AHEYMאַהייםArchives of Historical and Ethnographic Yiddish Memories
Andor (Avrom) Rezmovits · Budapest, 20 December 2006 · MDV 66

Yiddish voices from the towns of Eastern Europe

Between 2002 and 2012 the AHEYM project recorded 649 hours of Yiddish-language interviews with 386 people in 105 towns of Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia — life stories, songs, customs, and the answers to a dialect questionnaire. This site is the index to the recordings: every interview is described minute by minute, and every moment can be played.

746 recordings · 8,019 described passages · 0 songs · 677 questionnaire items

Choose a town on the map — the larger the dot, the more hours were recorded there — or start from the people, the topics or the songs. The second map shows where the speakers were born, most of them somewhere other than where they were recorded.

Ukraine Slovakia Slovenia Republic of Serbia Russia Romania Poland Moldova Lithuania Hungary Germany Czechia Croatia Bulgaria Bosnia and Herzegovina Belarus Austria Chișinău — 50 recordings, 43.4 h (2005–2006) Zhytomyr — 51 recordings, 35.1 h (2002–2015) Budapest — 40 recordings, 31.5 h (2006–2014) Kolomyya — 38 recordings, 26.5 h (2003–2013) Berdychiv — 32 recordings, 25.1 h (2002–2015) Chernivtsi — 29 recordings, 24.2 h (2003–2015) Cluj-Napoca — 47 recordings, 23.5 h (2007–2013) Tul'chyn — 28 recordings, 22.3 h (2002–2015) L'viv — 24 recordings, 20.8 h (2003–2015) Kyiv — 24 recordings, 17.5 h (2002–2005) Khmel'nyts'kyy — 20 recordings, 17.1 h (2007–2009) Bershad' — 22 recordings, 16.1 h (1903–2008) Vinnytsya — 24 recordings, 15.1 h (2002–2008) Oradea — 33 recordings, 14.2 h (2007–2013) Debrecen — 26 recordings, 13.7 h (2006–2015) Rivne — 15 recordings, 13.2 h (2003–2007) Rîbniţa — 21 recordings, 11.9 h (2006–2018) Uzhhorod — 12 recordings, 11.7 h (2005–2017) Odesa — 13 recordings, 11.3 h (1903–2008) Baia Mare — 59 recordings, 10.6 h (2013–2015) Soroca — 13 recordings, 10.3 h (2005–2006) Iași — 14 recordings, 10.1 h (2006) Tomashpol' — 12 recordings, 9.6 h (2003–2008) Bălți — 12 recordings, 9.3 h (2005) Ovruch — 9 recordings, 9.1 h (2003–2007) Balta — 11 recordings, 8.7 h (2008) Mohyliv-Podil's'kyy — 11 recordings, 8.4 h (2003–2005) Khust — 9 recordings, 8.2 h (2005–2012) Bender — 20 recordings, 8.1 h (2006–2018) Bratslav — 10 recordings, 7.8 h (2002–2008) Uman' — 12 recordings, 7.2 h (1904–2008) Ivano-Frankivs'k — 7 recordings, 7.1 h (2003) Drohobych — 8 recordings, 7 h (2003–2007) Luts'k — 8 recordings, 7 h (2003–2007) Mukacheve — 11 recordings, 6.7 h (2005–2015) Botoșani — 11 recordings, 6.5 h (2006) Korsun'-Shevchenkivs'kyy — 8 recordings, 6.5 h (2005) Slavuta — 8 recordings, 6.3 h (2003–2007) Dorohoi — 8 recordings, 6.2 h (2007) Košice — 7 recordings, 6 h (2006) Warsaw — 22 recordings, 5.8 h (2017–2018) Bila Tserkva — 6 recordings, 5.2 h (2005) Teplyk — 10 recordings, 5.2 h (1903–2002) Izyaslav — 6 recordings, 5 h (2003–2007) Kam'yanets'-Podil's'kyy — 5 recordings, 4.9 h (2003) Vaja — 5 recordings, 4.8 h (2006–2008) Sighetu Marmației — 4 recordings, 4.8 h (2007–2012) Chernihiv — 5 recordings, 4.8 h (2003) Khmil'nyk — 5 recordings, 4.7 h (2008–2009) Mykolayiv — 5 recordings, 4.2 h (2008) Starokostyantyniv — 6 recordings, 4.2 h (2008–2009) Briceni — 5 recordings, 4 h (2005) Fastiv — 6 recordings, 4 h (2008) Kovel' — 4 recordings, 4 h (2003) Korosten' — 4 recordings, 3.9 h (2003) Lipcani — 4 recordings, 3.8 h (2005) Rădăuți — 6 recordings, 3.8 h (2006) Polonne — 4 recordings, 3.8 h (2003) Sharhorod — 7 recordings, 3.6 h (2002) Hîrlău — 5 recordings, 3.5 h (2006) Berehove — 5 recordings, 3.4 h (2007–2012) Haysyn — 5 recordings, 3.3 h (2002) Novoselytsya — 4 recordings, 3.1 h (2009) Vynohradiv — 3 recordings, 3.1 h (2005–2008) Mihăileni — 5 recordings, 2.9 h (2006–2007) Shepetivka — 3 recordings, 2.9 h (2003) Săveni — 4 recordings, 2.8 h (2007) Ternopil' — 3 recordings, 2.8 h (2005) Siret — 4 recordings, 2.7 h (2006) Kotovs'k — 3 recordings, 2.6 h (2008) Zhmerynka — 4 recordings, 2.6 h (2002) Edineț — 4 recordings, 2.5 h (2005–2006) Onești — 5 recordings, 2.5 h (2008) Orhei — 3 recordings, 2.4 h (2006) Vatra Dornei — 3 recordings, 2.4 h (2007) Kraków — 7 recordings, 2.3 h (2016–2017) Bar — 4 recordings, 2.3 h (2005) Hnivan' — 3 recordings, 2.3 h (2008) Klyachanovo — 4 recordings, 2.3 h (2005) Dubăsari — 2 recordings, 2.1 h (2006) Chortkiv — 2 recordings, 2.1 h (2005) Ocna Șugatag — 2 recordings, 2 h (2007) Nizhyn — 2 recordings, 2 h (2003) Popel'nyky — 2 recordings, 2 h (2005) Solotvyno — 3 recordings, 1.8 h (2005–2012) Bilhorod-Dnistrovs'kyy — 2 recordings, 1.7 h (2006–2008) Shpykiv — 4 recordings, 1.7 h (2002) Góra Kalwaria — 4 recordings, 1.5 h (2017) Zhovkva — 2 recordings, 1.3 h (2003) Călărași — 1 recording, 1 h (2006) Peresecina — 1 recording, 1 h (2006) Boryslav — 1 recording, 1 h (2007) Chudniv — 1 recording, 1 h (2008) Kopayhorod — 2 recordings, 1 h (2008) Lityn — 1 recording, 1 h (2005) Skvyra — 1 recording, 1 h (2008) Svalyava — 1 recording, 1 h (2005) Yampil' — 2 recordings, 1 h (2005) Rașcov — 1 recording, 0.9 h (2006) Lublin — 2 recordings, 0.8 h (2017) Kremenets' — 1 recording, 0.8 h (2005) Pechera — 1 recording, 0.8 h (2009) Suceava — 1 recording, 0.6 h (2006) Transnistria — 1 recording, 0.3 h (2006) Legnica — 2 recordings, 0.3 h (2017) Ostroh — 1 recording, 0.3 h (2007) Bistrița — 1 recording, 0.2 h (2008) Nyíregyháza — 1 recording, 0 h (2006) Hîncești — 1 recording, 0 h (2008) Șofrîncani — 1 recording, 0 h (2006) Nemyriv — 1 recording, 0 h (1904) Chișinău Zhytomyr Budapest Kolomyya Berdychiv Chernivtsi Cluj-Napoca Tul'chyn L'viv Kyiv Khmel'nyts'kyy Bershad' Vinnytsya Oradea Debrecen Rivne Rîbniţa Uzhhorod Odesa Baia Mare Soroca Iași Tomashpol' Bălți Ovruch Balta Mohyliv-Podil's'kyy Khust Bender Bratslav Uman' Ivano-Frankivs'k Drohobych Luts'k Mukacheve Botoșani Korsun'-Shevchenkivs'kyy Slavuta Dorohoi Košice Warsaw Also recorded, beyond the map (Israel):Herzliya, Jerusalem
Ukraine Slovakia Slovenia Republic of Serbia Russia Romania Poland Moldova Lithuania Hungary Germany Czechia Croatia Bulgaria Bosnia and Herzegovina Belarus Austria Balta — 10 speakers born here Berdychiv — 8 speakers born here Chișinău — 7 speakers born here Dorohoi — 6 speakers born here Iași — 6 speakers born here Chernivtsi — 6 speakers born here Bershad' — 5 speakers born here Tul'chyn — 5 speakers born here Bender — 4 speakers born here Mohyliv-Podil's'kyy — 4 speakers born here Zhytomyr — 4 speakers born here Hîncești — 3 speakers born here Nisporeni — 3 speakers born here Orhei — 3 speakers born here Rașcov — 3 speakers born here Vertiujeni — 3 speakers born here (identification to confirm) Sighetu Marmației — 3 speakers born here Korsun'-Shevchenkivs'kyy — 3 speakers born here Mukacheve — 3 speakers born here Odesa — 3 speakers born here Rivne — 3 speakers born here Teplyk — 3 speakers born here Budapest — 2 speakers born here Vaja — 2 speakers born here Briceni — 2 speakers born here Lipcani — 2 speakers born here Rîbniţa — 2 speakers born here Soroca — 2 speakers born here Zgurița — 2 speakers born here (identification to confirm) Baia Mare — 2 speakers born here Botoșani — 2 speakers born here Sulița — 2 speakers born here (identification to confirm) Berezdiv — 2 speakers born here Bratslav — 2 speakers born here Fastiv — 2 speakers born here Khmel'nyts'kyy — 2 speakers born here Khotyn — 2 speakers born here Novi Velidnyky — 2 speakers born here (identification to confirm) Ostroh — 2 speakers born here Pishchanka — 2 speakers born here Sharhorod — 2 speakers born here Skvyra — 2 speakers born here Vinnytsya — 2 speakers born here Yampil' — 2 speakers born here Bököny — 1 speaker born here Debrecen — 1 speaker born here Rohod — 1 speaker born here Sonkád — 1 speaker born here Sátoraljaújhely — 1 speaker born here Tállya — 1 speaker born here Bălți — 1 speaker born here Cahul — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Caracușenii Vechi — 1 speaker born here Chiperceni — 1 speaker born here Cimișlia — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Cotiujenii Mari — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Dumbrăveni — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Duruitoarea — 1 speaker born here Florești — 1 speaker born here Fălești — 1 speaker born here Lozova — 1 speaker born here Onițcani — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Rezina — 1 speaker born here Stolniceni — 1 speaker born here Susleni — 1 speaker born here Talmaza — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Telenești — 1 speaker born here Tibuleuca — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Tiraspol — 1 speaker born here Goworowo — 1 speaker born here Lublin — 1 speaker born here Bogata de Sus — 1 speaker born here Burdujeni — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Bârlad — 1 speaker born here Cluj-Napoca — 1 speaker born here Fălticeni — 1 speaker born here Hîrlău — 1 speaker born here Luduș — 1 speaker born here Mihăileni — 1 speaker born here Ocna Șugatag — 1 speaker born here Odobești — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Piatra-Neamț — 1 speaker born here Rădăuți — 1 speaker born here Satu Mare — 1 speaker born here Siret — 1 speaker born here Săveni — 1 speaker born here Valea lui Mihai — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Vatra Dornei — 1 speaker born here Zau de Câmpie — 1 speaker born here Ștefănești — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Hanušovce nad Topľou — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Kráľovský Chlmec — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Nižná Jedľová — 1 speaker born here Zlaté Moravce — 1 speaker born here Berehove — 1 speaker born here Bila Tserkva — 1 speaker born here Bolhrad — 1 speaker born here Chemerivtsi — 1 speaker born here Chernihiv — 1 speaker born here Chopovychi — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Chornobyl — 1 speaker born here Derazhnia — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Drohobych — 1 speaker born here Ivanopil — 1 speaker born here Khmil'nyk — 1 speaker born here Khoroshiv — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Kolochava — 1 speaker born here Kolomyya — 1 speaker born here Kopayhorod — 1 speaker born here Korosten' — 1 speaker born here Koshelovo — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Kovel' — 1 speaker born here Liubar — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Mostyska — 1 speaker born here Mykolayiv — 1 speaker born here Nadvirna — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Nelipyno — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Nemyriv — 1 speaker born here Nizhyn — 1 speaker born here Novoselytsya — 1 speaker born here Ovruch — 1 speaker born here Ozaryntsi — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Pidhaitsi — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Polonne — 1 speaker born here Popel'nyky — 1 speaker born here Sambir — 1 speaker born here Skalat — 1 speaker born here Slavuta — 1 speaker born here Smila — 1 speaker born here Snovsk — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Starokostyantyniv — 1 speaker born here Tarashcha — 1 speaker born here Ternivka — 1 speaker born here Tlumach — 1 speaker born here Tomashpol' — 1 speaker born here Turia Bystra — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Uzhhorod — 1 speaker born here Vapniarka — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Velyka Kopania — 1 speaker born here Velyka Piatyhirka — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Velykyi Bereznyi — 1 speaker born here Vynohradiv — 1 speaker born here Vyzhnytsia — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Zhornyshche — 1 speaker born here Zhovkva — 1 speaker born here Zviahel — 1 speaker born here (identification to confirm) Nyíregyháza — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Călărași — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Dubăsari — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Edineț — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Peresecina — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Transnistria — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Șofrîncani — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Bistrița — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Onești — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Oradea — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Suceava — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Košice — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Bar — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Bilhorod-Dnistrovs'kyy — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Boryslav — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Chortkiv — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Chudniv — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Haysyn — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Hnivan' — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Ivano-Frankivs'k — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Izyaslav — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Kam'yanets'-Podil's'kyy — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Khust — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Klyachanovo — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Kotovs'k — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Kremenets' — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Kyiv — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here L'viv — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Lityn — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Luts'k — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Pechera — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Shepetivka — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Shpykiv — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Solotvyno — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Svalyava — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Ternopil' — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Uman' — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Zhmerynka — a town of the recordings; nobody recorded was born here Balta Berdychiv Chișinău Dorohoi Iași Chernivtsi Bershad' Tul'chyn Bender Mohyliv-Podil's'kyy Zhytomyr Hîncești Nisporeni Orhei Rașcov Vertiujeni Sighetu Marmației Korsun'-Shevchenkivs'kyy Mukacheve Odesa Rivne Teplyk Zgurița Sulița Novi Velidnyky Cahul Cimișlia Cotiujenii Mari Dumbrăveni Onițcani Talmaza Tibuleuca Burdujeni Odobești Valea lui Mihai Ștefănești Hanušovce nad Topľou Kráľovský Chlmec Chopovychi Derazhnia Khoroshiv Koshelovo Liubar Nadvirna Nelipyno Ozaryntsi Pidhaitsi Snovsk Turia Bystra Vapniarka Velyka Piatyhirka Vyzhnytsia Zviahel speakers born here (size: how many)identification of the place still to confirm Also born beyond the map (Belarus, Russia):Birobidzhan, Chelyabinsk, Zhaludok

Birth places as the catalogue names them, placed by name: 247 of the 266 speakers with a birth place in the catalogue. A hollow mark means the identification of the town is still to be confirmed — see the open questions.

Places105 towns in five countries — who was recorded where, and who was born there. People386 interviewees, with their recordings, songs and questionnaire answers. Topics51 subjects, from Sabbath food to evacuation — each leading to the passages that mention it. Songs0 songs, recitations and melodies by 0 singers, each playable as a clip. Questionnaire677 items of the dialect questionnaire, each with the moments it was asked. RecordingsThe 746 tapes in catalogue order, with the archival collections as deposited — and the later expeditions of 2012–2018, described as text.

A few recordings

Andor (Avrom) RezmovitsBudapest, 20 December 2006
Bela (Borukh) Reti (ne RozeDebrecen, 15 December 2006
Zoltan (Zolti) GalambosNyíregyháza, Vaja, 17 December 2006
Zoltan (Zolti) GalambosVaja, 1 July 2008
Shabs (Shobse, Shobse-Tsvi) Abramovich RoifChișinău, 19 December 2005
Maria Leibovna KleymanLipcani, 14 December 2005
Raisa Aizekovna Shvartzman; Iosif Matveyevich Shvartzman; Elena (Leyke) Haimovna AkkermanEdineț, 14 December 2005
Feiga (Feyge) Aizikovna KigelOrhei, 4 June 2006

About the archive

AHEYM — the acronym means homeward in Yiddish — is a linguistic and oral-history project of Indiana University Bloomington led by Dov-Ber Kerler and Jeffrey Veidlinger, with Dovid Katz, Moisei Lemster and others. Its interviewees were mostly born between the 1900s and the 1930s and stayed in, or returned to, the towns where Yiddish had been the language of the street. The recordings are held by IU's Archives of Traditional Music and stream from Media Collections Online; copies are being published on the project's YouTube channel and on archive.org. More about the project, how this index was made, and what you may do with the recordings.