200 years of Jewish life in shtetl Kaushany in Bessarabia

24 
 
state that about 20,000 Jews or 5,000 families lived in Bessarabia at that time.  Many Jews 
engaged in commerce, liquor distilling, and small industries. 
 
The first laws concerning the Jews in Bessarabia were issued by the Russian government 
in 1818.  “Regulations of establishing Bessarabia district” required Jews to join one of three 
estates, or classes: merchants, petty bourgeois (townsmen, middle class), or farmers.  The 
“Regulations” stated that “…privilegias (privileges) given to Jews by Moldavian Princes 
(gospodars), will be kept in their entirety”, while the existent Russian legislation concerning the 
Jews did not apply, since Bessarabia had autonomous status.  The regulations even authorized 
the Bessarabian Jews to reside in the villages and engage in leasing activities and inn keeping, in 
contradiction to the Russian "Jewish Statute" of 1804.  The Jews could even buy a piece of 
empty land for farming.  Because of this regional autonomy, the Jews of Bessarabia were spared 
several of the most severe anti-Jewish decrees issued in the first half of the 19
th
 century.  At the 
same time the Jews were required to get hereditary surnames
36
.  The main restriction the Jews as 
well as the Roma (Gypsies), had at that time in Bessarabia was that they could not hold 
government jobs.  Exceptions were given to medical doctors.  Because of these privileges many 
Jews from Galicia, and the Ukraine started to move to Bessarabia, especially when Bessarabia 
became part of the Pale of Settlement in 1835
37
.   
 
In 1817 there were 53 Jewish families in Kaushany, which comprised around 300-400 
people.  In 1827 there were 950 Jews, this was 36% of the total population
38
. 
 
 
                                                 
36
 The Moldavia Principality/Romania and the Ottoman Empire did not require surnames until later 19 century. 
37
 According to the “Status of Jews” law, 1835,  Nicholas I. 
38
 Broghauz & Efron, 1908-1913, Bessarabia. 
 

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25 
 
Jewish agricultural colonies 
 
Jewish agricultural colonies appeared in Bessarabia after a new “Status of Jews” law was 
approved on April 13, 1835.  The principal goal of the laws was to organize the Jews under the 
new regulations and allow them some activities and not allow others.  According to the new 
status, Jews could freely cross over into the farmer class without any restrictions.  The new 
farmers could settle on crown, purchased, or leased land.  Crown lands were set aside for Jews 
for an unlimited time for their sole use upon payment of taxes.  In addition, in areas without 
much free crown land, Jews were permitted to lease or buy lands from private owners that they 
could select themselves.  In this event, by investing their capital, they joined the rural community 
and became owners or renters of the land.   
 
Seventeen Jewish agricultural colonies were established in Bessarabia, and one colony 
was in the Bendery district, not far from Kaushany.  The Jews were involved in agriculture even 
outside of the agricultural colonies.  From the statistical information of 1853 in Kaushany and 
also in the shtetl Chimishliya, Bendery district 119 Jewish families worked in agriculture.  Their 
estate/status was “gosudarstvennye krestiane” - state peasants or state farmers.  Also in the same 
year over 80 families of the Jewish farmers in Kaushany were granted landholdings by the state, 
and were reclassified as "state farmers".  Due to the difficult economic conditions, they were 
permitted to return in 1864 to the category of townsmen (middle class).  Yet a number of Jews in 
Kaushany continued their work in agriculture, among them were cattle and sheep farmers: in 
1849 two Jewish farmers owned approximately one thousand head of cattle and three thousand 
sheep and goats.  

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26 
 
 
In the 19
th
 and early 20
th
 centuries the main areas of economic activity of Jews in 
Kaushany were wine, grain, and crafts. In 1899 the government rejected a request by 50 Jews to 
acquire land for farming.  
 
In Kaushany there was one Jewish school, and two Jewish libraries. By 1910, there was 
an elementary boys Jewish school, and in 1912, the Jewish Savings and Loan Society. By 1914, 
Jews owned taverns, 12 shops (including all three fabric shops), the only pharmacy. Among the 
Jews were 3 lumbermen
39
. 
 
According to the First All Russia 1897 Census 1675 Jews lived in the town from a total 
population of 3729 (44.9% from the total population).  In 1912 there were about 800 Jewish 
families which represented a substantial increase. 
Jewish genealogy of the 19
th
 century, Kaushany 
 
Many different kinds of Jewish records were found for the Kaushany Jews.  Most of them 
are from the Moldova State Archives in Kishinev, the Republic of Moldova and some records 
were microfilmed by the Family History Library at the LDS Church
40
.  Finally the records were 
digitized and translated by JewishGen
41
.  Birth, death and marriage records were found for 
several years in the second half of the 19
th
 century
42
.  There are also records from several 
‘Revizskaya Skazka’ - Revision lists
43
, sometimes called census or family list.  The enumerated 
individuals/families were subject to taxation and identified men for draft into the army.  These 
                                                 
39
 Broghauz & Efron, 1908-1913. 
40
 https://www.familysearch.org/locations/saltlakecity-library 
41
 http://www.jewishgen.org  
42
 http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Romania/KishinevVRs.htm  
43
 http://www.jewishgen.org/databases/Romania/BessarabiaRevisionLists.htm  

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