Bistrița — Bistritz in German, Beszterce in Hungarian — is the northernmost Saxon town in Transylvania. Jews settled there only after 1848, yet by 1930 about 2,200 Jews lived in the town, some 15% of its population, and between the world wars it housed the central office of Orthodox Jewry in Transylvania. In 1940 the town passed to Hungary, and in June 1944 close to 6,000 Jews from the town and county were sent from a ghetto on the Stamboli farm to Auschwitz. The great synagogue has been restored and now serves as a concert hall; the community numbers about twenty.
In the northernmost Saxon town of Transylvania an Orthodox and Hasidic community grew up after 1848, and between the wars it hosted the centre of Transylvanian Orthodox Jewry. In June 1944 the Jews of…
In the northernmost Saxon town of Transylvania an Orthodox and Hasidic community grew up after 1848, and between the wars it hosted…
Details from the community directory of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania (FCER), checked on 5 November 2026. Contact the community before visiting to arrange access to the synagogue or cemetery and to ask about a minyan and kosher food. FCER community directory
str. Gral. Bălan Grigore 10 · Built in 1856
From the list of synagogues of the Federation of Jewish Communities in Romania (FCER), checked on 5 November 2026. Synagogues marked “In use” are listed as functioning. The others still stand but may be closed or used as a museum or hall. Arrange visits with the community in advance. FCER list
str. Chinzi 42
Drumul Dumitrei
From the Federation’s cemetery list (2007). Arrange visits in advance with the community, which holds the keys.
Map of Jewish cemeteries in RomaniaAstronomical calculation for the town-centre coordinates, sea-level horizon, Romanian time: dawn 16.1°, tallit & tefillin 11.5°, nightfall 7.083°, candle lighting 18 minutes before sunset, Shabbat ends 8.5°. For orientation only; consult a rabbi on questions of halacha.
According to the chains’ own websites. Branch addresses and hours are in each chain’s store locator.
Hundreds of products from Romanian supermarkets with a recognised hechsher. In the catalogue you can filter by the chain you shop at.
Open the kosher catalogueGeneral guidance for travellers. For any kashrut question, consult a rabbi.
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