from Cluj-Napoca. The present total town population is 4447 with no Jews.
- Town: Primăria Bonþida, 3479 Bontida, Jud. Cluj, Romania. Alexandru Precup - mayor; Ioan-Danut Ursut vice mayor; Petru Morar - secretary.
- Regional: Cluj-Napoca Jewish Community, str. Tipografiei, nr. 25, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Ph.: 40-64-196600. The Federation of the Jewish Communities of Romania, str. Sf. Vineri, nr. 9-11, sector 3, Bucharest, Romania, Ph.: 40-01-6132538 / 6132538, fax: 40-01-3120869, telex: 40-01-10798. Mircea-Sergiu Moldovan, PhD. Professor and architect, str. Paring, nr. 1, bl. A4, ap. 12, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Ph.: 40-64-161261. Cluj-Napoca Jewish Community, str. Tipografiei, nr. 25, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, ph.: 40-64-196600.
- Interested: Dr. Moshe Carmilly Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, str. Universitatii 7-9, cam. 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Director: Professor Ladislau Gyemant This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
- Caretaker with key: Visan Melindo, Uliþa Mare, nr. 493, 3479 Bonpida, Cluj, Romania.
The 1850 Census registered 23 Jews of a total population of 1814; in 1857, there were 18 Jews of a total population of 1841; and in 1880, 47 Jews of 1610. There were 40 Jews in 1930. The Jews were confined to May 1944 in the ghetto of Cluj and were deported to Auschwitz on May 25, 29, 31 and June 3, 8 and 9. The Orthodox Jewish cemetery was established in the 19th century, 2 km. from congregations that used it.
Located between fields and woods, on an isolated hillside with no sign or marker and reached by crossing other public common pastureland, it is open with permission. Six tombstones remain, none in original locations, and one broken stone. The cemetery is not divided into special sections. The granite, limestone, sandstone, and slate flat shaped stones, finely smoothed and inscribed stones or flat stones with carved relief decoration have Hebrew inscriptions. No mass graves. The Federation of Jewish Communities of Romania owns the property now used for Jewish cemetery only. Adjacent properties are agricultural and residential. Compared to 1939, the cemetery boundaries enclose smaller area as a result of agriculture.
The cemetery is visited rarely by private visitors; in the 1970s, an American researcher worked here. The cemetery probably was vandalized during World War II but not in the last ten years. Care includes clearing vegetation, fixing wall after 1970, and fixing gate after 1970. Jewish groups within country and Cluj-Napoca Jewish Community did restoration in 1970s and annually after government change. Cluj Jewish congregation pays the regular caretaker. There are no structures. Vegetation is a moderate threat; security and weather erosion are only slight threats. On the hillside are problems with the water drainage. The cemetery is quite far from dwellings.
The survey was completed on August 20, 1998 after a visit on August 12. He interviewed Juhos Susana, Bonpida.