The cemetery is located in Caianu Mic near the Orthodox Church, cod 4581, judet Bistrita, Romania at 4714 2409, 214.9 miles NNW of Bucharest and 30 km from Dej. Alternate name: Kiskajan (Hungarian). Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [June 2016]
- Mayor Ionuc Tarmure, Caianu Mic
- The Jewish Community of Bistrita, Gr. Balan Str., 71, cod 4400, Bistrita, Romania
- The Federation of The Jewish Communities of Romania, Sf. Vineri Str. no. 9-11, sect. 3, Bucharest, Romania
- "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Universitatii Str. no. 7-9, room 61, 3400 Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Director: Ladislau Gyemant, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Key holder and caretaker: Ungur Ion, Caianu Mic, no. 358
The 1850 Jewish population by census was 47 and in 1930 was 61 Jewish inhabitants. In May 1944, the Jews were gathered in the ghetto of Dej and on May 28, June 6-8 were deported to Auschwitz. The unlandmarked Orthodox cemetery was established in 19th century. Last known burial was 1950.
The rural/agricultural hillside, separate but near other cemeteries, has no sign or marker. Reached via private road, access is open with permission. A fence with a gate that locks surrounds the site. Approximate pre-WWII size was 800 m. Approximate post-WWII size is 400 m. 20-100 stones are visible with 1-20 stones not in original location. Less than 25% of the stones are toppled or broken. Location of stones removed from the cemetery is unknown. Vegetation overgrowth in the cemetery is not a problem. Water drainage is good all year.
No special sections. Tombstones date from the 19th century limestone and marble common gravestones have Hebrew inscriptions. No known mass graves. The national Jewish community owns the property used for an orchard. Adjacent properties are agricultural. Compared to 1939, the cemetery boundaries enclose a smaller area due to commercial/industrial development. Rarely, private Jewish or non-Jewish visitors stop. The never vandalized cemetery maintenance has been re-erecting and cleaning stones and clearing vegetation. Current care is occasional clearing or cleaning by unpaid individuals. No structures.
Cosmina Popa, Tatra Str. no. 4, tel. 064/ 128764, Cluj Napoca, 3400 and Ioana Raiciu, Bd. 21 Decembrie, 13-15, 064/190849, Cluj-Napoca, 3400 visited the site and completed the survey on July 20, 2000 using the following documentation:
- The General Census of the Population of Transylvania- 1850, Ed. Staff, 1996
- Ernest Wager, Historisch- Statistisches- Ortsnamenbuch fur Siebenburgen-, Ed. Bohlau, 1977
- Carmilly-Weinberger, Moshe. Istoria evreilor din Transilvania (1623-1944), Bucharest, 1994
- Coriolan Suciu, Dictionar istoric al localităţilor din Transilvania, I-II, Bucharest, 1968.
- Recensamintul general al populatiei din Transilvania-1930 decembrie 29, I-III, Bucharest, 1938
They interviewed Ungur Ion, Caianu Mic. [January 2003]