The year 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of academic research in the field of Jewish Studies in the Republic of Moldova. In June 1991, the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova was established within the Department of National Minorities of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (ASM). This specialized academic unit was the first and only one of its kind in the country, and remains so today among state academic institutions. The stages of its development are structured as follows:

1991–1992: Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova under the Department of National Minorities of the ASM;

1993–1999: Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova at the Institute of National Minorities of the ASM;

2000–2006: Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova at the Institute of Interethnic Relations of the ASM;

2006–2017: "Jewish Ethnology" Research Group within the Center of Ethnology at the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the ASM;

2018–present: "Jewish Ethnology" Research Group within the Center of Ethnology at the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Research of the Republic of Moldova.

The creation of the aforementioned department was a milestone event. For the first time, state academic institutions engaged in the systematic study of Jewish heritage, a direct consequence of the irreversible political shifts in Soviet Moldavia and subsequently in independent Moldova, which also reshaped the structure of the ASM.

What prompted the establishment of a specialized department within the ASM? Primarily, it was the aspiration of Moldovan Jewry for national and cultural revival.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the democratization of public life in the USSR created favorable conditions for the cultural development of not only the titular nations of the Soviet republics, but also the national minorities residing within them. This process actively extended to Soviet Moldavia.

From the spring of 1989, Jewish cultural societies and other public associations began to emerge in the MSSR, initiating dynamic activities to revive the cultural traditions and languages of the Jewish people (Yiddish and Hebrew)[1].

In 1990, the Jewish newspaper *Nash Golos* ("Our Voice") commenced publication. A year later, the I. Manger Jewish Library opened its doors, alongside the office of the Jewish Agency, and the Association of Jews of Moldova—Former Under Nazi Occupation was established. The year 1991 also saw the inaugural issue of the newspaper *Istoki* ("Sources") and the opening of Jewish School No. 22 (now the ORT Herzl Technology Lyceum), among other developments[2].

As early as February 1991, the Academy of Sciences of Moldova considered establishing a comprehensive Department of National Minorities, within which the formation of the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova began in July of that year[3].

The democratization of political life in Soviet Moldavia, followed by state-building efforts in the Republic of Moldova after gaining independence, played a significant role.

The establishment of an independent, sovereign state governed by the rule of law required, on one hand, the revival of national culture, including the cultures of the ethnic groups inhabiting Moldova, and, on the other hand, addressing complex issues, particularly regarding national minorities[4]. At the state level, a series of measures were adopted to ensure the comprehensive and harmonious development of national minorities and to legally guarantee their rights and freedoms.

The entire state structure was aligned with these objectives: new commissions and departments were established at all levels of public administration[5]. Among these was the State Department for National Problems of the Republic of Moldova, created under the government in the spring of 1991[6]. Within this new structure, T. Magder, an active participant in the Jewish revival, took charge of overseeing Jewish organizations[7]. On August 2, 1991, President M. Snegur issued a decree "On Measures to Ensure the Development of Jewish National Culture and Satisfy the Social Needs of the Jewish Population of the Republic of Moldova," followed on December 9 of the same year by a government decision specifying the core provisions of the decree[8]. This series of government resolutions legally recognized the use of Yiddish and Hebrew and planned the creation of a sector for Jewish language, literature, and folklore within the Institute of Language and Literature of the ASM.

These political decisions were often made not only in response to requests from national communities, but also as a result of political debates among various parties, set against a backdrop of escalating ethnic tensions and the outbreak of the armed conflict in Transnistria.

Another factor that stimulated the development of academic Jewish Studies in Moldova was the involvement of international organizations in the process of Jewish national revival.

Upon gaining independence, Moldova joined numerous international organizations, committing itself, like any democratic state, to respect human rights and minority rights. Additionally, the republic established diplomatic relations with Israel, the United States, and other countries, which facilitated active cultural and educational initiatives in Moldova by various Israeli and international Jewish organizations, such as the Jewish Agency (Sochnut), the Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), and others.

The creation of a Jewish academic unit within the ASM aligned perfectly with this context. Subsequently, these organizations provided substantial support to the department, actively facilitating scientific and educational events, publishing staff research, and establishing contacts with researchers from various countries[9].

Structural changes within the ASM also proved to be an important factor in the development of Jewish academic institutions. Certain research institutes were dissolved, while others underwent significant reorganization, including the Institute of History. This situation prompted the Academy’s leadership to address the employment of highly qualified personnel through administrative reassignments. Consequently, several former staff members of the Institute of History joined the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova[10].

In 1991, during the organization of the Department of National Minorities, a clear strategy for dividing research areas was adopted: departments were created to study the history and culture of the Bulgarian, Russian, Gagauz, Ukrainian, and Jewish populations of Moldova. This approach allowed for a comprehensive study of each group, covering its history, language, culture, and ethnographic characteristics. Such interdisciplinary openness fostered the development of new scientific methodologies[11].

It is worth noting that while some academic experience in studying Bulgarians, Russians, and Gagauzians had accumulated by that time, no such experience existed regarding the Jewish population of Moldova[12].

The creation of a specialized Jewish department within the new academic structure was supported by the first head of the Department of National Minorities, Academician Constantin Popovici[13].

Directors of the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova / "Jewish Ethnology" Research Group:

Izyaslav Levit (1991–1994)

Yakov Kopansky (1994–2004)

Rita Kleiman (2004–2008)

Acting Director Irina Shikhova (2009–2010)

Victor Damian (2011–present)

On July 1, 1991, Dr. Habil. of History, Professor Izyaslav Levit, was the first to be employed at the department as Chief Researcher, subsequently becoming its first director. With half a century of experience in academic institutions, Levit had been one of the organizers of the Academy of Sciences in Soviet Moldavia during the 1950s and 1960s[14].

During the department's formation, recruiting scientific personnel did not present a challenge, according to Levit's memoirs[15]. Scholars joining from the Institute of History of the ASM included Dr. K. Jignea, Dr. Habil. L. Polevoy, Dr. Habil. S. Madievsky, Dr. Habil. Professor Y. Kopansky, ethnographer I. Tabak, and Yiddish poet and literary scholar M. Lemster[16].

In the initial years, Levit and his colleagues focused on drafting the overall strategy of the department and defining research topics for each staff member. As Levit recalled, "...we had to start from scratch. None of us had previously worked on Jewish themes"[17].

Research priorities were partly influenced by requests from Jewish organizations to study two tragic chapters in the history of Moldovan/Bessarabian Jewry: the Kishinev Pogrom of 1903 and the Holocaust in Bessarabia and Transnistria (1941–1944).

The approaching 90th anniversary of the Kishinev Pogrom became the defining factor, making this topic a priority for the department and maintaining its relevance until the early 2000s. According to Levit, "the work was planned with the expectation that two volumes of documents under the imprint of our institute and department would be published for the centenary of the 1903 Kishinev Pogrom and the 1905 pogroms in Bessarabia"[18].

In planning scientific initiatives, the department also intended to address the Holocaust in Bessarabia and Transnistria, particularly the tragedy of the Kishinev Ghetto. This was because a significant portion of Moldovan/Bessarabian Jews viewed these two events in a single context: the Kishinev Pogrom was a tragedy of global notoriety that foreshadowed another global catastrophe—the Holocaust. This perspective on the connection between the events was also detailed in the only work by Israeli researcher D. Doron (Spector) translated into Russian at the time, *The Kishinev Ghetto—The Last Pogrom*. The book cited the Israeli historian B.-C. Dinur: "The historical significance of the Kishinev pogroms lies in the fact that they served as a prototype for the Catastrophe of European Jewry"[19].

Concurrently, as part of commemorative events, Jewish organizations planned to inaugurate a memorial marker at the site of the future monument to the "Victims of the 1903 Kishinev Pogrom" and a monument to the "Victims of the Kishinev Ghetto"[20]. Ultimately, I. Levit took charge of developing research on the Holocaust in Bessarabia and Transnistria.

A scientific conference organized by the department was timed to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the Kishinev Pogrom. This forum became a major event in the series of commemorative activities held in Chisinau on April 21–25, 1993[21].

In October 1992, L. Polevoy left the department to emigrate to the United States. Before his departure, he and other department members prepared for publication the *Bibliographical Index on the History and Culture of Jews in Bessarabia and Adjacent Territories of Romania and Ukraine*. Regrettably, these materials were never published. S. Madievsky subsequently left the department, and in 1994, its first director, I. Levit, also emigrated to the United States[22].

As the founding father of academic Jewish Studies in the Republic of Moldova, Izyaslav Levit assembled a highly professional team, organized scientific research, and achieved its initial results. It was Levit who laid the groundwork for the prospective study of the two main themes of Moldovan Jewish Studies: the 1903 Kishinev Pogrom and the Holocaust in Bessarabia and Transnistria.

An equally significant contribution to the development of Jewish Studies in Moldova was made by Levit's successor, Yakov Kopansky, Dr. Habil. of History, Professor, who began his academic career in 1956 at the Institute of History of the ASM[23].

By the time Kopansky assumed leadership of the department, the researchers had already acquired substantial experience and conducted extensive archival work in Chisinau, Kyiv, St. Petersburg, and other cities.

During this period, Yakov Kopansky focused on the activities of Jewish charitable organizations in Bessarabia during the interwar period. In 1994, he published *The Joint in Bessarabia: Pages of History* (Chisinau, 1994), followed by *Jewish Charitable Organizations of Bessarabia in the Interwar Period, 1918–1940* (Chisinau, 2002).

The department also saw active development in literary studies, reflected in the research of Moisei Lemster. The primary focus of his work was Jewish literature in Yiddish in Bessarabia during the 1920s and 1930s. Based on the doctoral dissertation Lemster defended in 1999, he published the book *The Jewish Fabulist and Sage Eliezer Steinbarg*. Alongside his academic research, Moisei Lemster was also engaged in creative writing. In 1996, he published a collection of poems in Yiddish, *Jewish Rain*, in Tel Aviv, followed by a Russian translation in 1997[24].

In 1994, Z. Stoliar, an Honored Art Worker, musicologist, and author of *Under the Same Sky: Jews and the Musical Culture of Moldova*, joined the department. He studied Jewish musical folklore of Bessarabia and the Left Bank of the Dniester from the late 19th to the first half of the 20th century, as well as the Jewish contribution to Moldovan musical life. His research led to the publication of the brochure *Zlata Tkach: An Outline of Her Life and Work* in 1998, and the book *Jewish Doina: Jewish Folk Music in Bessarabia and Left-Bank Transnistria, Second Half of the 19th to the Mid-20th Century* (published in German in 2000). Later, he published *Pages of Jewish Music: Research, Observations, Notes*, *People and Time: Jewish Composers in the Musical Culture of Moldova, 1930s–1980s*, and *Paths of Creativity: Selected Articles on Moldovan Composers, Second Half of the 20th Century*[25].

At the turn of the 20th and 21st centuries, the department's attention remained focused on the tragic events in the history of Moldovan Jewry. K. Jignea continued to develop this theme, focusing on the 1905 pogrom. She translated into Russian the work of American historian E. Judge, *Easter in Kishinev: Anatomy of a Pogrom* (Chisinau, 1998).

Through the efforts of K. Jignea and her colleagues (Y. Kopansky and I. Levit), the fundamental work *The Kishinev Pogrom of 1903: A Collection of Documents and Materials* (Chisinau, 2000) was published. Many of these documents, uncovered in the archives of Moldova, Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and Israel, were published for the first time. Prepared in collaboration with the National Archives of the Republic of Moldova, this publication represented a major milestone for the department.

During the second half of the 1990s and early 2000s, the department's first director, Izyaslav Levit, continued to collaborate actively. Publishing in Chisinau, he released several brochures in Russian, English, and Romanian: *The Ashes of the Past Beat in Our Hearts: The Holocaust* (Chisinau, 1997), *The Holocaust in Bessarabia in the Distorting Mirror of Mr. Petrencu* (Chisinau, 1999), and *In the Narcotic Haze of Judeophobia: Concerning the Essay of Writer Paul Goma 'The Red Week of June 28–July 31, 1940, or Bessarabia and the Jews'* (Chisinau, 2004)[26]. Until the early 2000s, Levit was virtually the sole author publishing works on the Holocaust in Moldova. His research provided the essential foundation for scholars and public figures in debates against those denying the responsibility of the Antonescu regime for the Holocaust in Bessarabia and Transnistria.

These issues remain central to Izyaslav Levit's research. One of his recent major works is the two-volume publication *Shoah—Holocaust—Catastrophe: The Jewish Question in the Policy of the Antonescu Dictatorship* (Tiraspol: Litera, 2015–2017).

As head of the department, Yakov Kopansky faced the task of not only continuing research in Moldovan Jewish Studies, but also fostering international connections with colleagues in Israel, the United States, Western Europe, the CIS, and the Baltic states.

In 1995, Samuil Aroni, a native of Moldova and Director of Special Academic Joint Projects in International Studies at the University of California, initiated an international symposium in Chisinau, in cooperation with the Institute of National Minorities of the ASM, entitled "History, Language, and Culture of the Jewish People." Organizers included the Sefer Center for University Teaching of Jewish Civilization, the Beit Bessarabia World Federation of Bessarabian Jews, several public organizations, and researchers from the US, Israel, Russia, and Ukraine. A large delegation of speakers represented the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, particularly the Institute of National Minorities, Moldova State University, and the Ion Creangă State Pedagogical University, among others[27].

The symposium resulted in the publication of a volume of scientific papers, *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova: Pages of History and the Present*, featuring contributions by department staff (Y. Kopansky, M. Lemster, Z. Stoliar, I. Tabak). This publication was the first collective work of the department under Kopansky's leadership.

In 1997, as part of the Jewish Book Festival, the scientific conference "People of the Book in the World of Books" was held, co-organized by Kopansky and Lemster. The conference title became the name of the published volume of proceedings, which included articles by the department's staff[28].

In 1998, another volume of articles, *Jews of Moldova and the Historical Homeland: Dedicated to the 50th Anniversary of the Establishment of the State of Israel* (edited by Y. Kopansky and K. Jignea), was published.

In 1996, I. Tabak left the department, and in 1999, M. Lemster immigrated to Israel.

Following reforms within the ASM, the Institute of National Minorities was reorganized in 2000 into the Institute of Interethnic Research, with the department retaining both its name and its specific research focus.

Following Moisei Lemster's departure, the literary research direction in the department was carried forward by Dr. Habil., Professor Rita Kleiman, an internationally recognized specialist in Dostoevsky studies.

She began her work in the department with articles on the works of Russian-language Jewish writers, while also focusing on Jewish motifs in Russian literature and art. Certain themes were reflected in Kleiman's fundamental monograph *Dostoevsky: Constants of Poetics* (Chisinau, 2001). Her subsequent research focused on the life and work of Bessarabian-born literary scholar, historian, cultural studies scholar, and philosopher M. O. Gershenzon. This research yielded a series of articles and the book *Gershenzon M.O.: Sketches of the Past. Selected Works* (Chisinau, 2003)[29].

In 2002, Dr. Habil. V. Anikin joined the department, focusing on the participation of the Jewish population in the economic life of Bessarabia in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and published several articles on this subject.

The department regularly faced staff turnover. In 2002, Z. Stoliar left, and K. Jignea emigrated to Israel. However, in 2003, Dr. of Philology I. Shikhova and J. Kushnir joined the staff, thereby strengthening the literary studies direction.

On April 6–8, 2003, commemorative events dedicated to the centenary of the Kishinev Pogrom were held in Moldova, organized with the participation of V. Anikin, R. Kleiman, and Y. Kopansky. The department held an international scientific conference, "The Kishinev Pogrom of 1903: A Century's Perspective," which received widespread public resonance. Welcome addresses were delivered by S. Shoikhet, Chairman of the Association of Jewish Organizations and Communities of the Republic of Moldova; Avigdor Lieberman, then Minister of Transport of Israel and a native of Moldova; Rashid Kaplanov, President of the European Association for Jewish Studies and Chairman of the Academic Board of the Sefer Center; D. Korn, Chairman of the Beit Bessarabia Foundation; and Valery Engel, Executive Director of the World Congress of Russian Jewry, among others[30].

Commenting on the outcomes of the conference, Yakov Kopansky wrote: "It was the largest scientific forum ever to address the issue of the Kishinev Pogrom. The conference brought together historians, philosophers, philologists, art historians, political scientists, writers, and journalists from Moldova, Israel, Russia, Great Britain, Ukraine, Romania, and Belarus"[31]. In 2004, the proceedings of the forum were published as a book[32].

In 2004, due to declining health, Yakov Kopansky chose to transfer leadership of the department to Professor Rita Kleiman. He passed away in 2006. Two of Kopansky's works, based on his research, were published posthumously: *The Jewish National Movement in Bessarabia in the Interwar Period (1918–1940)* and *Historical Portraits: Prominent Figures of the Jewish Movement in Bessarabia and Moldavia in the 20th Century*.

Thus, Yakov Kopansky held the longest tenure as head of the department. This period was also the most productive in the department's history, marked by the publication of hundreds of scientific and popular science articles, and dozens of monographs and anthologies. With the support of the Institute of National Minorities of the ASM, contacts were established with research centers worldwide. Yakov Kopansky was the last representative of the original group of researchers who founded the department in the early 1990s. In memory of Kopansky, on March 21, 2010, on the eve of his 80th birthday, a memorial plaque was unveiled on the building in Chisinau where he lived.

The first half of the 2000s saw another reform of the Institute of Interethnic Research of the ASM, which was renamed the Institute of Cultural Heritage in 2006. Several research centers were integrated into the Institute, including the Center of Ethnology, which housed the "Jewish Ethnology" Research Group (formerly the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova).

Professor Rita Kleiman, who succeeded Yakov Kopansky in 2004 as director, directed the team toward a major collective project: the *Jewish Encyclopedia*.

New researchers who joined the "Jewish Ethnology" group at various stages of this project included Dr. of Economics E. Bric, Dr. of History A. Borshchevsky, and researcher N. Vitsinskaya. Concurrently, Rita Kleiman, together with Irina Shikhova, worked on the popular science book *The Cultural Heritage of Jews of Moldova*[33].

During this period, numerous articles were published by members of the "Jewish Ethnology" group—R. Kleiman, I. Shikhova, J. Kushnir, E. Bric, and A. Borshchevsky—covering diverse areas such as literary criticism, ethnology, and legal history. Unfortunately, the plans to publish the *Jewish Encyclopedia* were cut short by the untimely passing of Rita Yakovlevna Kleiman in 2008.

Her tenure resulted in the publication of approximately 150 scientific and popular science articles, 10 monographs, and staff participation in various academic conferences in Israel, France, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Bulgaria, and other countries.

In 2009–2010, Dr. of Philology Irina Shikhova served as acting head of the group. In 2010, J. Kushnir defended her dissertation, and several key works were published: the joint volume by R. Kleiman and I. Shikhova, *The Cultural Heritage of Jews of Moldova*; A. Borshchevsky's study, *International and National Legislation on the Rights of Ethnic Minorities*; and J. Kushnir's monograph, *The Jewish Theme and Jewish Authors in 20th-Century World Literature: Aspects of Aesthetic Meaning*.

Since 2011, the "Jewish Ethnology" group has been led by Dr. of History Victor Damian. In 2011–2014, researchers within the group worked on the following topics: "Ethno-demographic and Ethno-political Processes in the History of the Jews of Moldova (Late 15th to Early 19th Centuries)" (V. Damian), "The Legal Status of Jews in Bessarabia, 1812–1914" (A. Borshchevsky), "The Synagogue as a Cultural and Historical Phenomenon of the Jews of Moldova in the 19th and 20th Centuries" (E. Bric), alongside literary studies research (I. Shikhova, J. Kushnir).

In 2012–2013, V. Damian and I. Shikhova organized several scientific conferences and symposia. In March 2012, they held the conference "20 Years of Research in the Field of Jewish Ethnology in the Republic of Moldova." In October of the same year, a republican symposium dedicated to the 65th anniversary of Rita Kleiman was held in Chisinau: *Destinele culturii europene. In memoriam Rita Kleiman (1947–2008)*.

In cooperation with the Faculty of Philology of the Ion Creangă State Pedagogical University, a republican conference was held: "Promotion of National Values through Language, Literature, and History," resulting in the publication of a volume of proceedings[34].

In 2012, Victor Damian was awarded the "Person of the Year" prize for the implementation of joint projects with the KEDEM Jewish Cultural Center and the JDC office in Moldova[35].

The year 2013 was marked by commemorative events for the 110th anniversary of the Kishinev Pogrom, including the International Symposium "The 1903 Kishinev Pogrom and Its Impact on the Public Consciousness of Bessarabia and the World."

Another notable anniversary in 2013 was celebrated with a national conference: "100 Years Since the Birth of the Outstanding Writer Yechiel Shraibman (1913–2005): Yiddish, Shtetl, Yiddishkeit." Members of the Jewish research group, including V. Damian, I. Shikhova, E. Bric, and J. Kushnir, participated in the forum[36].

Almost all conferences were held in close partnership with the KEDEM Jewish Cultural Center in Chisinau, and each event was accompanied by thematic book exhibitions organized by the I. Manger Jewish Library and Cultural Center[37].

Starting in 2013, the tradition of the group's researchers participating in the annual international conferences of the Sefer Center was resumed.

During this period, the group's researchers continued to publish monographic studies[38]. V. Damian, I. Shikhova, and E. Bric presented frequently at academic conferences and participated in various international projects[39].

In 2014, the editorial board of the journal of the Center of Ethnology at the Institute of Cultural Heritage, *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie* (Journal of Ethnology and Cultural Studies), dedicated its 15th issue to the 20th anniversary of the "Jewish Ethnology" group. V. Damian served as executive secretary of the journal from 2010 to 2018. A section of the issue was dedicated to the history of the group, featuring publications by current and former members and texts of their conference presentations[40].

In late 2014, Irina Shikhova, who served as scientific curator of the Jewish Heritage Museum of Moldova (2009–2019), opened a renovated and significantly expanded permanent exhibition of the museum at the KEDEM Jewish Cultural Center.

For the years 2015–2018, the administration of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the ASM approved the following research topics: "Traditional Crafts and Occupations of the Jews of Moldova (Second Half of the 14th to the Early 19th Centuries)" (V. Damian), "Jewish Cemeteries and Funerary Rituals of the Jews of Moldova as an Element of Traditional Ethnic Culture" (I. Shikhova), and "Demographic and Ethno-social Situation of the Jewish Population in Bessarabia (1812–1918)" (A. Borshchevsky).

The current generation of researchers has experienced another major reform, this time affecting the entire Academy of Sciences of Moldova. The Institute of Cultural Heritage, of which the "Jewish Ethnology" group is a part, was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Research of the Republic of Moldova.

In 2017, J. Kushnir published the monograph *The Phenomenon of Myth Humanization in 20th-Century Intellectual Prose*. Concurrently, she conducted research into the family histories of the Jews of Chisinau.

During 2017–2018, R. Nastas, a doctoral student at the Ion Creangă State Pedagogical University working on her dissertation "Jewish Emigration from Bessarabia in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries," temporarily joined the group.

In 2017, V. Damian and R. Nastas, and in 2019, V. Damian alone, participated in epigraphic expeditions organized by the Sefer Center to the Jewish cemeteries of Rashkov village and the city of Orhei in Moldova[41].

Field research formed the basis of the scientific work of two members of the "Jewish Ethnology" group. In late 2018, Y. Palihovici began researching the perceptions of the residents of the Moldovan village of Vadul-Rașcov regarding the Jewish community that once lived there.

Since early 2019, I. Shikhova and Y. Palihovici have been involved in the European Jewish Cemeteries Initiative (ESJF) project to locate, catalog, and document Jewish necropolises[42]. Victor Damian authored the texts for the information panels placed at the monuments to the victims of the Kishinev Ghetto and the victims of fascism, erected by the Jewish Community of Moldova in 2019. President Igor Dodon, members of parliament, government officials, and representatives of Jewish organizations attended the unveiling of the information panel at the Monument to the Victims of the Kishinev Ghetto on January 27, 2019.

In late 2019, for the first time in the history of academic science in Moldova, a competitive call for state funding was introduced. Researchers from the Center of Ethnology, including the "Jewish Ethnology" group, participated. Based on the evaluation, the Center of Ethnology secured funding, allowing it to maintain its status unlike many other academic departments.

Notably, during 2011–2020, the chronological scope of research on the history of Moldovan Jewry expanded to encompass the entire period of Moldovan statehood. In recent years, the group has placed a strong emphasis on field research. Over the past decade, the team has published more than 150 scientific and popular science works and delivered over 200 presentations at various conferences, including forums dedicated to the Holocaust. The group's members continued to raise this topic even when it was overlooked by state bodies and left exclusively to Jewish organizations.

In 2017, a government decision was adopted to implement a State Action Plan, which includes the establishment of the Museum of Jewish History of the Republic of Moldova (with the Chisinau Jewish Cemetery as a branch), alongside the documentation, protection, and restoration of Jewish cemeteries and other historical and cultural sites. Members of the research group have been engaged in implementing various stages of this plan.

The "Jewish Ethnology" group currently stands as the sole academic structure uniting nearly all specialists in Jewish Studies in Moldova. Over the years, the group has evolved into an expert hub, consulted by local and international Jewish organizations, as well as government agencies, providing assistance in organizing national and international events and executing various projects.

Over three decades, the scientific output of the "Jewish Ethnology" group has amounted to over 60 monographs, collections of articles, and historical outlines.

This unique research unit has become the primary and only academic center for the scientific study of Moldova's Jewish heritage. Currently, the small research group continues to work on its scheduled research topics, including: "Religious Life of the Jews of Bessarabia (1812–1914)" (V. Damian), "Material Heritage of the Jewish Culture in the Republic of Moldova: Study and Preservation" (I. Shikhova), "Educational Traditions of the Jews of the Republic of Moldova" (J. Kushnir), and "Everyday Life of the Jews of Bessarabia in the Context of the Socio-Economic Life of the Region (1812–1918)" (Y. Palihovici).

[1] See: Kopansky, Y. M., "The Revival of Jewish National Culture as a Factor in the Democratization of the Spiritual Life of Moldova." *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova*, Chisinau, 1997, p. 16; Damian, V., "20 Years of the 'Jewish Ethnology' Group of the Center of Ethnology of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the ASM." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău, 2014, p. 106.

[2] "A Thorny Path to Self-Discovery" http://jcm.md/ru/all-news/ternistyj-put-k-sebe.

[3] Kopansky, Y. M., "The Revival of Jewish National Culture as a Factor in the Democratization of the Spiritual Life of Moldova." *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova*, Chisinau, 1997, p. 16.

[4] Bodrug, I. G., "Interethnic Academic Research: On the 10th Anniversary of the Institute of Interethnic Research." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 6.

[5] Kopansky, Y. M., "The Revival of Jewish National Culture as a Factor in the Democratization of the Spiritual Life of Moldova." *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova*, Chisinau, 1997, p. 16.

[6] The Parliamentary Decree on the establishment of the Department is dated November 14, 1990. The Government Decision on the formation of the Department, defining its tasks and staff, was signed on April 25, 1991. http://www.bri.gov.md/index.php?pag=sec&id=92&l=ru.

[7] Kopansky, Y. M., "The Revival of Jewish National Culture as a Factor in the Democratization of the Spiritual Life of Moldova." *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova*, Chisinau, 1997, p. 16; Popa, I. C., "Theodor Magder — destinul unui evreu român în Basarabia." *Revista de știință și cultură* http://www.limbaromana.md/index.php?go=articole&n=3685.

[8] Kopansky, Y. M., "The Revival of Jewish National Culture as a Factor in the Democratization of the Spiritual Life of Moldova." *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova*, Chisinau, 1997, p. 16.

[9] Levit, I. E., *Memoirs of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and Its First President Ya. S. Grosul*. Tiraspol, 2014, pp. 187-188; Kopansky, Y. M., "Jewish Studies in the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 32; Kopansky, Y. M., "The Revival of Jewish National Culture as a Factor in the Democratization of the Spiritual Life of Moldova." *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova*, Chisinau, 1997, p. 16.

[10] Levit, I. E., *Memoirs of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and Its First President Ya. S. Grosul*. Tiraspol, 2014, pp. 178-179, 184.

[11] Bodrug, I. G., "Interethnic Academic Research: On the 10th Anniversary of the Institute of Interethnic Research." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, pp. 6-7. A clear assessment of the state of research on national minorities at the ASM in the early 1990s was presented at a conference by A. Skvortsova, a researcher in the Russian Studies sector. She noted that "previously, Moldovan historical science did not study individual ethnic groups, but rather the historical process as a whole. While possessing deep and comprehensive studies on the history of the republic, we lack a sufficiently clear understanding of minority ethnic groups, their place, and their role in the socio-economic, political, and cultural development of Moldova. There is not a single work in Moldovan historiography dedicated specifically to the Russian population." The same applied to Jewish historiography in Moldova, with the sole exception of V. S. Zelenchuk's *The Population of Bessarabia and Transnistria in the 19th Century (Ethnic and Socio-Demographic Processes)* (Chisinau, 1979). See: Zaikovskaya, T., "The 'Russian Ethnology' Sector: 25 Years of Scientific Search." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XIX, Chișinău, 2016, p. 5; Kopansky, Y. M., "Jewish Studies in the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 32.

[12] By the time the Department of National Minorities was opened in 1991, the ASM already included the department of Bulgarian studies (within the Institute of History) and the department of Russian language and literature (within the Institute of Language and Literature) for several decades. In 1987, by decision of the MSSR government, a department of Gagauz studies was established within the ASM (Chervencov, N. N., "Bulgarian Studies at the Institute of Interethnic Research: Status and Prospects." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 23; Zaikovskaya, T. V., "Problems of Research on the History, Language, and Culture of the Russian Population of Moldova at the IIR." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 17; Cimpoeș, L. S., "Activities of the Department of Gagauz Studies: Results and Prospects." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 27).

[13] Kopansky, Y. M., "The Revival of Jewish National Culture as a Factor in the Democratization of the Spiritual Life of Moldova." *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova*, Chisinau, 1997, p. 16; Damian, V., "20 Years of the 'Jewish Ethnology' Group of the Center of Ethnology of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the ASM." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău, 2014, p. 106.

[14] Central Scientific Archive of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (hereinafter CSA ASM), fond 48, inventory 3, file 69.

[15] Levit, I. E., *Memoirs of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and Its First President Ya. S. Grosul*. Tiraspol, 2014, p. 184; Bodrug, I. G., "Interethnic Academic Research: On the 10th Anniversary of the Institute of Interethnic Research." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 6.

[16] Levit, I. E., *Memoirs of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and Its First President Ya. S. Grosul*. Tiraspol, 2014, p. 184; Kopansky, Y. M., "Jewish Studies in the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 29.

[17] Levit, I. E., *Memoirs of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and Its First President Ya. S. Grosul*. Tiraspol, 2014, p. 184.

[18] Ibid., p. 185.

[19] Doron (Spector), D., *The Kishinev Ghetto—The Last Pogrom*. Chisinau: Liga, 1993 (Aliyah Library Series), pp. 8, 228.

[20] Dreizler, M., "Faithful to This Memory!.." *The Kishinev Pogrom of 1903. Collection of Articles*. Chisinau, 1993, pp. 132-133.

[21] Ibid., pp. 132-133. The conference proceedings were published in: *The Kishinev Pogrom of 1903. Collection of Articles*. Editor-in-Chief I. E. Levit. (Chisinau, 1993).

[22] Levit, I. E., *Memoirs of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and Its First President Ya. S. Grosul*. Tiraspol, 2014, pp. 184, 188.

[23] CSA ASM, fond 48, inventory 3, file 65.

[24] CSA ASM, fond 48, inventory 3, file 70; Kopansky, Y. M., "Jewish Studies in the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, pp. 31-32.

[25] CSA ASM, fond 48, inventory 3, file 95; Kopansky, Y. M., "Jewish Studies in the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 32; Kushnir, J., "Zinoviy Lazarevich Stoliar (1924 — 2014)." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău, 2014, p. 104.

[26] Levit, I. E., *Memoirs of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences and Its First President Ya. S. Grosul*. Tiraspol, 2014, p. 189.

[27] Kopansky, Y. M., "The Revival of Jewish National Culture as a Factor in the Democratization of the Spiritual Life of Moldova." *Jews in the Spiritual Life of Moldova*, Chisinau, 1997, pp. 21-22.

[28] *People of the Book in the World of Books*. Chisinau, 1997. It features works by Y. Kopansky, "The Chisinau Society of Friends of the Jerusalem Jewish National Library (1920s–1930s)"; M. Lemster, "The Bessarabian Style in Jewish Literature"; Z. Stoliar, "Jewish Music in Books"; and K. Jignea, "On the Book of American Historian Edward Judge 'Easter in Kishinev: Anatomy of a Pogrom'."

[29] Kopansky, Y. M., "Jewish Studies in the Department of Jewish History and Culture of Moldova." *Yearbook of the Institute of Interethnic Research*, Vol. II, Chișinău, 2001, p. 32.

[30] *Returning to the Events of a Century Ago: Chronicle of the Commemorative Days of the 1903 Kishinev Pogrom*. Chișinău: Pontos, 2004, pp. 25-54.

[31] Kopansky, Y. M., "Preface. The Kishinev Pogrom of 1903: A Century's Perspective." *Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, April 7–8, 2003*, Chisinau, 2004, p. 6.

[32] *The Kishinev Pogrom of 1903: A Century's Perspective*. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, April 7–8, 2003, Chisinau, 2004.

[33] Damian, V., "20 Years of the 'Jewish Ethnology' Group of the Center of Ethnology of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the ASM." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău, 2014, pp. 110-111.

[34] Ibid., pp. 110-111; "Raport privind conferințele organizate de Grupul «Etnologia Evreilor» și expedițiile de teren." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV-XVI, Chișinău, 2014, pp. 124-127.

[35] "Person of the Year" Award Ceremony Held in Chisinau http://photo.jewseurasia.org/page16/news33938.html.

[36] Damian, V., "20 Years of the 'Jewish Ethnology' Group of the Center of Ethnology of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the ASM." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău, 2014, p. 112; "Raport privind conferințele organizate de Grupul «Etnologia Evreilor» și expedițiile de teren." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău, 2014, pp. 128-129.

[37] Damian, V., "20 Years of the 'Jewish Ethnology' Group of the Center of Ethnology of the Institute of Cultural Heritage of the ASM." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău, 2014, p. 112.

[38] Borshchevsky, A., *Protection of the Rights of the Jewish Population of Bessarabia in the Second Half of the 19th Century: The Court of Arbitration*. Chisinau, 2011; Kushnir, J., *On the 110th Anniversary of the Kishinev Pogrom: Commemorative Dates*. Chisinau, 2013.

[39] See: Damian, V., "Results of the Project 'Virtual Museum of Jewish Studies: On the Paths of History' (Challenges and Achievements)." *Ethnographic Collections in Museums: Cultural Strategies and Practices*. Proceedings of the Twelfth St. Petersburg Ethnographic Readings, St. Petersburg, 2013, pp. 66-70; "Raport privind conferințele organizate de Grupul «Etnologia Evreilor» și expedițiile de teren." *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău, 2014, pp. 130-137.

[40] *Revista de Etnologie și Culturologie*, Vol. XV, Chișinău: Garomont, 2014.

[41] "'Sefer' in Rashkov." *Nash Golos*, Newspaper of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova, No. 11, August 2017, pp. 4-5; Dashevsky, O., "What Do Ancient Gravestones Keep Silent About?" *Nash Golos*, Newspaper of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova, No. 14 (49), September 2019, p. 7.

[42] Dashevsky, O., "The Place Where Jewish Bones Lie Remains a Cemetery Forever." *Nash Golos*, Newspaper of the Jewish Community of the Republic of Moldova, No. 9 (44), June 2019, p. 2.