Clay in My Boots: A Romp Through My Genealogical Past

Kremenets is the place our great grandmother seems to have grown up before marrying and leaving through Lutsk for America with baby Jeanne, my grandmother. Why did the family relocate from Radyvyliv?  Based on our tours, I believe they were looking for greater opportunities for their children. More culture and education.  Diana arranged for a day with Voloymyr Sobchuck, an esteemed Professor of history. His passion is the genealogy of Ukrainian Nobility, but his book has a chapter on the Jewish community in Kremenets.  So we started at the Castle.  And from there the panorama gave us a great view of the city where we got some great background.  Kremenets was a city of education. In fact, Kyiv University was founded when the Jusuit College was moved from Kremenets by the Russians. My lightbulb moment-the Ukrainian elite and the Jews all had a thirst for knowledge and education. As Eastern Europeans, we share that background. And Hitler just hated all the elite with Jews as the scapegoat

On the way to Kremenets to see where our great grandparents settled after moving from Radyvyliv, we made a quick stop in  Pochayiv to see the Ukraine Orthodox monstrosity- oops monastery and church complex.  I can’t understand how so much money and resources that are supposed to be used for stewards of faith can be spent to house Ceremonies instead of helping those in need.  But Diana and I put on the head scarf and skirt they supplied to demonstrate modesty (or do they just want to see what they can get away with by humiliating the women) and we toured the complex.  I did enjoy seeing a new church interior mid-construction. 

It was so hard to see the cemetery at Radyvyliv where, unlike Brody nobody had done any restoration.  Just a field of scattered and weathered headstones. Here- and in the mass grave of Porokhevnya is where many of our ancestors and relatives lie. 

Brody had about 75%  Jews before the war. None after, of course. We met a wonderful town historian, Vsili who has done wonders to mark what was there. The most fascinating, until we went to the cemetery that I already wrote about, was the ruins of the Great Synagogue.  A site for performances at the Mozart festival next year. And the before it was destroyed by both the Nazis and later the elements: Vault led us all around Brody, through the museum he directs, and after the cemetery and slaughter sites we reflected over drinks and a late lunch before heading out to Radyvyliv to find our family.