The existing sources indicate the presence of Jews in the locality, especially of merchants, in the 14th-15th centuries, as one of the main trade routes between Moldova and Transylvania passed through Vatra Dornei. The settlement of Jews in cities began in the 17th century. It intensified with the discovery of natural resources and after the tourist potential of the locality was noticed. According to the existing data, in 1880 the number of Jews from Vatra Dornei was 494, and in 1910 1,921. In 1930, 1,737 Jews lived in Vatra Dornei, which represented 27% of the town’s population. The Jews worked in the hotel industry, as owners of restaurants, hotels, cafes, as well as in trade and credit institutions. Many of them also worked in the craft sector.
Persecutions
The surrender of Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina following the Soviet ultimatum of June 26th, 1940, had among its consequences the increase of the Jewish population in Vatra Dornei, reaching 2,029 people, after several hundred Jews from the ceded regions took refuge in the town. The persecutions against the Jews increased in intensity with the coming to power of the legionaries in September 1940. Some of the Jewish merchants in the city lost their right to practice and their business, which were taken over by the legionaries. At the same time, discriminatory measures were taken against Jewish children, who were forbidden to study in public schools. At the same time, restrictions were imposed on the movement of Jews outside their homes. It was no longer possible to travel after eight o’clock in the evening and gathering Jews in groups was forbidden.
In the summer of the following year, July 1941, Jews from neighbouring rural localities were evacuated to Vatra Dornei. Similar to the measures taken by the Romanian authorities in other cities, in Vatra Dornei hostages were taken among the Jews. They were kept in the “great garden” of the synagogue.
Moreover, the Jews here were used for several months to forced labour. In October 1941, the repressive practices taken against them moved to a new stage, deportation. They had a few hours to pack. According to some testimonies, in some cases, Jews were taken out of their homes by the military.
On October 11th, 1941, 2,650 Jews from Vatra Dornei, including those evacuated to the town from neighbouring towns, were transported to Transnistria. On that day, October 11th, 1941, two transports of deportees left the town station, the Jews being loaded into overcrowded cattle cars. It is estimated that during the deportation more than half of them did not survive.
After the Second World War, several Jewish refugees temporarily settled in Vatra Dornei. In 1947, the number of Jews in the city was 1,500. Most emigrated during the communist period.
Sources