{"id":17133,"date":"2025-11-28T08:38:50","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T06:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/muzeusm.ro\/?p=17133"},"modified":"2025-11-28T08:42:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T06:42:57","slug":"urmele-comunitatii-evreilor-din-santau-istorie-memorie-si-uitare","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/muzeusm.ro\/en\/urmele-comunitatii-evreilor-din-santau-istorie-memorie-si-uitare\/","title":{"rendered":"Traces of the Jewish Community of Sant\u0103u \u2013 History, Memory, and Oblivion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The commune of Sant\u0103u, located in the central part of Satu Mare County and consisting of the villages of Sant\u0103u, Chereu\u0219a (\u00c9rk\u0151r\u00f6s), and Sudur\u0103u (\u00c9rszodor\u00f3), is a settlement with a long history, documented as early as 1213 in the registers of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oradea. Situated in a fertile agricultural area crossed by the Sant\u0103u River, the locality gradually developed into a multicultural space where, over time, Romanians, Hungarians, Roma, and, for more than two centuries, a small yet well-organized Jewish community lived together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The First Jewish Settlements in Sant\u0103u<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The presence of Jews in Sant\u0103u is documented before 1727, one of the earliest known residents being Judas Benjamin. This makes Sant\u0103u one of the first villages in the T\u0103\u0219nad area where Jews found favorable conditions for settlement. The community grew slowly but steadily: 60 Jews were recorded in 1847, and by 1880 their number had reached 136. At the beginning of the 20th century, in 1901, the village was home to 87 Jews, and in 1937, out of a total population of 2,365, 55 were of Mosaic faith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community Life and Economic Activities<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although small in number, the Jewish community of Sant\u0103u was well structured and visibly integrated into the local economy. Historian Abraham Fuchs, in his volume T\u0103\u0219nad. A Historical Monograph in Memory of the Jewish Community of T\u0103\u0219nad (Transylvania). The Talmudic School (Yeshiva) of Rabbi Mordechai Brisk<\/em>, notes that approximately fifteen Jewish families lived in Sant\u0103u during the interwar period. Surprisingly, he observes, the community did not grow larger despite its long-standing presence and the local opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jews of Sant\u0103u engaged in diverse economic activities that significantly contributed to village life. Among the local landowners were the families Ionasch Nitzi, Friedman J\u00f3zsef, Gutman (with estates managed by Hoffman), and Kandel. Katz Iotzi and Grossman operated the flour and oil mill, while Rabbi Shmuel Zvi Peretz owned two stores – a general store and a luxury grocery shop. Other families, such as Klein Nitzi, Klein Manush, and again Ionasch Nitzi, operated small grocery stores, while Friedman J\u00f3zsef owned the kosher butcher shop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The community also included a Jewish pharmacist and several craftsmen: Pasternak, the carpenter, and Struli Jen\u0151, the blacksmith.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Peretz family\u2019s general store in Sant\u0103u<\/strong>
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The Peretz family of Sant\u0103u<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The Friedman family of Sant\u0103u<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Religious Organization<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the interwar period, the Mosaic community of Sant\u0103u was fully organized from a religious perspective. It maintained:<\/p>\n\n\n\n