The first families from Khashchevatoye arrived to Paris in the early 1900s, settling in the vibrant neighborhoods between the 4th and 11th arrondissements. They brought with them not just possessions, but their traditions and community bonds. These connections manifested in daily life: when Joseph and Liba Kremenchugsky welcomed their daughter in 1895, their neighbor Wolf Bibergal stood as witness. The Goldenberg family lived next door, while the Kilimniks, former grain merchants from Khashchevatoye, established a textile shop near Place de la République, providing employment to newly arrived villagers. Sarah Shaposhnik and Malka Goldenberg got married in the same day in the city hall of the 4th arrondissement, Sarah with Kalman Zelty, Malka with Israel Blinder.
The community's ties showed in both celebrations and practical matters. When Haim Shuster married Bluma Zisser, or when Elie Bershadsky needed a witness at the police station, they turned to their friend Sucher Kremenchugsky. These bonds endured through generations - the Bratzlawskys continued celebrating New Year together with the Goldenbergs, and today, the granddaughters of Samuel Goldenberg and Ephraim Veinberg maintain their friendship in Israel, marking four generations of family connection..
The transition to Parisian life brought both challenges and opportunities. The Société de Secours Mutuel des Israélites Russes became a lifeline for these families, helping them navigate French bureaucracy and find work. In their new neighborhood, the sounds of Yiddish mingled with French on the streets, while the aroma of traditional cooking wafted from apartment windows. Children adapted fastest – young Rachel Kilimnik was soon correcting her parents' French pronunciation while maintaining perfect Yiddish at home.
As more Khashchevatoye families arrived through the 1910s, they created informal networks of mutual support. When the Kremenchugskys needed workers for their growing textile business, word spread quickly through the community. The Rue Pavée Synagogue and the Rue des Tournelles synagogue became not just places of worship, but community hubs where families gathered to share news from the old country and celebrate lifecycle events together.
By the 1920s, these families had put down roots while maintaining their distinctive identity. Their story reflects a delicate balance – embracing their new French home while preserving the close-knit community spirit of their Ukrainian shtetl.
Life in Khashchevatoye, a small Ukrainian village nestled in the Pale of Settlement, changed dramatically in the late 19th century. The May Laws of 1882 tightened already harsh restrictions on Jewish economic life, while violent pogroms created an atmosphere of constant fear. For families like the Tzisers and Gorbatys, Kremenchugsky, Veinberg and others whose ancestors had lived there for generations, the decision to leave wasn't easy – but Paris beckoned with promises of safety, opportunity and freedom. Survival meant abandoning their ancestral village in Ukraine. Though Paris was their destination, leaving wasn't simple - they needed travel papers, money for passage, and connections in their new city.
The journey often meant traversing multiple borders: first to Austria-Hungary, then Germany, before finally reaching France. The Kremenchugskys left in 1904, following rumors of work in Paris's growing textile industry. The Kilimniks came next in 1906, guided by letters from their former neighbors describing opportunities in the 11th arrondissement.
By 1910, a small but steady stream of Khashchvatoye villagers had established themselves in Paris. Each successful migration encouraged others to follow. When new families arrived at the Gare de l'Est, they found familiar faces waiting - their former neighbors now served as guides to their new life.
The journey from Khashchvatoye to Paris was complex and often dangerous. Most families first traveled to Austro-Hungarian border towns like Brody or Tarnopol - bustling hubs where Jewish migrants could find temporary shelter and guidance. There, migration agents helped secure necessary papers, though many charged exorbitant fees.
The next leg typically went through Berlin or Hamburg. The Kremenchugskys spent three weeks in Berlin in 1904, staying with distant relatives while arranging passage to France. Others, like the Kilimniks, traveled via Vienna, where the Israelitische Allianz provided aid to Jewish migrants.
In Paris, Jewish burial societies (Hevra Kadisha) played a vital role for immigrants from Khashchvatoye.
At the Bagneux cemetery, Hevrat Torat Moshe and Hevra Kedosha Agudath Akhim were prominent organizations serving the immigrant community. These societies handled not just burials but maintained community bonds through mutual support in times of loss.