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Meir of Preimslan's daughter, Miriam Ḥaya OBM, was married to R. Yoel, who died in 1886. She outlived her husband and was known as a wonder worker, using a cane she inherited from her father. She asked that it be placed in her grave to protect the city. Indeed, during World War I, all the surrounding towns were destroyed, but Suceava remained intact.

This righteous woman would enter the synagogue in the evening, open the Holy Ark and pour her heart out before the Creator of the world, and ask that all those who submitted requests that day would succeed. She passed away on 25 Adar 5663 (1903). A shelter was erected over her grave in Suceava's Old Cemetery, which still exists and is surrounded by a wall. Alongside her were buried her sons, Rabbi Jacob Shlomo, OBM, (from Gura Humora) and R. Meir, OBM, father of R. Yankele. In 1975, the three bodies were brought to Israel with the original tombstones and reburied on the Mount of Olives in the Kollel Galicia section. The operation was carried out by Rabbi M. Frankel, OBM, later rabbi of the French Carmel in Haifa. He was the husband of Miriam Yehudit, daughter of Rabbi Jacob (Yankele) Moskowitz.

Rabbi Yankele ran a court with a large synagogue, with a large crowd of worshippers and scholars who persevered in their holy studies.

Rabbi Yankele was deported with his family to Transnistria and arrived in Shargorod. He survived the Holocaust and returned from there to Suceava. He was known as an almsgiver. A cook worked in their home to prepare food for every needy person. The funds that came into his house was given to charity.

He merited emigrating to Israel, settling in Haifa and established a synagogue on Hillel Street. After his passing,

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his son Zalman Leib, OBM, refused to guide the congregation but was known as a great philanthropist. He served as secretary of the Religious Council in Haifa and established a wonderful family. Daughter Myriam Yehudit left an extensive family in Israel.

Rabbi Jacob Moskowicz, OBM		Rabbi Meshulam Roth, OBM

The Rabbi was born in 1875 in Horodenka (Galicia) and by the time he was 13, his fame spread over the Jewish world as the “Prodigy from Horodenka.” A few years later, he was appointed rabbi of his hometown, and from all corners of the world he was approached with complex questions on halakhah. The Rabbi believed in the importance of a Jewish state and identified with religious Zionism, and was even elected as Mizrahi's representative to the Zionist Congress on behalf of the. He was also nominated to the Siem (Polish Parliament). He moved to serve as rabbi of Khrostkov but was forced to leave because he was a Zionist. From there he moved to serve as rabbi of Suceava (Schotz) in 1929. Yitzchak Kostiner remembers that he and all the children of the Jewish kindergarten under the management of “Aunt” Isolis greeted the Rabbi with blue and white flags.

R. Yisrael Levanon in his book, matza ḥen bamidbar (Found Grace in the Desert), relates that he saw the rabbi of Suceava learning Torah: “At midnight, the late Rabbi Meshulam Roth stood at a table full of books, studying, flipping pages, and drawing pearls of wisdom from the Talmud. So, it was every night, ‘…because learning did not cease from his mouth.’” Rabbi Roth served as rabbi of Suceava for about 10 years and later moved to serve as rabbi of Czernowitz, the capital of Bucovina, where he founded, among other things, a seminary for Orthodox rabbis.

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In 1943 he managed to get to Bucharest, bringing with him many manuscripts. He appealed to the late Israel Levanon to save his writings, and he indeed succeeded in moving all of them to Israel. On 14 Sivan 5704 (1944), the rabbi emigrated to Eretz Israel, arriving via Rosh Hanikra.

When the State was declared, he issued a ruling that the full Hallel prayer be said on Independence Day, a ruling that was accepted by national religious circles. The Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi Isaac Herzog and Rabbi Benzion Uziel, respected Rabbi Roth's genius and appointed him as the president of the Great Rabbinical Court in Jerusalem. According to Rabbi Herzog, “Everyone admits that there is nobody greater in our generation than Rabbi Meshulam Roth.”

He has authored many books, including, kol mevasser. Rabbi Roth returned his pure soul to his Creator on 26 Kislev 5723 (1963) in his 88th year. Ten years after his death, the cornerstone was laid for the establishment of Kiryat Kol Mevasser (in memory of his book) in Mevasseret Zion near Jerusalem. Blessed be his memory.

The child, Judah Meir, was born in Suceava, a great Jewish city, on 7 Adar 5647 (1887) to R. Jacob Samson and wife Margala. His family came from the SWM communities (Speyer, Worms, Mainz), which is why the family name was Shapira.

Rabbi Judah Meir Shapira, OBM

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His descent on his father's side, Rabbi Nathan Neta Shapira and R. Pinchas of Korets, and on his mother's side, the baḥ (author of bayit ḥadash) and the taz (author of tourei zahav). Tens of thousands flocked to him and trustworthy rabbis clung to him. He is the generator of the daf yomi. From Rosh Hashanah 5684 (1924), the new schedule of the daf yomi to be studied on all five continents was opened. In 2005, Jews all over the world completed the 11^th cycle of the daf yomi. (perhaps this should be updated for 2021?)

In Lag B'Omer 5684 (1924), the cornerstone of the “Yeshivat Ḥochmei Lublin” was laid. Rabbi Yehuda Meir was a genius in halakhah, an artist in casuistry, exposition, song, and poetry. He was also a political leader and served for three years in the Polish Siem, and rabbi of Lublin.

Once a member of the Polish Siem asked him about eating a hard-boiled egg on Passover [seder]. Rabbi Yehuda Meir replied by quoting the verse, But the more they were oppressed, the more they increased and spread out, (Ex. 1:12) meaning that the longer an egg cooks, the harder it becomes. As for the Jews, the more they are persecuted, the stronger they become.

At a party in the United States, a Jew asked what he could gain if he invested money in building a yeshiva. The Rabbi replied that for $100,000 he would sell him his own share of the afterlife (gan eden), for the sake of establishing Yeshivat Ḥochmei Lublin. When he set up a boarding school near the yeshiva, he approached R. Meshulam Roth, Chief Rabbi of Suceava, and asked him for a curriculum.

In 1933, he agreed to serve the Lodz community if they supported the Great Yeshiva of Lublin. He died at a young age, in his 47^th year, in 1934. The “Zikhron Meir” neighborhood in Bnei Brak is named after him.

At the end of World War, the Versailles Treaty imposed a democratic regime upon Romania; providing equal rights to all national minorities, including the Jews; especially in annexed areas (Bucovina, Transylvania, Bessarabia, and parts of Dobrogea). The various Romanian governments more or less honored these commitments despite Romania's antisemitic tradition. Still, the authorities attempted to remove or lessen the presence of Jews in public life, mainly among students. So, for example, on November 10, 1926, Jewish student David Flick was shot to death by a Romanian student, Nikolaia Tuto Under the directive of the of Abresko-Goga government, the Suceava court did not deal with the trial. The case was finally transferred to the courthouse in Kimpolung where the murderer was acquitted. Tuto later rose to prominence as leader of the Iron Guard. His comrades, the “Legionnaires,” led him to Bucharest in a victory parade.

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Between the two World Wars, radical antisemitic parties operated in Romania, inciting against the Jews in their newspapers. The Garda de Fier Party (The Iron Guard) was founded in 1927, and later became known as “Legionnaires” or “All for The Fatherland” and had a radical nationalist ideology whose activities included violence and even murder. This party was founded alongside the National Christian Defense League (Liga Apărării Naţiunei Creştine) in 1923 under the leadership of Prof. A.C. Cuza, a well-known antisemite, whose foremost interest was anti-Jewish incitement in the style of Der Stürmer. His disciple, Cornel Zelea Codreanu, headed the Legionnaires (he was shot in 1938).

They claimed the Jews were spoiling and polluting everything in the country. So too, the ruling parties: the Liberal (of the Brătianu family), the Romanian National (Naţional Român) and the National Agricultural Party (Naţional Ţărănesc) headed by Iuliu Maniu, publicly expressed their opinion that there were too many Jews in Romania and that they should be expelled. In 1935, the National Agricultural Party announced that its platform included a requirement to transfer all jobs and factory management to Romanians.

With the rise of the Nazis, there came a radical change in Jewish-Christian relations. The Orthodox Christian clergy exhibited indifference to what was happening. Even the democratic press, whose journalists were mostly Jewish, and called the “Judaizing Press,” quickly felt the changing atmosphere. In 1937, under O. Goga, their appearance in this press was banned. In contrast, the newspaper Porunca Vremii, based on incitement against Jews, appeared, while newspapers such as Universul and Curentul had antisemitic inclinations.

The authorities imposed many harsh decrees on the Jewish population as part of its policy to oppress, humiliate, and even impoverish the Jews. Thus, the Jews were prohibited from selling tobacco and whiskey [lit. brandy], which became a government monopoly. The decree, published on the eve of the 9^th of Ab [Tisha B'Av] in 1937 (July 16), was designed to dispossess thousands of Jews of their livelihood.

Other repressive measures included the obligation to keep businesses open on Saturdays (until then, they were permitted to be closed on Saturdays provided that they also remained closed on Sundays); the obligation to only speak Romanian in stores (“vorbiţi numai româneşte”); a prohibition to leave the house between 18:00 and 6:00; the obligation to wear a yellow patch in the shape of a Star of David, etc.

Later on, Jewish doctors were prohibited from treating Christian patients, and the sign had to appear with the Star of David inscribed with “Jewish Doctor”; Jewish-owned radio receivers were confiscated,

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and it was mandatory to report for forced labor (muncă obşteasc obligatorie). However, the most severe anti-Jewish law was that of re-examining Jews' citizenship. It became necessary to obtain all kinds of certificates, some of which could not be obtained at all; all under a policy of humiliation and extortion of funds. As a result, the citizenship of dozens of Jewish families was revoked.

Against the growing wave of oppression and humiliation, the Jews of Suceava responded with the only weapon at their disposal: boycott. And so, many people stopped smoking, doctors did not include German-made pharmaceuticals in their prescriptions, and pharmacists stopped buying medicines from that country. Similarly, the Jewish-owned cinemas removed German films from their program, and German books and magazines were excluded from their libraries. The leading boycotters in all sectors were Dr. Kalman Tarter, Dr. Adolf Gabor, Dr. Leib Shapira, Dr. A. Hermann, Dr. Wolf Schaerf, Martin Haas, and others.

Spring of 1940 was the deadline for Jewish students to take matriculation exams but a numerus nullus (null number) rule was instituted, meaning Jews were prohibited from attending Romanian schools.

Everywhere in Europe, where the Nazi cancer metastasized and spread, the situation of the Jews worsened extremely. When, under pressure from Germany, King Carol II transferred the country's leadership to the antisemitic government of Goga-Cuza in 1937, a state of chaos was created in the country. But after 44 days in power, the government was forced to resign. After the Goga-Cuza government fell, the government of Ion Gigurtu was formed (1937-1940), which received, on August 30, 1940, what was known as The Dictate, according to which, northern Transylvania was annexed to Hungary.

In September 1940, the National Revival Front Government (Frontul Renaşterii Naţionale) appointed the antisemitic General Ion Antonescu, who led the country together with Horia Sima's Iron Guard.

On June 28, 1940, Bessarabia and northern Bucovina were occupied by the Red Army. In the agreement for the transfer of territories between the two countries, it was stated that for a short period of time it was possible to move from one side to the other. Many young Jews took advantage of this option and moved to the Soviet Union (A. Totober, G. Margolis, L. Gronich, W. Roul, A. Hollinger, Ruth Weitmann, G. Schultz, H.L. Fuchs, A. Nussbrauch, and others). The Jews were accused of being responsible for the invasion of the Soviets, and antisemitism reached a new height of cruelty: the killing of Jews and pogroms was the lot of many. Large numbers were murdered or left disabled for life by throwing them off trains as they were speeding along.

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In July 1941, thousands of Jews were expelled from the towns and villages in the province: Cacica, Solca, Ilişeşti, Arbore, Bălăceana, Comăneşti, Cheţani, and more. Thus, thousands of destitute refugee Jews came to Suceava and found refuge in Jewish homes and synagogues. The community took care of them, despite the endless decrees imposed on the Jewish residents of Suceava. Thus, between 30 and 40 men were held hostage in the Great Synagogue and the Bet Midrash (Study Hall), among them the Brothers Leib and Zusia Weitmann. They were supposed to be guarantors for the safety of the German and Romanian soldiers. Women were then also held, and hostages were exchanged with others every two weeks, except for anti-Nazi Martin Haas, Leon Winish, Wagner, and others.

Units of the German army were billeted in the city in preparation for the war against the Soviet Union. A military hospital was built in “Arnie Park,” and Jews were forced to work there. However, the culmination of the persecution of the Jews in its various and multiple ways was the order to deport all the Jews to Transnistria between October 9 and 11, 1941.

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