Shelley Hebert's visit to Kolodno (near Vishnevets), 2009
Beth Miller's visit to Kremenets, 2000: From correspondence with Ron Doctor, September 2000
Yes, I found Kremenetz. An incredible trip. I'd love to go back. The stones were written only in Hebrew and English (only two in Russian), and were not in good shape, but still an intense visit. I found the (abandoned) Jewish cemeterary and spent about 2 hours searching through it. Although I did not find any family names, I thoroughly enjoyed the time there. It was a warm, peaceful day, and the bees were buzzing, the pears and nuts were ripe and the trees and bushes starting to turn color. The names were all in Yiddish, and I could sound them out: Freida ... Fish ... man ... Yaacov ... Cooper ... stein ... David ... Levy ....
Despite the broken stones, overgrown weeds, and mossy surfaces, I felt a great sense of normalcy. Husbands and wives, mothers and children, the history of a community. It didn't matter that I couldn't find my grandmother's grandparents, because we are descendents of the community, not individuals. To understand our lives, we need to understand theirs. Both their closeness and their repressiveness.
...
I feel like I have a better sense of my own identity since I have seen where I come from. Now if I can only put it all together, and communicate this to my children.
Cherenson & Titelbaum Families: Return to Shumsk and Kremenets, 2011