We could not particularly improve this part of the album. To the contrary, the various documents that were “mobilized” and printed were partly due to chance. They came from different branches of public life, and we did not even try to search for the “balance” that characterizes every controversial subject in our country. There were no disagreements about the importance of the documents that supplemented all of the written material. More technically, we could not get better and “more interesting” material because there was none.

We often have mentioned that history or study requires a scientific foundation and materials. In our case, we are not talking about history or study, because we did not get the ideal documents, and if they exist, they are unattainable by us. So you can suppose only that all the pictures in the album are the most authentic documents!

The Beregszász community had an archive. We could not use it since we could not know if the paper documents remained in the attic of the community building after the Holocaust. The new regime also placed the synagogue in the “archives” of the past.

The little material that we received from our friends who found them important from the point of view of the community does not reflect the past exactly, not even part of it. Still, we printed some personal identity certificates that we believe are of the era, and we believe we have done the right thing by printing some modest “documents” that might remind our scattered friends in the world of what they missed and what we missed. Unfortunately, we have the impression that we are right about this subject.

We were not interested in documents of a general nature that had nothing to do with the community and its members. In the circulars, we asked for authentic papers and what did we get? Receipts from JNF donations, Yad Vashem entries, school certificates, citizenship documents, etc. These papers (residency, smallpox–vaccination cards, etc.) are not documents of a Jewish character. However, a labor–camp permit or a service booklet – they definitely are part of our cause.

For these reasons, we apologize for the amount and quality of the material published in this section. The subject definitely was worthy of a more versatile and richer coverage. However, as we have often said, in such an absolute volunteer and (relatively) large–scale initiative, we could contact only our close and distant friends and print what we had. After all, the main goal that floated before our eyes was the photographs. In our opinion, this small collection of documents, which we present here, tells a lot to the few, not so many, of us.

[Page 32]

The “Yizkor” has been written in the “Yizkor book.” We want to focus on the names of the victims of Berehovo–Beregszász and its area, who were there during the Holocaust. We felt that the album, whose subject comes from the fateful years and is intended to capture the life of our religious community, is obligated to highlight the names of those whom it concerns. The original Yizkor book will be put in an Israeli museum and kept there forever. 1,000 copies have been printed of this album and can be found in all of our friends' houses. On the day of the General Anniversary (Jahrzeit) of the time of the ghetto liquidation – the 25th, 27th, and 29th of Iyar – you can scroll through the list at the end of this volume and remember.

We can remember with aching love our families, friends, and neighbors. We can recall the past when the overnight candle burns, and we can tell our children and our offspring how much and how these dear souls, those who were inscribed in these lists and those whose names have not been found, had suffered. This probably will be a silent prayer in the hearts of many: it will be a Yizkor.

To make it easier for you to see the list by yourself, we will not offer comments, and we believe that this explanation will answer all the questions you are asking:

• The Hebrew list [not shown in this translation] is compiled according to the Hebrew aleph bet though there may be minor differences in the internal order.
• The Hebrew name does not appear with every surname, and in the Hungarian section, we spell a Hebrew name in Latin letters, just as it was sent to us. Still we tried to write the names correctly and to ignore some nicknames and titles.
• There are some identical names (surname and first names together); this should not mislead the reader. They are two different families.
• Sometimes we only got the surname without a Hebrew or Hungarian first name (we do not intend to use the “Christian” name) or “and his children” or “and his wife.”
• A missing name: We tried to write everything as we received it, but there could be mistakes as well.
• If, however, you find a duplication, the reasons are: the sender has given the maiden name of the deceased (woman), a husband of another family member by his surname; or: two or three different people have submitted a partial list of names, one is Hebrew, and the other is the Hungarian name; or someone has given a full family name while another relative only has one or two names.
• The locals did not always give the name of the village, so we did not record it everywhere. The municipality name always is written in Hungarian. Beregszasz and the names of its surroundings appear all together in the list.
• The names are focused according to families, so they are not in standard alphabetical order. If names are missing from the family list, it means that we have gotten an incomplete list of names of the family.
• Spelling: We did not always stick to the handwriting of relatives or friends. We have let ourselves correct mistakes or to write the names as usual (mainly in the non–Hebrew text).
• Often the maiden name was added to the names of married women. We only added it in part, namely in the Hebrew side.
• The names appearing on the left (in Latin letters) are printed according to the rules of Hungarian spelling.
• If you have not found the name you are looking for, consider also the Latin A, E and O letters under the Hebrew alef; or for the Hebrew “Pe” the Latin letters F, P and V, etc.

The list of Holocaust victims originally was designed to help us facilitate identification and add general data, e.g., the father's name, year of birth or occupation. But it turned out that we received at most one quarter of these details. Therefore we renamed the list as the family name list. Here and there are exceptions: we will include the first name (in the Hebrew section), the name of the village (in the Hungarian section) or add “and his family”, “and his wife”, “and his children” (in the Hebrew name list).

Dear Brothers! Only with your help can we add 2,600 names to the “Yizkor–book”. We feel that this is our last task (not to talk about duty): to capture the blessed Jewish communities of Berehovo and its environs. This can only be achieved when our friends who live in the country and around the world voluntarily and sincerely join the initiators of this call to remember and honor their unforgettable families.

The Jewish cemetery in Beregovo -- 1966

Firewood storage yard of Reinitz near the “small station”

The Budapest Jewish Lexicon about the Jewish community of Beregszász

“Igrot Sofrim” (Author's letters) book written by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Schreiber

“Discharge Certificate” issued by trade association headed by Jews

Purim performance of Betar (1936) honoring President Masaryk

The last program from 1938 – no gay Purims in the city after that

Diploma of a Beregszász Yeshiva student

Handwritten “Certificate of good character” issued by police in 1916

Gymnasium (high school) report card from 1912

Another handwritten document (1942); “Jew” misspelled

1926: Certificate of Honor from Youth Organization to Mr. Fülöp Hartman

In 1942, the Red Cross still tolerated Jewish volunteers

Another unsuccessful attempt in 1944 to save the life of Béla Grosz

Jewish forced-labor battalion member's pay book

Page from the official public register (1940)

Two postcards from a Jewish mother to her son in a forced-labor battalion

Last regards from mother and family (April 1944)

Letters of Chief Rabbi Shlomo Soffer-Schreiber

The official robbery: “Stock taking” and decisions of what to do with what's left

“Committee of Czechoslovakian refugees in Romania, run by Berehovo people

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