DESCENDANTS OF CHERNOBYL’S JEWISH DYNASTY RETURN TO THE EXCLUSION ZONE

Descendants of Chernobyl’s Jewish dynasty return to the exclusion zone

For centuries, Chernobyl was home to an important Hasidic movement. Now, one man—and his 50,000 relatives—are reclaiming their history.

 

For 30 years, New York native Yitz Twersky spent all his time and money researching his genealogy, connecting eight generations and over 50,000 people to their roots in Chernobyl, the site of catastrophic nuclear disaster in 1986. He funded hundreds of genetic tests to confirm distant relations, while combing through historical records of a prominent Jewish dynasty. Once satisfied with his life pursuit, Yitz traveled to the birthplace of his family in Ukraine for the first time, breathing fresh life into the surrounding contamination.

 

Long before clouds of highly radioactive particles were released across Europe, sparking fascination and instilling fear of humanity’s fragility, Chernobyl consumed the region with a spiritual fervor. During the 18th century, this town around 100 miles northeast of Kiev became the cradle of a prominent Hasidic movement started by Yitz’s direct ancestor, Rebbe Menachem Nahum Twersky, a disciple of the founder of Hasidism, the Baal Shem Tov.

“When the nuclear disaster happened everyone in Williamsburg or Borough Park or other [Orthodox Jewish] religious places–everyone knew Chernobyl,” Yitz says.

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Data: 06.03.2019
Fonte: www.nationalgeographic.com