Bohsla (Yiddish), Boslw (German), Богуслав – Boguslav (Russian), Богуслав – Bohuslav (Ukrainian)

Boguslav is a city (since 1938), district center in the Kiev region.

Since 1360 – in the Great Kingdom of Lithuania; since 1569 – city of Kiev povet and province in the Commonwealth.

The first known instance of Jewish settlement in Bohuslav dates from the late 16th/early 17th century.

The Jewish population of Bohuslav suffered during the Khmelnitsky pogroms in 1648, from the Cossack raids of 1702, and from the Haidamak pogroms in 1768. In 1765 in Bohuslav lived 574 Jews, in 1784 – 622 Jews.

Boguslav enterpreneurs in 1913

12 Photos

The Jewish community started developing more actively after the annexation of Bohuslav to the Russian Empire in 1793.

In the middle of XVIII century Hevra Kadisha acted here. In the XVIII century Rabbis in Boguslav were Moishe-Eykel Gurevich, Avrum Rapoport, Dovid Kruglyak.In 1797, the Jewish population numbered 1,288 people Bohuslav and 6980 Jews in 1863.

Horah School Book. Printed in Boguslav at 1820

In the beginning of XIX century there was a Jewish printing house.

In the middle of XIX century Boguslav drinking rent belong to the merchants of 1st guild Gersh Balakhovskaya and at the end of the XIX century cloth factory  was owned by merchant Mordko Juzefov and distillery – to Haya Nemirovskaya.

In 1863 there were 3 synagogue and 16 in 1897 (one Great Synagogue, according to legend, was founded in the XVII century and 15 craft synagogues – shoemakers, weavers, tailors, furriers, carpenters, etc. which were founded at the end of XVII – the beginning of the XIX century), there were two Jewish cemeteries. In 1895 Rabbis were Joseph Zaslavsky and Pinchas-Avrum Berger.

Sholom Aleihem lived in Boguslav  with the family of his grandparents – Gitl-Yossi and Moishe Gamarnitskih some time after death of his mother.

Oldest building in Boguslav, build in 1726. Former Heder Oldest building in Boguslav, build in 1726. Former Heder

In 1897 in Boguslav lived 7,745 Jews (65% of the population).

In 1901 Bohuslav functioned Talmud Torah (in 1909 – 130 students), private male school M.Ginzburg, female school of K.Ginsburg, in 1909 – a hospital, hospice, community guardianship of orphans, society of help for  poor, 3 private men’s college and over 20 headers (of 400 students), 3 female college (including one free, a total of 150 students), College 2nd class created by local educational society (over 50 students). Since 1910, there operated care for poor children of the Jews, in 1912 – Jewish Savings and Loan Association. Amount local taxes collected in 1900’s reached 6000 rubles per year (for the needs of the community could be used 2600).

Boguslav sinagogue after pogrom. 1919

The Jewish population of Bohuslav suffered under the 1918-20 pogroms; at least 50 people were killed and many more were injured. Hundreds of Jewish buildings including synagogues, houses, shops and warehouses were burnt down. Local non-Jewish residents were warned that they would be shot for assisting the Jews. Nevertheless, some did help; some for a fee, others at no cost. Other locals, however, played an active role in the looting. A Jewish self-defence league with over 1,000 members was created in early January 1920 which saved the town from many further attacks; Bohuslav even served as a refuge for other Jews who fled nearby towns and villages. The self-defence league was called upon by other Jewish communities and by local peasants under threat from bandits to assist in the establishment of similar organisations.

Boguslav self defence unit

The son of one of the participants in the Jewish self-defence league recollects his father’s stories: “My father spoke at a gathering of young Jewish people, appealing to them to organize a self-defence unit to struggle against the bandits. There were about 600 people in their units. They had 250 rifles, two automatic guns, bombs and grenades. I have no idea where they managed to get these weapons. The unit raided nearby villages and towns to fight the armed gangs. Bohuslav became a centre of self-defence in Kanev district, Kiev region. The local population sympathized with them and supported them with food and accommodation. They struggled for three years. On the third anniversary of the creation of their fighting unit, my father made an ardent speech expressing his appreciation of their bravery. In summer 1923, the self-defence league of Bohuslav was dismissed as there were no bandits left in the country and peaceful reconstruction work had begun.”

Boguslav self defence unit. 1920′s

In 1921 branch of Evsekciya opened in Boguslav. In the beginning of 1920’s acted illegal Zionist organization. In September 1922 was arrested a group of Zionists.

I find this report on JDC Archiv website, it gave wide description of Boguslav Jewish community state at 1923:

April 11th, 1923

Boguslav. Petlura pogrom victims

The number of Jews in Boguslav is estimated at 13,000, of whom 3,435 are wage earners. Most of them are engaged in the textile industry, which is well developed in that city.

There are also a number of large mills and other Industrial enterprises in Boguslav and its surroundings, where many Jewish workers are employed.

The Jewieh population of Boguslav has suffered from a number of pogroms resulting in:
Killed 48, Wounded 70, Violated over. 300, Houses destroyed 25, Shops destroyed 370

Boguslav. Hostel for pogrom refugees. 1920′s

At the end of 1919, a self-defence organization was formed. Since then Boguslav became a centre where thousands of refugees from pogromized places with no self-defence have been concentrating. The number of refugees at one time amounted to 15,000. But due to the organization of similar self-defence organizations in the surrounding towns and also because of their partial restoration most of the refugees have returned to their homes, so that now only 600 refugee families remain, 60 of which wish to return to their old places, but because of lack of means they cannot do so.

As a result of overcrowding, epidemics broke out which caused the death of hundreds of persons.
Up to the present time the JDO has distributed the following in Boguslav:
Food Packages 95
Underwear (suits) 300
Children’s Institutions in Boguslav
3 Children’s Homes for 110 children
1 Favus house for 40 children
1 Open Home for 129 children
3 Schools with 303 children

All of these institutions are being subsidized by the JDC, through the Evobkom, to the extent of $114 worth of food monthly. We have also assisted them with fuel, clothing, shoes and cash for repairs and equipment from the allocations to the Evobkom. The institutions are, however, in need of additional beds, bedding, furniture and school supplies.

Jewish gravestones on the road in Boguslav

The Favus home was founded on August 15th, 1923, and makes a rather painful impression. The home requires substantial repairs. Due to the insufficient number of beds, the children sleep two in one bed. Medical attention is insufficient, as a result of which the children suffer.

The children in the above institutions are mostly full and half-orphans, but apart from these, there are 378 additional orphans who are practically homeless and who receive practically no education.

The only typhoid hospital which was founded in the summer 1930 for 30 beds, has now been reduced to 30 beds, and after the removal of the Uyesd to Korsum, it is probable that the hospital will be closed altogether, leaving the entire Jewish population, including the children in the institutions, without any medical assistance.

There are 130 individuals who have lost their capacity to work. These poor people manage to eke out their miserable existence by begging.

Ruins in Boguslav after pogrom

In September, 1923, a Credit-Cooperative was organized in Boguslav aiming to assist artisan and agricultural cooperatives, individual workers producing for the market, and small traders. Through the initiative of this Credit Cooperative, an agricultural artel (Cooperative) is being organized with 50 families, for the cultivation of 300 dessiatins of land. There are a number of other workers in Boguslav who would gladly work land if they had the opportunity and the means.

Besides the agricultural, there are the following other artels in Boguslav:
I. TEETILE ARTEL; consisting of 100 members. The capacity of this artel is limited to 17 workers only, so that the members have to work in shifts. When not occupied in the artel they must needs of course earn their living otherwise. If supplied with credit for raw material, the artel could provide employment for all its members.
3. TAILORS’ ARTEL; has a membership of 50, but only 8 can work at the same time. To provide facilities for all members, 15 sewing machines are required.
3. WOOD-WORKING ARTEL: has 30 members, but because of lack of raw material and credit, they are unoccupied at present.
The JDC has granted a loan of $11,000 to the Credit Cooperative.

Ruins in Boguslav after pogrom

RELIEF NEEDED:
a) To open a School Nursery for 150 children, enabling their mothers to earn their living.
b) To repair the buildings of the existing children’s institutions and equip them with necessary furniture, etc.
c) Besides the Favus Home with 40 children, there are in Boguslav about 100 other children infected with favus
who must be isolated in order not to spread this disease. These additional children must therefore be taken care of.
d) To save the only hospital from closing $200 is needed. The population would try its best to maintain it henceforth.
e) To enlarge and maintain the capacity of the Home for Aged, now inhabited only by refugees, so that invalids could also be taken in.
f) To render relief to the most needy, supplying them with food, clothing, underwear and footwear.

Jewish tombstones on the streets of Boguslav

g) In order to enable the Credit Cooperative to increase its activities and satisfy the existing need an additional loan of at least 11,500. is needed. With that amount the Credit Cooperative could develop its operations to such an extent that it would cover the immediate credit needs in the Boguslav district.
h) To give employment to the Tailors, Textile and Wood-workers in their cooperatives, $1,350 is needed.
i) To enable the 60 refugee families to r turn to their former homes, providing them with travelling expenses, food, etc at least $1750 is needed.

 

 

 

In 1926, 6,432 Jews (53% of the total population) lived in Bohuslav. In 1930′s there was illegal Habad heder under rule of Rabbi Luchinskiy. On the eve of the Second World War, the Jewish population of Bohuslav had decreased to 2,230 people.

Boguslav Holocaust mass grave

The Germans occupied right-bank part of Boguslav on July 23, 1941 and left-bank part in July 27, 1941. Considerable proportion of the town’s Jewish population har time to fled and survived in evacuation. First two days of German occupation happened pogrom when few dozens Jew were killed. Systematic killing and mocking became a part of life. Local police gavered pretty jewish womans and send them to german officers. In August 1941 all Boguslav Jews were concentrated in ghetto on Provalnaya Str. Jews were forced to scavange and didn’t recieved food for work.

At August 23, 1941 Germans collect aprox. 100 young man Jews and shoot them near the road to village Tuniki. At September 15, 1941 operative-command 5 execute 322 Jews (from other sources aprox. 500) and reported In Berlin that no Jews left in Boguslav. In same time was executed group of Jews-captives which were cured in local hospital. During next days of occupations Germans catch and execute Jews which were tried to hide and survive. These Jews were killed in different unknown places all over the city and surrounding areas. Among killed were many Jews-refuges from other citys and villages. In Boguslav were execute several Jewish families from Mironovka. Monument on the mass killing site was erected in 1990′s. Aprox. 10 local inhabitans were honored as Righteous Among the Nations.

Bogulav was liberated by Red Army at February 3, 1944.

Hinda Erdel at home in Boguslav 1994

A number of Jews who had left returned to the town after its liberation by Soviet troops in 1944; a synagogue was opened in 1947. After the WWII head of Jewish religious community was Fonarev Isaac Matveevych (1896-?).

By 1989, only 179 Jews lived in Bohuslav – a number which decreased further as a result of emigration in the 1990s.

In the 1990’s. Bohuslav was opened Jewish Culture society “Dobrodiy”, jewish library, a monument to the Holocaust victims.

Genealogy information in Ukraine Archivs

Places

House of Jewish merchant Pokras

Building of town concil before revolution belong to Jewish merchant Pokras (build in 1887).

Oldest building in Boguslav, build in 1726. It was a Heder before Revolution and now it is museum.  Address: Shevchenka Str., 35

Sholom Aleihem memorial table located at Franka Str., 21.

Synagogue

From buildings of 16 synagogue in beginning of XX century now exist building of one only. It belong to municipal property and wasn’t returned to community. I haven’t find building’s photo.

Holocoust Mass Grave

Mass grave located on the northern outskirts of Boguslav. Unknown Jews number were killed and buried there (300-500 persons) .

Boguslav Jewish Cemetery

First graves date by XVII century. The Jewish cemetery was looted after the WWII, when the gravestones and monuments have been used for roads restoration. According to members of the Jewish community, dozens of Jewish philanthropists transferred money to the local council and ordered to move tombstones in the cemetery, but their money has been used for a different purpose.

Skver, Skvir, Skwere (Yiddish Transliteration), Skwira (Polish), Сквира – Skvira (Russian), Сквира – Skvyra (Ukrainian), סקווירא (Yiddish)

Skvyra is a town in the Kiev Oblast (province) of central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Skvyrskyi Raion (district), and is currently a municipality of raion subordinance.

The ancient town of Skvyra was completely destroyed at the end of the 16th century. In 1736, Skvyra was mentioned as a village (selo) leased by a Jewish lessee. According to the census of 1765, there were 124 houses in Skvyra, 51 of which belonged to Jews. In 1775, 116 Jews lived in Skvyra, in 1784 there were 204, and in 1787, 144.

Skvyra businessman in 1913

6 Photos

By 1910 the town had a Talmud Torah, a Jewish private boys’ school and two private girls’ schools. In 1913 Rabbi was Yampolskiy Usher Genzelevich.

There were two pogroms in the town in 1917 and a wave of six pogroms in 1919, some of which lasted for several weeks. There were rapes, houses were burnt down, and Jewish property was seized and destroyed or sold to local peasants. 191 people were killed and hundreds injured. After the pogroms an epidemic in the town killed up to 30 people a day. The Jewish population fled to Kiev, Odessa and Belaya Tserkov.

I find this report on JDC Archiv website, it gave wide description of Skvira Jewish community state in beginning of 1920′s:

AMERICAN JOINT DISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE RUSSIAN UNIT.
REPORT ON SKVIRA, BELOTZSRKOV UYESD, KIEV GUBRNIA

Mass grave of pogrom victims on Skvira Jewish cemetery. Photo beginning of 1920′s

The $100 received from the Skvira landsmanschaft, as per LHD R-52, was distributed in the following order:
- 120 poods of Matzo flour was purchased by the representative of the J. D. G. in consultation with, several representative citizens and distributed same among 79 needy families.
- The balance of 1.500 million roubles (about $30) was given to the children homes for repair and purchase of inventory for their workrooms.

List of beneficiaries and signatures of recipients for flour distributed are attached hereto.
Skvira was formerly an Uyesd center, but the center has now been removed to Belaya Tzerkov.
The number of the population before, the pogroms was 25,000 now 20,000.
Jews before the pogroms 15,000 but now – 10,000. Number of shops before pogroms – 350.
Fifty houses were sold to peasants by Jews who escaped from town at the time of pogroms.

Before the pogroms Skvira was quite a commercial and industrial center. It had 8 mills, 8 oil churns and 6 sugar factories in and near the town.

Skvira has suffered of 8 pogroms, the worst of which took place in autumn of 1919 by the Tutunik bands. The total of Jews killed in the pogroms is 608, wounded 392 and violated about 350. The entire population was robbed, pillaged and economically ruined.

Mass grave of pogrom victims on Skvira Jewish cemetery. Photo beginning of 1920′s

AT PRESENT THERE ARE:

Jewish Widows 250
Orphans 256
Half-Orphans 350
Individuals who lost their working ability 130

Among the population there are also 80 refugee families from the following neighboring towns: Borchagovka (10 families), Kornin (5 families), Tetiev (10 families), Volodarka (10 families), Novo-Fastov and other places (45 families).

The population is chiefly engaged in small trade and small industry, yet the greater part of the artisans are unemployed and have to earn their scanty living in small trade. Owing to the removal of the Uyesd from Skvira, the number of unemployed, intellectual workers has increased considerably.

INSTITUTIONS IN SKVIRA :
1. Skvira has two Orphan’s Homes for 72 children (59 full orphans and 13 half orphans)
2. Public School for 140 children
3. House for aged with 19 inmates
4. Bath-House totally destroyed
5. Hospital
6. Dispensary
7. Clinical institute which is for use for members of trade unions only.

Tailoring workshop in Skvira. Photo by 1920′s

The Children Homes are supported by the Narobraz (Commissariat for Education) and subsidized, through the Evobkom, by the J. D. C. with food, clothing, shoes, fuel and cash for house repairs and additional equipment.
The apartment of Children’s Home No. 2 is in very bad state and should be removed to other quarters but cannot be accomplished through lack of funds. The house where children home is located needs only small repairs. The Children Homes are poorly supplied with household inventory, underwear, clothing and shoes.

The public school apartments are also very much in need of repairs. The course of studies in the school are frequently being interrupted through lack of school appliances.

The Home for Aged is need of capital repairs. The commodities supplied by the “Sobez” (Commissariat for Social Relief) is very insufficient. The inmates were half starved. The food supplied by the J. D. C. relieved the situation temporarily.

The Bath-House is now being repaired by the Comkhoz (Municipality). In order to enable the needy Jews of the town to use it free of charge, a subsidy must be given to the Municipality.

Enterance to Skvira Sunagogue yard

The Hospital and Dispensary are supplied with very little means and medicine and do not issue any medicines free of charge. The needy population is, therefore, deprived of any medical assistance.
In 1921 an agricultural cooperation has been organized in Skvira consisting of 17 refugee families from the neighboring pogormized places. The cooperation received 10 dessiatin of land from the Zemotdel (Commissariat for Agriculture).

In spite of the very difficult working conditions, without agricultural implements and other supplies, the cooperation accomplishes its harvest quite successful. But, not having any means of transportation, 500-600 poods of grain have been stolen from them.
In March 1923 the J. D. C. has issued to the cooperation through 0RT: 1 harrow, 30 poods of oats, 50 poods of potatoes and vegetable seeds for 1/2 dessiatin of land.

The J. D. C. distributed to the neediest of the population in Skvira out of its own fund: 55 food remittance packages and 660 pieces of underwear.

Under the Soviet Union the religious and communal life of the Jews of Skvyra was dissolved.

The town’s Jewish population fell to 4,681 by 1926 (about 33.6% of the population) and 2,243 by 1939, but even so it remained among the biggest Jewish communities of Ukraine at that time.

In World War II German forces occupied the town at July 13, 1941. In July 15, 1941 Jews were ordered to ware David star and used to forced labor. In 2 weeks after occupation were killed 10 communists, among them were Jews. Judenrat was created for contribution gathering and exact Jews count. After complete of this task all members of Judenrat were killed.

Jews before killing. Skvira, September 21st 1941 – German photo

During August-September 1941 the Einsatzgruppen 5 headquarters was in Skvyra ( head is Standartenfuhrer SS Schultz).  At the morning September 20, 1941 ( from another sources September 21, 1941) Jews were gathered near school on Bogachevskogo Street and shot in 3 pits on Jewish Cemetery. At that day were killed approximately 850 Jews. Building was constructed on mass grave. Second “action” took place at October 17, 1941 – 170 Jews were killed near stable of Raipotrebsouz. Last mass killings took place at November 19, 1941 and December 20, 1941.

Skvira was liberated by Soviet Army at December 29, 1943. During Holocaust there were killed 1230 Jews.

According to the head of Skvyra’s Jewish community, there were mass shootings of Jews in the area of the market, the secondary school and in Bannaya Street.

Skyvra’s remaining Jewish population was about 1,000 after the War and fell to about 500 by 1960. It has continued to decline, and in 2009 numbered 128.

Persons

Rabbi Itzhak of Skver, Menahem Nohum Tversky’s grandson (1812, Chernobyl – 1895, Skvyra), the founder of the Hasidic dynasty in Skvyra.

Ahad ha-Am

The Hasidic court of the Chernobyl dynasty was established in Skvyra at the beginning of the 1840s by Rabbi Itshak of Skver (1812-1885), one of the younger sons of Rabbi Motele Twersky (1770-1838). After Rabbi Itshak’s death, the court was headed by his son, Rabbi Avraam Yegoshua Geshel of Skver (1826-1886), and then by Rabbi Avraam’s son, Rabbi Moshe Dan of Skver (? – Kiev, 1920) and by his son, Rabbi Itshak of Skver (Skvyra, 1886 – Tel-Aviv, 1986). In the 1920s, after the pogroms, many Skver Hasids left Skvyra. The Skver Hasidic dynasty has continued to exist and grow in number in the United States, notably in the New Square (anglicisation of New Skvir) township in Rockland County, New York. After 1991, many Skver Hasids returned to Skvyra; in 2004 the synagogue and the tzaddik’s court were restored; there is now a hotel for Hasidic visitors in the tzaddik’s former residents.

Margulis David Lvovich

Ahad ha-Am, writer and publicist (pen-name meaning “one of the people”; real name Asher Hirsh Gintsberg) (1856, Skvyra – 1927, Tel Aviv).

Yosef Shapiro, Yiddish writer, the author of “Skvirer hurbn” (“Skvyra catastrophe”, 1924), “Vergangenheit” (“The Past”, short stories about the Jewish pogroms in Ukraine, 1925), “Moschichische Personlichkeiten” (“Messianic Personalities”, 1931) (1902, Skvyra – 1978, Tel Aviv).

David Lvovich Margulis, Hero of the Soviet Union (Skvyra, 1914 – 1993, St. Petersburg).

Genealogy

Places

Skvira Synagogue

Synagogue was rennovated due to help of Skvira Hasidim from USA in 2000′s.

Information about cemeteries was taken from Lo-Tishkah Cemetery project web site.

Old Jewish cemetery

Ohel on Skvira Old Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery was founded at the time of the establishment of the community. It was demolished during World War II; after the war, local people used the gravestones for construction. As the brickyard adjacent to the site was expanded, the remaining gravestones were removed and taken to the area by the river bank.

The cemetery site is located next to the River Skvyra, on a hill. The ohel is located at the foot of the hill, next to a water pipeline belonging to the neighbouring brickyard which owns the cemetery land. The site is also adjacent to private dwellings.

Location: North-west area of the city, close to 32 Dzerzhinskogo street. There is an ohel at the site.

The cemetery site is undemarcated and (apart from the ohel) unmarked. It is not possible to ascertain its boundaries. It is not known whether the burial index for this cemetery is still in existence.

Tzadikim graves inside Ohel

The cemetery site is located on the territory of the local brick factory. It is unmarked and undemarcated and there are no remaining gravestones at the site. Two gravestones can be found close to the site by the bank of the river and are at risk from vegetation and water damage and weather erosion.

Three burial places were restored in the ohel; there are no epitaphs on them. According to local residents, the central burial place is that of Rabbi Itshak Tversky of Skvyra (1812-1885), the founder of the Skver dynasty; the burial places of his sons (presumably Rabbi Avraam Yehoshua Geshel and Rabbi Israel) are situated on either side. In addition, two gravestones can be found on the river bank.

One among last gravestones on Jewish Cemetery

They were previously used by local people and were bought back by the Chairman of the Skvyra Jewish community Yefim Davidovich Shvartsburd.

Inscription on the oldest gravestone:

פ איש נ
חשוב מ נחמיה
בר אפרים נפ ז
אלול תרנה תנ
צבה האמערע[ז]

(Trans. Here lies an important man, Mister Nehemiya, the son of Efraim. Died on 7 Elul 5655. May his soul be tied in the knot of life. Gomere [z]).

New Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery was established in late 19th/early 20th century

The cemetery is adjacent to residential property, gardens and a football field. It is very close to Skvyra Old Jewish Cemetery and Skvyra Mass Grave (see IDs 10144 and 11813 respectively).

Enterance to New Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery is surrounded by a concrete wall, with a large iron gate at the entrance. The gate features a Star of David and two menorahs. The cemetery area is approximately 165m x 105m.
The cemetery is identifed, securely demarcated and generally well-maintained. However, there are some problems with weather erosion and excessive vegetation in the older section.
Date Of The Oldest Known Gravestone: 1880 – Khaya Feyga

The cemetery’s gravestones are well-maintained; none are broken or damaged. Inscriptions are in Russian, Hebrew and Yiddish. Gravestones are tablet-shaped and made from granite, sandstone and marble. A number have portraits.

New Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery history: It is thought that the oldest section of the cemetery belongs to the pre-war period (1920s – 1930s). The tombstones in this section were destroyed during the war and later looted by local people. This land, on which no gravestones remain, is still part of the cemetery. A new section (near the entrance) was opened in 1945. Two old tombstones dating from 1880 and 1913 have been preserved in the old section (perhaps brought from the old cemetery).

Holocaust Mass graves

I find photo of 2 Holocoust Mass graves in Internet and plane to get more information about this in future.

Mass killing site memorial in Skvira New Jewish Cemetery

Mass killing site memorial in Skvira New Jewish Cemetery

Skvira Holocoust Mass Grave

Radomishel (Yiddish), Radomishl, Radomyszl, Radomyschl (German), Radomyshl’ (Ukrainian), Radomysl’ (Russian), Radomyśl (Polish)

Radomyshl (Ukrainian: Радомишль, translit., Radomyshl’) is a historic city in the Zhytomyr Oblast (province) of northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Radomyshl Raion (district), and is located on the left bank of Teteriv River, a right tributary of Dnieper River.

In 1897 Radomyshl was a city with large Jewish community – 7502 persons (69% of total population) which is one of the biggest in Kiev Gubernia after Berdichev (41617 Jews), Kiev (31801 Jews), Uman (17943 Jews), Belaya Tserkov (18720 Jews), Cherkassy (10950 Jews) and Skvira (8908).

Jews have lived in Radomyshl since XVI century. During the Khmelnytsky upraising was plunder and Jewish population exterminated. After this Jews began to settle in Radomyshl only in first part of XVIII century.

In 1750 Haidamak’s squad ransacked house of Jewish tenant. In 1754 Radomyshl was plunder again – Jewish shops burned and 4 Jews were killed.

With the partition of Poland in 1793, Radomyshl was transferred to Russia, and became a district center of the Volhynia (1795) and then Kiev (1797-1925) gubernias.
In 1801 Radomyshl were 6 merchants. In 1839 hairdresser A.Lazebnik was accused of murdering a Christian girl for ritual purposes. The trial ended in defendant acquittal.
There were seven synagogues in Radomyshl at 1845. Among the Jews there were 94 merchant. Jews traded wood and wool. In 1856 there were 4 header in Radomyshl, in 1873 – one-class Jewish secondary school.

In 1878 Rabbi was Mordkhe – Yisroel Beregovskiy ( ? -1900), since 1900 – his son , Baruch-Bentzion (1867 – ? ) . In 1890 – beginning 1900′s official rabbi in was Sender Yakovlevich Grinshpun .
In 1892 there was a Jewish hospital ( head of the hospital – Zweiffel ), acted 1 synagogues and 6 Jewish prayer houses.
In the end of XIX century Hasidic court was founded by Avrom-Yehoshua-Heschel Tversky ( ? -1919 ). In 1914, the dynasty was continued by his son Enoch-Geneh ( 1886-1971 , Jerusalem).
In 1899 there were three bookstores with Jewish books. In 1900, Jews owned 2 printing house. In 1902-1904 there appeared Bund organization. At February 15, 1905 its members have organized a first strike.
In the beginning of XX many Jews left Radomyshl and emigrated to other countries. In 1904 the Radomyshl fraternity in the United States created charitable organization “Radomysler unterzitsung vereyn .” In 1908, in Radomyshl worked “Society for Child Care of the poor Jews.” In 1910 there were Talmud Torah , 3 man’s and 2 woman’s secondary schools, 12 synagogues, society for help to poor Jews, Jewish cemetery .

In 1912 there worked Jew savings and loan society. To Jews belonged a large number of stores, shops and industrial enterprises. There were 161 Jewish artisans out of a total of 198. In 1914 official Rabbi was the grandson of the Tzemach Tzedek Aron-Mendel Nokhum – Zalmanovich Schneerson (1886 – ? ). He was the owner and director of the Jewish school.

In 1913 existed Jewish Hospital (doctor Tzveyfel Kas. Leyz.). Head of the Jewish 2-grade spesialized school was Krivoglaz Avr. Bor, teachers – Fainberg Nauk Solomonovich, Eidenzon Abr. Gr., Zabyalotskiy Mark Aaron., Labynskiy Ef. Osip., Gercenshteyn Is. Nat., Grishenko Andrey Pavlovich, school doctor - Tzveyfel Kas’yan Lazarovich.

Pogroms took places in Radomyshl at February 18, 1919 and March 12-13, 1919 arranged by military units of Directory, at 23-31 March 1919 – by Sokolowski gang. In May 1919, the Sokolovsky gang organized in Radomyshl another pogrom when about 400 Jews were killed and several thousands escaped to other cities and towns.

Here I find description of small episode of a great Jewish grief:

On JDC web site were mentioned few Jewish institutions in the beginning of 1920′s – 6 schools and 2 workshops (here), Home for aged Jews (here).

In 1920 there acted 6 synagogues. In 1928 there were about 80 pupils in heders. In 1926 Radomyshl Rabbi B.Beregovsky participated in the Congress of the rabbis in Korosten. In the 1930’s there was closed synagogue. In the end of 1930’s were closed Jewish school. In 1926 there were 4,637 Jews (36 percent of the total population) in Radomyshl, their number declining by 1939 to 2,348 (20 percent of the total population).

Radomyshl was occupied by Wehrmacht at July 9, 1941. Approximately 72-73% of pre-war Jewish population haven’t evacuated and stay in city. Ghetto was established according to order of military administration. All Jews were resettled  on one street where 15 persons were crowded per room (here were deported Jews from surrounding areas too). They were prohibited to buy food and leave ghetto territory. Ukrainians were prohibited to help Jews. Jews were required  to ware bandage on his left hand with yellow David star.

Jewish mans were forced to slavery labor and undergo beatings and humiliation by local police.

At August 5, 1941 Radomyshl commandant  asked  Sonderkommando 4a to “clean up city”. Arrived regiment killed 113 people (number of Jews among them is unknown but they were a majority). In several days this command killed 163 Jews, party functionary and komsomol members.

At Standartenfuhrer SS Paul Blobel ordered to liquidate ghetto and on September 6 a unit of Sonderkommando 4A murdered 1,107 adults, and the Ukrainian auxiliary police murdered 561 children.

Radomyshl was liberated by Red Army at November 14, 1943.

In Soviet times Jews were prohibited from gathering at the graves, since the militia claimed that for them to do so was to cause a “demonstration.” Jews were also forbidden to erect a monument to the dead. In 1970 the Jewish population was estimated at about 250.

In 2013 small number of Jews lives in Radomyshl, most of them are aged people.

Genealogy

During my last trip to Uzhgorod I visited local Museum of Folk Architecture near custle. Among different wooden buildings and household constructions of XIX century stand one pisant house with David stars on the roof.

Jewish house

I haven’t recognize them unless museum caretaker point to them and said that it is “Jewish House” and belong to jewish shoemaker. On the small building’s description table I find that it was build at 1869 in village Rakoshine near Mukachevo and was bought during museum creation from peasant Kotsiban at 1969. On the door jamb were find lightly recognizable mark of destroyed mezuzah… It is obviously that last house owner was a Ukrainian and many unanswered questions appear in that moment.

What happened with last Jewish inhabitans of this house? Are they still laying in unknown grave near their native village or turned into Aushwitz ash together with other 600 000 Hungary Jews in 1944? May be they were lucky to emmigrate and make old bones in USA or another country? I don’t think so, 90% of Carpathian Ruthenia haven’t survived in flame of Holocaust, especially rural inhabitans…

Trace of destroyed mezuzah 

David starts on the roof

Naroditch (Yiddish), Naroditschi (German), Narodychi (English), Narodyci, Bolshie Narodichi, Narodycze (Polish), Народичи – Narodichi (Russian), Народичі – Narodychi (Ukrainian)

Narodichi is a city (since 1958) , regional center in the Zhytomyr region (Ukraine), known from XV century. In XVI-XVIII centuries – shtetl in Ovruch povit of Kyiv province within the Commonwealth , became a part Russia Empire in 1793. In the XIX – early XX century – in Ovruch district of Volyn province . In the 1930‘s  the center of the Jewish national district .

First mention of Jewish community in Narodichi dated by 1683.

 In 1875  Rabbi in Narodichi at 1875 was Elia-Leib Juravel (1847 – ? ) .

The main occupation of Jewish population in XIX – early XX century were crafts and trade . Jews owned by the only storage of pharmaceutical goods , the two bakeries, all 9 hotels , mill and 44 shops in Narodichi ( all 24 grocery shops, all 3 meats and all 9 manufacture shops , the only shoe store) . The only one dentist in Narodichi was a Jew. At that time began emigration of Jewish population to USA and another Western countries.

At January 13, 1919 Stroock and Lazenyuk gangs crushed Jewish homes and get 20 000 rubles of indemnity.

I find this report on JDC-website, it gives good description of Jewish population state in Narodichi in the 1920’s 

Report on Narodichi, Volyn Gubernia

Nahum and Mordehai Vaisblat. Main Rabbis of Zhitomir and Kiev. Born in Narodichi

Narodiсhi is in the Ovruch yezd and situated in fifty versts from the railway Korosten station. Before the pogroms it had a total population of 4000, of whom 2500 were Jews. At present the population is the same.
In 1919 Harodichi suffered from a number of pogroms at the hands of various bands, which resulted in 15 being murdered and 13 wounded. Almost all of the movable property was pillaged and robbed. The town now has 20 widow, 20 full orphans, 50 half orphans and 30 invalids.
Formerly Narodichi was a lively trading town. It had 50 tanneries, 70 shops and there were several sawmills near the town, all of which enabled the inhabitants to warn a decent livelihood. At present there are only nine tanneries in operation, the saw mills are not working and only 17 shops are open.

Existed institutions:
Jewish Public School

Narodichi enterpreneurs in 1913

5 Photos

Jewish Public Schools Started in 1920 by Narobraz, and is maintained from funds collected from the Jews. 146 children receive instruction here, ranging in age from 7 – 13. 7 from them are full orphans , 27 half orphans and 112 with parents living. The majority of children come from very poor family. The school is badly in need of school supplies and equipment.

General Professional – Technical School
It has two divisions-building and woodcutting. The school is supervised by the Gubernia Professional Bureau. There are 37 pupils from 15 to 20 years of age, of whom 22 are Jews. The school is need of appliances, stationary and some funds for the organization of a scientific cabinet.

 

Basya-Rahuma Shloimovna Lerman. Photo made in Narodichi. From Archiv of Kiev Judaica Institute

Medical
There is a hospital which is supervised by the Yezdzrav and receives funds from the District Ispolkom. The premises of the hospital are suitable for its purposes. It has 30 beds, 10 for infectious diseases, 5 for surgical, 7 for gynecological and 8 for therapeutical. There is a lack of linen, and it does not receive an adequate amount of food. Connected with the hospital is a dispensary, which takes care from 15 to 20 persons daily. Medicaments are delivered free of charge only to members of Processional Unions. In November, 1922, hospital received 9 blankets, 17 pairs of slippers and some medical supplies from the ARA.
The hospital is need of repairs, organization of bathing facilities, room for disinfection and foodstuffs.

 

Agricultural
About 25 families work from four to five dessiatins of land each, a total of 117 dessiatins. Most of the agriculturists are former primitive workers, tanners, and traders who have taken to the soil. Some of them have live stock, but almost no equipment. This group at one time intended to organize a colony on their land, which is situated about four versts from the town, but the civil war and pogroms prevented them from carrying this plan into effect. They have received the following from the ORT: 2 plows, 163 poods of oats, 2 cultivators, 29 poods of barley, 2 harrows, 12 poods of buckwheat, 9 horses.

In 1925 there acted “He – Halutz” movement. In 1925 Jews from Narodichi founded collective farm “Red worker ” (102 persons) in Kherson Jewish agricultural district.

In the 1920’s – 1930’s many Jews left Narodichi and resettled to Kiev and other big cities of Soviet Union.

First “action” Holocaust Mass grave in Narodichi. From atomsofremembrance.org.ua

Narodichi was occupied by Wehrmacht at August 22, 1941. Locals began to robber Jewish property from the first day of occupation.  Head of a police became Hrenovskiy.

At August 28, 1941 the Germans together with local Ukrainian nationalists, who showed where Jews lives, began to cast them out. Babies were left to lonely old men.

All Jews were herded into a country club – House of Culture and Ukrainian nationalists beat them on the way to this building. There they were registered and posted in separate rooms:  men, women and children.

At ten o’clock August 29, 1941  fifty men from the club were forced to dig a big pit outside of town. After police lunch, men and then women from club began take out. Before landing on cars Jews were mercilessly beaten by sticks. Car moved people to prepare pit where all were shot. In the afternoon rain started and alive  children were released. In that terrible day were killed up to 600 (from some sources among them were 250 children and 4 teachers). Only feeble old men, some women and children stay alive – only two hundred and fifty persons.

Second “action” Holocaust Mass grave on Jewish Cemetery in Narodichi

All remained Jews were moved to one street (ghetto) not far from local police. Conditions were terrible and almost every day some person die, especially children. Second “action” took place at November 16, 1941 when all remaining Jews (370 people) were shot at the territory of Jewish Cemetery, children were killed and buried in separated mass grave. Massacre was organized and carried out only by local Ukrainian police without participation of German troops.

Details about Holocaust in Narodichi were taken from memoirs of Semen Fridman.

Narodichi was liberated by Red Army

at November 11, 1943.

For crimes again Jews were convicted head of police Hrenovskiy (shot), Kostruba (25 years in prison), brothers Bessmertniy (25 and 10 years). But many killers fled and were not punished.

After the WWII about 100 Jews returned to Narodichi.

Gate to Narodichi Jewish Cemetery

The Chernobyl disaster in 1986 had an extremely negative impact on all spheres of life in Narodychi. According to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine dated July 23, 1991 Narodichi was evacuated and was one of the worst hit areas by the radiation, affecting some 93,000 people in the Narodichi town and surrounding raion, 20,000 of which were children.^[This led to the cessation of all industrial enterprises and one of two secondary schools were closed. On the streets of Narodichi are many abandoned houses and dilapidated buildings of educational and medical institutions, etc. In 2005 small number of Jews lived in Narodichi .

Vital functions of the town however are gradually being established and in 2013 there lives about 2500 people.

Places

Jewish Cemetery

Jewish woman near Mass Grave in Narodichi, 1950′s. Is it grave outside town or on the Jewish Cemetery?

Located at the north-western part of the settlement. It was founded in the end of XIX century and acted during all XX century. Holocaust memorial monument was erected there in 2012.

At this site I found information that during second “action” in November 16, 1941 children were killed and burried in separate grave. Jews marked this place after the war by small wooden house which was surrounded by metal fence. Time destroy this monument and unknown people stole the fence. According to information in article at 2011 this grave was still unmarked on the cemetery.

Holocaust Mass grave

Grave locates in 1 km to the north, near the road to Norinci village. Memorial was erected in 2005 for the cost of Kharkov businessman Feldman.

Lipin Pavel Grigorevich (1941-2013)

Today died Lipin Pavel Grigorevich.

For many years he was a Head of Priluki Jewish Community, conducted Jewish Holidays, oraganized sunday school for children and Yiddish classes for adults, organized Jewish cemetery cleaning, renovation of Holocaust mass grave in Pliskunovka Ravine and many many other things for Priluki Jewish community.

RIP

I have decide to create one page with the list of all Tzadikim graves in Ukraine because can find such information in one place in one language. Information will be published in blocks devided by regions.

Kiev and Chernigov regions

• Chernobyl

Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twerski of Chernobyl and 4 tzadiks of his dynasty (can assume that 3 of them are Menachem Nochum’s grandson Aharon (1787–1872) and two Aharon’s sons Yitzhak Meshullam Zusya (? – 1881)  and Baruh Asher (?-1905)).
Rabbi Menachem Nochum Twerski (born 1730, Narynsk, Volhynia – died 1797, Chernobyl) -  founder of the Chernobyl Hasidic dynasty.

• Gornostaipol

Rabbi Mordechai Dov (1839-1903), son of the sacred Rabbi Meshulam Zushe Yitzhak. The old cemetery was demolished in the late 1950s – early 1960s. Until the 1990s, the place was empty. In the 1990s, a village club building was under construction but was never finished. In the 1990s, at the supposed site of the grave of Rabbi Mordechai Dov Tverskoy (d. 1903), Hassidim erected an ohel. According to Meylekh Sheykhet, however, the site was incorrectly determined. The exact site is not yet known.

• Ignatovka

Rabbi Mordechai Twerski (b. 1770, Chernobyl – d. 1837, Ignatovka) – Son of rabbi Menachem Nochum Twerski of Chernobyl. Died here on the way to Kiev. Entry to the ohel can be gained by arrangement with the caretaker (+380-67-7291508).

• Kiev

Shlomo Benzion Twerski (1870-1939), Ohel located on Kurenevka Jewish cemetery

• Fastov

Rabbi Abraham ha-Malah, the son of Rabbi Dov Ber from Mezhirichi.
Rabbi Israel Polotzker(? – 1782), one of the first students of Rabbi Dov Ber.

• Makarov

Rebbe Menachem Nachum Twerski (1805, Chernobyl – 1852, Makarov), founder of Makarov Hasidic dynasty,  the first son of the second Chernobyl rebbe. Cemetery was destroyed in 1970’s. On Lo-Tishkah web-site mentioned that “grave of well-known rabbi” was found in 2000’s and ohel has been erected at this site.

• Belaya Tserkov

Graves were destroyed during WWII and territory build up after the war. Exact location is unknown.
The sign on the symbolic ohel reads as follows (translation from Hebrew):
The territory around the ohel, including the military buildings, is part of the Jewish cemetery where many of our brothers from the people of Israel are buried, among them – the children of the temple of Besht: *Rabbi Abraham Polotsker, may we be protected by his merits; *the author of the book “Hesed le-Avraam”, a friend of Besht, Rabbi Moshe, may we be protected by his merits; *Rabbi Chaim, may we be protected by his merits. The pupils of Besht: *Rabbi Aaron Shmuel haKohen, may we be protected by his merits, the author of the book “Ve-tsiva ha-kohen”, The pupil of Maggid from Mezhyrich. “… the place you are standing at is the Holy Land’ (Ex. 3:5)).

• Skvira

Rabbi Itshak Tversky of Skvyra (1812-1885), the founder of the Skver dynasty; and two his sons (presumably Rabbi Avraam Yehoshua Geshel and Rabbi Israel)

• Tarasha

Rabbi Raphael of Bershad’ (1751-1827) - a student of Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz, a student of the Besht.

• Nezhin

Rabbi Dov-Ber Schneerson (1773 -1827) second Lubavitcher Rebbe

Cherkassy and Poltava regions

• Gadyach 

Shneur Zalman of Liady (1745 – 1812) -  founder and first Rebbe of Chabad, a branch of Hasidic Judaism.

• Cherkassy

Rabbi Jakob Israel Twerski (? – 1874 ). State of the grave is unknown

• Rotmistrovka

Rabbi Yohanan Tversky (1812, Chernobyl – 1895, Rotmistrovka) – the eighth son of Rabbi Mordechai of Chernobyl, the grandson of the founder of the Chernobyl Hassidic dynasty, Rabbi Menachem Nohum Ben Tzvi.

• Shpola

Rabbi Yehudah Aryeh Leib ben Boruch (Saba from Shpola), also known as Shpoler Zeide (1725-1812) –a famous tzadik, a student of Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz, an opponent of Rabbi Nahman of Bratzlav.

• Uman

Most famous Jewish grave in Ukraine. Rosh Reb Nachman of Bratslav (April 4, 1772 – October 16, 1810), was the founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement. Many Ukrainians assumed that all ukrainian Jews are celebrating Rosh Hashanah in Uman

• Talnoe

Rabbi Duvidl Tversky (1808-1882) – a chassidic rebbe and renowned Talmudic scholar, one of the eight sons of Rabbi Mordechai Tversky, the grandson of Rabbi Nohum Tversky (Magid of Chernobyl).

Zhitomir and Rovno regions

• Berdichev 

Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (1740–1809) was a Hasidic leader. Grave of one another tzadik (Makarov dynasty) is located on a same cemetery but I haven’t find his name.

• Zhitomir

Rabbi Aharon from Zhitomir, a student of Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov

• Valedniki

Rabbi Yisroel Dov Ber (1789-1850) –  son of Rabbi Yosef of Vilednik, author of the book Shearis Yisroel, prominant tzadik and miracle worker, primary disciple of Rabbi Mottel of Chernobyl.

• Novograd-Volinskiy

Іehіl-Mіhel Goldman (1788-1856) second Rabbi in Zvil dynasty and his son (third Rabbi) Mordechai Goldman (1825-1900). Grave of dynasty founder Moshe Goldman (? -1837), son of Іehіl Mіhel Goldman from Zlotchev was demolished in the middle of XX century.

• Mlinov

Rabbi Aaron Perlov (1802-1872) – prominent Rabbi of Carlin-Stolin dynasty

• Ostrog

Shmuel-Eliezer Edels (1555 - 1632) – Talmud commentator

Khmelnitska and Vinnitsa regions

• Medzhibozh

Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760) -  founder of Hasidic Judaism

• Polonnoe

Rabbi Jacob Joseph of Polonne (1710–1782) and Yehuda Arie-Leib (? -1770)

• Shepetovka

Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz (1728 - 1790) one of the pillars of the Chassidic movement. Grave of his son Mordehai located beside.

• Slavuta

Rabbi Moshe Shapiro (1758 – 1838) – son of  Pinhas of Korets, legendary founder of Slavuta printing press; and Rabbi Meir - grandson of Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev

• Annopol

Rabbi Dov Ber (- 1772) successor to the Baal Shem Tov, leader of the Chassidic movement and teacher of Rabbi Schneur Zalman. Rabbi Meshulam Zusya Annopolsky (? -1800) and Yeguda-Leib Kohen  are burring here too.

• Pogrebishe

Rabbi Shalom Shachna and his son Avrom – father and older brother of famous Rabbi Isroel from Ryzhin

• Bratslav

Nathan Sternharz (1780–1845), disciple of Rabbi Nahman

• Shargorod

Shargorod Rabbis Naftali-herz and Avraam (? – 1760). According to stories record by An-sky ethnographic expedition before WWI, on Old Jewish Cemetery were few tzadikim graves which were an objects of mass pilgrimage, name one of them – Leib. Condition of these graves is unknown.

• Verhovka

Didn’t find exact information but according to famous book “100 Shtetls in Ukraine” it is a grave of Besht close friend Rabbi Shmerl (?-1765) 

• Bar

Rabbi David Leykis (? – Nissan 21, 1799) – Besht disciple, head of rabbinical Court in Bar. Cemetery was destroyed during WWII and territory was development after the war. Grave location is unknown.

• Komargorod

Malka, lived in the middle of XVIII century, follower of Baal Shem Tov. Unique place in Ukraine because it is a grave of a woman.

• Yampol

Ichil Mikhl of Zolochev (1725-1785). I haven’t find photos of the grave. No ohel was at cemetery in 2012.

• Shpikov

Menachem Nachum (? – 1886) and his son Mordechai.
Rabbi Moshe Aryeh Zelberfarm and Rabbi Nachum-Aaron – wooden Ohel was standing on their’s graves in the end of 1980′s but in 2012 expedition haven’t find it.

• Chechelnik

Moshe Zvi Giterman of Savran 

• Zinkov

All members of Zinkov tzadikim dynasty are burried there – Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Heshel (1775-1855) with wife, his son Rabbi Meshulam Zusya (1814-1866), grandson Rabbi Chaim Menachem (? – 1894) and great grandson Rabbi Moshe (? – 1923).
Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Heshel was a son of famous Apter-Rebe.

• Kupyn 

Rabbi Aaron of Kupyn, disciple of Rabbi Pinchas of Koretz

Ternopil region

• Husyatin 

In 2007 on the territory of demolished Jewish cemetery were renovated 3 symbolic tzadikim graves of Friedman family. One of them Mordehai Friedman (1834- 1894) founder of  Husyatin Hasidim Dynasty and his son  Shalom Iosef.

• Chortkov

Rabbi David Moshe Fridman of Ryzhin (1827, Ryzhin -1904, Chortkov) – first Rebbe of Chortkov dynasty

• Berezhany

Shalom Mordechai Hakoen (? -1630) first Rabbi in Berezhany.
Ohel stand on the Jewish cemetery, I don’t know for sure but assume thatMeshulam Shraga Fayvіsh Galperіn (1810-1874) founder of Berezhany Hasidim Dynastyburried here.

• Podgaitsy

Rabbi Aaron Solnik (?-1620) – rabbi in Podgaitsy (1580-1620), encryption on the grave made in Ukrainian that is unique case.

Bracław (Polish), Bratzlav, Bratslaw, Brazlaw, Braclav, Broslev, בראָסלעוו (Yiddish), Браслав – Braslav (Formerly), Брацлав (Ukrainian), Брацлав – Bratslav (Russian)

Bratslav is a townlet in Ukraine, located in the Nemyriv Raion of Vinnytsia Oblast, by the Southern Bug river. It is a medieval European city which dramatically lost its importance during the 19th-20th centuries.

Bratslav was founded in 1362 by duke of Lithuania Algirdas. A Jew leased the collection of customs duties in Bratslav in 1506, and it appears that a Jewish settlement developed in the town from that time. In 1545 the Jews were exempted from the construction of roads “so that they could travel on their commercial affairs.” The Jews underwent much suffering during the attacks of the Tatars on the town during the 16^th century (especially in 1551).

Bratslav market square on old post card

At the beginning of the 17^th century, commercial relations were maintained between the Jews of Bratslav and those of Lvov. In the Councils of the Lands, Bratslav was attached to the “Land of Russia,” of which Lvov was the principal community.

In 1635 King Ladislas IV confirmed the rights of the Jews of Bratslav. At the time of the Chmielnicki massacres, a number of Jews from Bratslav were murdered in Nemirov and Tulchin, where they had taken refuge. The community, however, was reconstituted soon afterward. In 1664, when the Cossacks invaded the land on the western side of the Dnieper River, they massacred the Jews in Bratslav.

Between September 7, 1802, and October 16, 1810 (date of his death), Rabbi Naḥman of Bratslav lived in the town, and it became an important ḥasidic center during this period. His disciple, Natan Steinherz, set up a Hebrew press in the town in 1819 and published the works of his teacher. At the end of that year, the authorities closed down the press after they had been approached by informers.

The community numbered 101 according to the census of 1765 (195 including Jews in the surrounding areas) and 221 in 1790 (398 including those in the surrounding areas). After Bratslav’s incorporation into Russia (1793), 96 Jewish merchants and 910 townsmen lived in the district in 1797. The Jewish population numbered 3,290 according to the census of 1897 (43% of the total population).

Bratslav entrepreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directory by 1913. Part 1

Bratslav entrepreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directory by 1913. Part 2

In the beginning of the 19^th century, most of the industrial enterprises and workshops in the town were owned by Jews, Nearly all the shops also belonged to Jews and all the dentists and midwives were Jews. Community has one synagogue and 6 prayer houses. In 1909 head of Jewish Community was Rabbi Avraam-Yakov Rabinovich (1882 – ?).

In 1913 official Rabbi was Olshanskiy Abraham Davidovich. At the same time in Brayslav existed Jewish proffesional school (owner Soliternik).

During Revolution Jews of Bratslav heavily suffered from numerous pogroms. Below is a not full list…
First pogrom in Bratslav was organized by soldiers of Cuban regiment at January 1918. It was stopped by selfdefense unit headed by WWI veteran Samuel Meyerovich Spector.
May 7, 1919: local teacher and priest together with peasants organized pogrom which continued 2 days. Among killed Jews were members of famous families Soliterman, Averbah and Umanskiy.
July 13, 1919: Lyahovich’s gang performed pogrom when more than 100 jews were killed.

July 15, 1919: During ataman Sokol’s gang pogrom were captured, tortured and killed respected members of Jewish Community I.Kagan, H. Dyak, I. Kohen, B. Leibeshkis and S. Zan. Huge indemnity was taken.
August 17, 1919: In a result of pogrom organized by Tutunnik gang were killed 9 Jews.
August 1919: In a result of pogrom were killed 350 Jews and 60 Old Believers.
April 1920: In a result of Volinets gang pogrom were killed 2 Jews and huge indemnity was taken.

Between May 1919 and March 1921, there 14 pogroms in Bratslav, over 200 Jews were killed, 600 children became orphans, and 1,200 people were left without livelihoods. As a result of the pogroms, many Jews left for the bigger towns.

This JOINT report dated by April 25th, 1923 I find here.

Bratslav, which was formerly an Uezd City, is at present a town belonging to the Tulchinsky District.

	Before pogrom	Present time
No. of inhabitants	12000	10000
Jews	4000	2500
Jewish houses	300	195
Jewish Shops	120	70

Bratslav brewery. Beginning of XX century.

Bratslav, which some time ago was a large and lively centre of an extensive territory, represents at present a deserted and poor town. This may be explained chiefly by the fact that all the bandits operating in the Podolskaya Gubernia made frequent raids upon this town. Many pogroms took place in Bratslav, but their number cannot be fixed precisely; there were 11 registered pogroms, but the actual number is much greater and the Jewish population lived during three years in an atmosphere of everlasting pogroms.

No. of persons killed during the pogroms	350
No. of destroyed houses	105
No. of widows	168
No. of orphans	54
No. of half-orphans	84
No. of persons having lost capacity for work	43

The number of persons who died from epidemic diseases has not been established. The Jewish population has lost its property. The number of refugees from other, completely destroyed places is 15 families.

Grave of Yankel Soliterman, his wife Rahel and son Volko who were killed during pogrom in 1919

The surviving Jewish population of Bratslav, amounting to 2500 persons, cannot be considered as belonging at present to any active social group. The trade of the town is but poorly developed; the artisans have also very little work. Therefore the town is still in acute need of systematic relief from social organizations. Up to the present time, there were actually no relief organizations in Bratzlav.

The Evobshestcom has organized one Children’s Home for 64 orphan children. In January, 1923, the Home was out off from Government support and now it is subsidized exclusively by the JDC through the Sovobkom and by the ARA.

The home is in need of repairs; also additional equipment, also additional equipment, viz. beds, furniture, plates and dishes, kitchen utensils. The amount of dotting, underwear and shoes for the children is very small and the stock of clothing on hand dose not even cover 50% of the requirements of this Home.

The supply of the Home with food stuffs has also to be arranged regularly. It must be pointed out that the children (46) are afflicted with the itch and 15 with Favus. In general, favus is largely spread among the Jewish children in Bratzlav and the Uesdrav has taken up the question of opening a special Children’s Home in Bratzlav for favus-infected children. However, due to the lack of funds, this plan has as yet not been carried out.

Soliterman mill on the Bug River. Pre revolution post card

The Jewish School which existed in Bratslav up to the end of 1922, is at present closed, sad the majority of the Jewish children of this town are deprived of any pedagogical supervision. It is most indispensable to reopen this closed school.

There are 138 uncared for orphans in Bratslav. It is therefore necessary to organize an open Children’s Home for 138 Children.

There are 2 medical institutions in this town: a District Hospital of the Uezdrav for 15 patients which does not extend medical aid to the pogrom stricken population, in view of the fact that it is situated at a considerable distance from the town, and one Dispensary of the Evobshestcom. It is necessary to supply the latter with additional equipment and medicaments, and to pay the personnel, without this, the dispensary will have to be closed, and the pogromized population will have no medical aid whatever. However, even in case of providing the Dispensary with all this necessaries for its normal work, the question of extending to the pogromized population continued medical treatment, must be considered as urgent.

Soliterman mill. View from Jewish Cemetery

The Sanitary conditions and conditions of living quarters in Bratzlav require a speedy solution of this question. The bath in Bratzlav is quits destroyed and requires repairs.

It is also necessary to open a Home for Aged for 50 persons in Bratslav.

Besides the regular subvention issued by the JOINT to the Children’s Home in Bratslav, the latter organization has distributed in that place 32 individual packages. These packages were received at the most critical time for the poor population and temporarily considerably improved the difficult financial condition of the Jewish population.

House of Shoihet (can suppose that it is house of jeweler Abraham Shoihet). Pre revolution post card

Bratslav, which is on one hand a completely destroyed place, and on the other hand concentrates a comparatively large Jewish population, (about 3500 persons) is in need of reconstruction relief along the lines of enlarging the economic activities of the population. The stoppage of trade and unemployment among the artisans may be explained at present mainly by the absence of floating capital in trade and the lack of instruments and raw materials.

In order to enable these two groups to improve their conditions, it is necessary to extend to them substantial relief in shape of credit.

However, in this particular case, this credit must be regarded as an addition to the means at the disposal of the population, but as the basic and only fund, which will be become a stimulus for the economic reconstruction of the town.

A Loan-Saving Society has already been organized at the initiative of the JOINT. The work carried on by this Society will be the most expedient form of relief to the pogromized Jewish population.

With regard to reconstruction relief, attention must also be given to the miserable living conditions in Bratslav. It is necessary to repair the Jewish houses in Bratzlav which have not been entirely destroyed.

The population dropped to 1,504 in 1923, rose to 1,840 in 1926, and dropped again to 1,010 in 1939 (total population 3,974).

Bratslav Jewish Cemetery

During the 1920s, many Jews worked as artisans but faced discrimination in their unions. The local government refused to grant land to Jews who asked to organize a farm cooperative. During the early stages of Soviet rule Jews in Bratslav engaged mostly in commerce and crafts. After the abolition of private enterprise many Jews became factory workers or clerks. In the 1920s and 1930s Bratslav had a Yiddish school. In the interwar period many Jews, especially younger ones, left Bratslav in search of further educational and job opportunities.
In 1939 Bratslav’s 1,010 Jews comprised 25.4 percent of the town’s total population.

Building on the territory of the brewery which was given to Jewish Community for reconstruction in Synagogue. Photo by 2011.

Many Jews succeeded in leaving Bratslav before it was occupied by German and Romanian forces on July 22, 1941. Soon after the start of the occupation Jews were forced to wear yellow Stars of David on their clothes. The killings of Jews also started during the first weeks of the occupation.

In September 1941 the town became part of the Romanian occupation zone of Transnistria and Jewish deportees from Bessarabia and Bukovina were transported to it. About 750 Jews from Bratslav itself and from the County were imprisoned in the ghetto, which they were permitted to leave once a week to obtain water and to buy food at the local market. Inmates of this ghetto were maltreated, robbed of their possessions, incarcerated, forced to perform various types of hard labor, and were shot. During the night between December 31, 1941 and January 1, 1942 most of the inmates of the Bratslav ghetto were sent to the Pechora death camp, although some Jews were left in Bratslav to carry out road construction work.

Monument to Bratslav Jews killed during Holocaust. Bratslav Jewish Cemetery

In February 1942 about 20 Bratslav Jews, mostly children and elderly people, were shot. In the spring of 1942 some of the Jews who had initially been left in Bratslav were also transferred to the Pechora camp; several of them were shot on the way. In the Pechora camp many of the prisoners died from starvation, disease, and the cold or were shot by guards while trying to escape.

In 1942 some of the inmates were transferred from Pechora to a labor camp in Zarudintsy, north of Bratslav.
Jewish deportees from Bukovina and Bessarabia and from various regions of Ukraine were incarcerated in two camps established in Bratslav in August 1942 to provide labor for German construction firms. Most of the inmates of the camps in Bratslav were murdered in several murder operations in 1942-1943.

The Red Army liberated Bratslav on March 17, 1944. At liberation only 200 Jews from Ukraine and 20 or 30 Jews from Bukovina and Bessarabia remained alive in Bratslav…

In 1989 there were 137 Jews in the town and in 1993 only 71. In 1995 a monument to those murdered in the Holocaust was erected in the local cemetery.

Holiday celebrating in Bratslav Jewish Community. Photo 2010′s

Now in Bratslav lives ~50 Jews. Head of community is Faina Barishnikova and due to this energic woman community get one building on the territory of brewery and creating synagogue here, on Jewish cemetery was restored monument to Holocaust victims, small museum of Jewish Culture was created.  Jews regullary celebrating main Holidays.

Community website you can find here.

Now Bratslav is a place of regular Hasidim pilligrimage. Estamated number of Breslover Hasidim which visited Bratslav each year ~ 7000.

Now local Jewish Community planning to create monument on the place of destroyed in 1936 Old wooden Synagogue, create new monument for 50 Jews  drown by nazi in Bug river, create monument on the massacre site in forest (400 victims).

Archiv records for tracing Jewish roots from Bratslav

Places

Jewish Cemetery

Ohel on the grave of Nathan Sternharz. Photo from myshtetl.io.ua

Cemetery located on the high hill above Bug river and Soliterman mill. Most old grave is dating by 1765 with subscription “Josef son of Aaron”. Nathan Sternharz (Nathan of Breslov) was buried on this cemetery after his death at 1884. According to his will he was buried near the entrance to Jewish Cemetery and still there till our days. Ohel on the grave was renovated by Breslover Hasids in the beginning of 1990’s.

On cemetery locates big tombstone on grave of Soliterman’s family members who were killed during pogrom in 1919 and monument to Holocaust victims who were killed in Pechora and Bratslov concentration camps (erected in 1995).

Bratslav Jewish Cemetery

Nathan of Breslov (January 22, 1780 – December 20, 1844), also known as Reb Noson, born Nathan Sternhartz, was the chief disciple and scribe of Rebbe Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hasidic dynasty. Reb Noson is credited with preserving, promoting and expanding the Breslov movement after the Rebbe’s death. Rebbe Nachman himself said, “Were it not for Reb Noson, not a page of my writings would have remained.”

Sternhartz, who came from a well-to-do and Misnagdic family, met Naḥman and became his disciple in 1802, after having made disappointing visits to various other Hasidic courts. In Naḥman he found a master with the combination of seriousness of spiritual purpose and understanding of human failings that addressed his own needs. Throughout his last years, Naḥman relied heavily on Sternhartz, especially as the editor of his teachings. Although Sternhartz represented himself as Naḥman’s chief disciple, there is evidence that not all of Naḥman’s other followers, including some of his earliest disciples, accepted his leading role.

The same was true after Naḥman’s early death. Sternhartz lived in Bratslav for most of the following 35 years and led the community from there; however, some of Naḥman’s disciples stayed outside his sphere of influence. Sternhartz devoted himself fully to the task of publishing and disseminating Naḥman’s teachings and biography, recording the latter in great detail and treating the account as a sacred narrative. Sternhartz also wrote his own memoirs (Yeme Moharnat), which were published many years after his death, in 1876.

Synagogue

Building of Beit Midrash in Bratslav. Photo of 2012.

In 1913 there were 7 synagogue and prayer houses (I can assume that 1 synagogue and 6 prayer houses).

Big Synagogue was destroyed in 1936 together with ortodox church. Syangogue was very old wooden, three-stored building. According to legend Rabbi Nahman preyed in it so it was build in the end of the XVIII century or before. Building of the mikva situated next to synagogue but it not preserved. Now on the place of old wooden synagogue located wasteland.

Now exist only one building of Beit Midrash (former prayer house) in Bratslav. It is using as a residential building.

Holocaust mass graves

• Pechora Pits

According to testimonies of former inmates of the Pechora camp, on an unknown date in the first half of 1942 (in the summer of 1942, according to a report of the Soviet Extraordinary Commission) a certain SS unit murdered a large number of camp inmates, consisting mostly of children and elderly people. After being separated from the able-bodied prisoners, the victims were told they were going to Tulchin to dig peat but instead were loaded onto trucks and taken to large pits near Pechora and either shot to death or thrown into the pits alive.

• South Bug River

Monument to killed Jewish children on the bank of Bug River

In the second half of 1941 a number of inmates of the Bratslav ghetto were taken by local auxiliary policemen to the bank of the South Bug River and shot there. The bodies were thrown into the river. It is unknown how many people were murdered in this way.
On December 31, 1941 or January 1, 1942, during the deportation of the inmates of the Bratslav ghetto to the Pechora camp, about 20 Jews who had tried unsuccessfully to hide in Bratslav were caught. They were also murdered on the bank of the South Bug River and their bodies thrown into the icy water of the river. According to one testimony and to the report of the Soviet Extraordinary Commission, this murder took place in February 1942.

At February 1942 in Bug River were drowned 250 Jewish orphans selected from Bratslav orphanage. Monument was erected on this site in 1990′s. At the same place were killed 50 Jews from Bratslav ghetto.

In early 1942 three siblings with the last name Pekar were also shot near the bridge over the South Bug River and their bodies thrown into the river.

• Marksovo Forest

Monument to 15 Jewish Boys killed by nazi in 1941 on Jewish Cemetery, Rennovated in 2013.

According to the report of the Soviet Extraordinary Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes, 8 Bratslav Jews, 2 men and 6 women, who in March 1942 were being taken from Bratslav to the Pechora camp were shot at the edge of the forest near the village of Marksovo, west of Bratslav, by Romanian gendarmes.

• Marksovo Silage Pits

According to the report of the Soviet Extraordinary Commission for the Investigation of German Crimes, 4 Jews from Bratslav, three women and a child, were shot in April 1942 in silage pits outside Marksovo village, west of Bratslav, by Romanian gendarmes who were taking them to the Pechora camp.

• Grinenki Forest

Pechora camp prison’s jacket in Bratslav Jewish museum.

Apparently in the second half of 1942, about 10 or 18, according to various survivors’ testimonies, or 6, according to German documents, young Jewish inmates of one of Bratslav’s labor camps, mainly deportees from Bessarabia and Bukovina who had either tried to escape or engaged in resistance activities were murdered in the forest near the village of Grinenki, south of Bratslav.

• Bratslav Camp

According to some testimonies of former inmates of the Bratslav labor camp and to German documents, a group of Jews who tried to escape the camp, apparently in the second half of 1942 or in early 1943, were shot in a pit they were forced to dig, either right outside the camp or inside the camp itself.

• Raygorod

Son of Mariaya Tkachneko with his mother’s Righteous Among the Nations Certificate. Bratslav

The inmates of Bratslav labor camps incapable of work, mostly elderly people or children, were taken in groups over time out of the camp and shot in large pits near the town of Raygorod, northeast of Bratslav. Thus, about 200 inmates, half of them children, were shot in June 1942. Another group of between 300 and 500 Jewish inmates was taken by truck on September 21, 1942 to the vicinity of Raygorod and either shot or thrown into pits alive. The massacre was perpetrated by the SS unit that was responsible for the Gaisin section of the Road 4 construction site. In January, August and, again, in late 1943 a total of about 400 more Jewish inmates of the Bratslav camp were murdered near Raygorod. The perpetrators of these massacres were apparently also members of the same SS unit.

Bobrovitza (Yiddish), Bobrowica (Polish), Bobrowyzja (German), Бобровица – Bobrovitsa (Russian), Бобровиця (Ukrainian).

Bobrovytsia is a city (since 1958) in Chernihiv region of Ukraine. Population is 11,916 (2001). Before Revolution it was a town of Kozelec Uezd, Chernigov Gubernia.

The earliest known Jewish community was first half of 19th century. 1926 Jewish population (census) was 154.

Jewish prayer house was opened here in 1867 but I haven’t find information when it was closed and in what building was situated.  According to 1897 census there lived 671 Jews.

In Bussines Directory for 1904 mentioned next Bobrovitsya Jews: Levitanskiy Evsei Aronovich (grocery store), Mezhirov Berka Mih. (kerosene amd grocery store), Stoyanovskiy Izko Haimovich (timber), Nohotovich Haim Gershelevich (manufacture store), Roizman Izko Avraamovich (manufacture store), Drobinskiy Gersh Berkovich (grain trade), Drobinskiy Udka Berkovich (grain trade), Zhukovskiy Aizik (grain trade), Kadinskiy Nota Girshevich (grain trade), and Kramko Aaron Leizerovich (grain trade).

First pogrom happened in Bobrovitsa at October 27, 1905 when 27 Jewish shops were robbed. Total damage was estimate in 74530 rubles.

In 1912 Bobrovytsia had a Jewish savings and loan association.

In September 2, 1919 units of Denikin’s White Russian Army carried out a pogrom in Bobrovitsa, killing four Jews.

In January 2, 1920 the Romashko gang killed 38 Jews. Locals afraid to burry corps and they did it only at January 10, 1920 in 6 graves at Jewish Cemetery. I find detail description of this massacre in book by Milyakov L.B. and can sent to you if you need it.

Full list of Bobrovitsa Jews killed at January 2, 1920 by Romashko gang:

After this pogrom all Jews families escaped from Bobrovitsa to Nezhin. List of these families stores in Kiev Oblast Archiv. In 1926 Jewish population was 154 persons that show an impact of Civil War pogrom…

Former Bobrovytsia Jewish Cemeter

The Jews in Bobrovitsa were mostly artisans; others were employed in one of the village’s 28 small enterprises and one large sugar factory.

In 1939 only 122 Jews lived in Bobrovitsa, comprising 1.7 percent of the total population.

Bobrovitsa was occupied by German troops on September 15, 1941. Because the village was located on the Kiev-Moscow railway many Jewish families succeeded in leaving Bobrovitsa in time. During the German occupation of Bobrovitsa the remaining Jews, numbering at least 11, and some Jews from nearby villages were murdered by Germans, while other Jews were shot in the Nezhin prison.

A group of at least 7 Jews from Bobrovitsa was transported to the Nezhin prison and killed there in 1942 by a German murder squad. One Jew from Bobrovitsa was taken to the prison and shot there in 1943.

Bobrovitsa was liberated on September 9, 1943 by a partisan unit commanded by Bovkun. On September 18 (or September 20), 1943 the Red Army took control of the town.

Exact number of killed and survived Jews during WWII in Bobrovitsa is unknown…
In “Chernigov Region WWII memorial book” mentioned 17 killed Jews from Bobrovitsa (military and civilian).

After the war few Jewish families returned to Bobrovitsa. In 2013 no Jews lived here.

Places

The Jewish cemetery was located on the south-east outskirts of the town on Oleha Bychka Street, on the road to the village of Nova Basan’. The cemetery was demolished in the late 1980s. There is an open field at the site of the cemetery.  Location of removed stones is unknown.

According to memories of old persons before Revolution Jews lived in the center and near railway station. Jewish houses were holding in one line till the end of 2000’s when gas station was build at that place.

Most pre-revolution building in the center were wooden and destroyed in 1960’s-1970’s.

Rommy, Romen, Ромни (Ukrainian), Ромны – Romny (Russian)

Romny , city in Sumy district, Ukraine. The beginnings of a Jewish community date from the 18th century. In 1803 there were 127 Jews in the town, and in 1847 the Jews numbered 759. The community developed rapidly after the opening of the Romny-Libava railway line (1874), which became one of the important trade arteries of western Russia.

From 1863 to 1901, Eliezer Arlosorof served as the local rabbi.

Tensions arising from economic competition between Jews and Christians resulted in pogrom in 1881.

In 1897 there were 6,378 Jews in Romny (28.3% of the total population); on the eve of World War I the number was estimated at 13,400 (43 percent of the total population).

In 1901 was founded Jewish Hospital, in 1903 was opened male Jewish secondary school. Since 1905 in Romny acted Mutual Aid Society of Jewish clerks.

At October 18–19, 1905 in Romny happened pogrom. Rioters burned all Jewish shops, pharmacies, two synagogues, two printing plants, several schools and the entire Jewish part of the market, 8 people were killed and 30 injured. All night robbers openly carried Jewish property. Newspaper “Poltava”, describing the events of October 18-19, states that “the City Administration did nothing to stop the outrages.”

Rabbi Trotsky sent a telegram to Prime Minister Witte and ask for protection.

During the Second Aliyah period, the “Romny Group,” associated with Trumpeldor, which figured in the early development of the kibbutz movement in Palestine, was organized in the city.

Among founders of Degania (first Kibbutz in Eretz Ssrael which was founded at October 28, 1910) were 3 emigrants from Romny – Tanchum Tanfilev, Joseph Bloch and Israel Elkin. They left Romny in 1907.

In 1910, there were nine synagogues, Talmud Torah, 2 Jewish male secondary schools,  2 Jewish females professional schools and 3 Jewish females secondary schools, Jewish cemetery.

In 1912 there worked Jewish Savings and Loan Society, in 1913 – society benefits for the poor Jews. In 1914, Jews owned 2 pharmacies, 6 warehouses of pharmaceutical goods, bath, 2 bakeries, 4 hotels, 4 coaching inn, 2 photo workshop, the only cinematography, the only laundry, both clocks workshops, approx. 50 shops and stores (including 5 of 13 manufactories, all six notions, both jewelry, the only bookstore).

During the WWI, thousands of Jewish refugees from the battle areas led to Romny.

In 1916, Jewish soldiers from the local garrison established trench partnership.

In 1916 Rabbi in Romny was Iehezkel Grinpres. In the same there was opened  department of Lubavitch Yeshiva of “Tomhey Tmimim”. In 1917 there acted different Jewish parties, including  ”Tzeirei Zion” and “Ge-Halutz”. In 1917-1922 there worked Jewish national folk theater named by I.-L. Peretz (director – R.N.Zaslavsky). In 1918 “Culture League” opened in Romny folk primary schools (classes were conducted in Yiddish).

In 1919 Denikin’s troops organized a pogrom with loss of Jewish life and property.

Under the Soviet regime, Romny declined economically; many Jews went to work in textile factories (as a result 85% workers on factory was Jews) and on the railway.

By 1926 the number of Jews had declined to 8,593 (about 33% of the population) and dropped further to 3,834 in 1939 (15% of the total population). Jewish public life was stilled.

In 1920 acted courses for adults, department of “Evsekciya” (leader – B.I.Gordon ) , Jewish children house.
Groups of Zionists were arrested in September 1922 and in 1926.

In the first years of Soviet Union authorities attempted to expand involvement of Jewish population in agriculture activity and it was next impact on Romny:
- in 1923 was organized Jewish agricultural county (46 men and 15 women)
- in 1925 was created Jewish frontiersman collective “Rekord” (13 families)
- Jews from Romny resettled in Kherson district and organized few agriculture farms – “Novo-Ramenka”,  ”Joint Work” and others
- in 1925-1926 176 Jewish families from Romny resettled in different agriculture commune.

In 1925 with the support of the Joint in Romny worked Jewish almshouse. In 1920’s in Jewish school  enrolled 600 children. In Russian school 87% of children were Jewish; in school was organized group with the teaching on Yiddish . In 1928, 90 children were studying in heders. In 1925-1928 in Romny operated illegal Lubavitch yeshiva under management of Jacob Gurari who was arrested in 1928. All synagogues in Romny were closed in 1930’s; the last one was closed in 1938.

Romny was occupied by the Germans on September 10, 1941. Most Jewish families managed to evacuated and only 30% of pre-war Jewish population leave under Nazi occupation. During a whole period of occupation Romny was ruled by German military administration. They created administration and Police with local Ukrainians. The Jews were ordered to register, wear yellow Stars of David on their sleeves. Jews were often forced to hard labor.

In the end of October 1941, the Jews were evicted from their homes and sent to a remote two streets of the town that was fenced in with barbed wire. At November 9, 1941 Ukrainian police forced to move all Jews of Romny and Zasul’e village to 2-storey casern building on Mayakovskigi Street. On next days all Jews were escorted to Peski bowery in 2 km from city and executed in 3 ravines by members of 1st motorized infantry SS brigade (total number of victims is 1233 Jews ).  Members of mixed families weren’t killed at this day and stay alive more than 1 year. In February 1942, they were arrested and killed at June 6, 1942 in gypsum quarry near Zasul’e village. Execution was performed by members of SD “Plath” command. Only few Jews managed to escape. One Jewish girl was saved by her Ukrainian relative Olga Kirichenko.

Romny was liberated by Red Army in August 16, 1944.

Post-war Jewish community was registered in 1947 and synagogue was opened on Lunacharskogo Str.,13.
On ordinary days in synagogue were going 12-15 people and 60-70 in Holidays. Rabbi in 1947 became Berko Berkowitz Gerchukov (1881 – ?), in 1952 – Moses Davidovich Rovinskii (1883 – ?) , in 1958 – Kotlyar. Community organized matzo baking.

1959 there were about 1,100 Jews (about 3% of the total population) living in Romny.

Since 1951 prayers were held in a rented private Aronov’s house in Second Kirov bystreet.  Since 1959 Jewish community existed as unregistered.

Community was registered again in 1999 ( since 2003 Head of Community –  Elena Vadimovna Goryainova). “Heseda” department was opened here in 2001.

Persons

 
Abram Ioffe (1880, Romny –1960, Moscow) was a prominent Russian/Soviet physicist. He received the Stalin Prize (1942), the Lenin Prize (1960) (posthumously), and the Hero of Socialist Labor (1955). Ioffe was an expert in electromagnetism, radiology, crystals, high-impact physics, thermoelectricity and photoelectricity. He established research laboratories for radioactivity, superconductivity, and nuclear physics, many of which became independent institutes.

Haim Arlosoroff (1899, Romny – 1933, Tel-Aviv) was a Zionist leader of the Yishuv during the British Mandate for Palestine, prior to the establishment of the State of Israel, and head of the Political Department of the Jewish Agency. In 1933, Arlosoroff was assassinated while walking on the beach in Tel Aviv.

Pinhas Rutenberg (1879, Romny – 1942, Jerusalem)  was a Russian-born Zionist, businessman, and Jewish Nationalist in Mandatory Palestine. He played an active role in two Russian revolutions, in 1905 and 1917. During World War I, he was among the founders of the Jewish Legion and of the American Jewish Congress. Later, through his connections in the British Mandate of Palestine, he managed to obtained a concession for production and distribution of electric power and founded the Palestine Electric Company, currently the Israel Electric Corporation. A vocal and committed Jewish Nationalist, Rutenberg also participated in establishing the Haganah, the main Jewish militia in pre-war Palestine. He subsequently served as a President of the Jewish National Council.

Genealogy information

Dinewitz, Dinovits, Dunivits, Dunayevitz, Dinovitz (Yiddish), Dunajevcy, Dunaivci, Dunaivtsi, Dunaje, Dunajowce (Polish), Дунаевцы – Dunaevtsy (Russian), Дунаївці (Ukrainian)

Dunaivtsi is the capital city of Dunaivtsi Region, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine. The city is located on the river Ternavka, 22 km away from the railway station Dunaivtsi and 68 km from the Khmelnytskyi. Population is 16,448 (2001).

Beginning

Jews lived in Dunaevtsy since the XVI century. In the XVII – XVIII centuries main Jewish activity were trading, lease and crafts (there guilds of weavers, shoemakers, painters, etc.). In 1648, almost all the Jews were slaughtered by troops of Bogdan Hmelnitskiy. In the 2-nd part of XVII century community revived. In 1748 the Jews were victims of “blood libel.”

The  Jewish community numbered 1,129 in 1765, but by 1775 was  reduced to 484 as a result of the Haidamak uprising of 1768.  In 1780th  community revived again.  From the beginning of the 19th century many Jews found employment as workers, dyers, and traders in the flourishing textile industry there.

The Jewish population numbered 2,020 in 1847 and approximately 10,000 before the outbreak of World War I (about two-thirds of the total population).

In the middle of  XIX century Jews were most of tailors, cobbler’s in Dunaevtsy. Merchant Roitman opened a tobacco factory. In the 1830th 82 Jews were brought to trial for the murder of two informants who reported to the authorities of the Jews fled from compulsory military service (according to legend, 30 people died after “shpitsruten punishment”).

In 1847 there were two synagogues. In 1871-72 land for a Jewish cemetery was purchased. In 1882 there were 6 synagogues. In 1880th rabbi was Shloime Gorodok. In 1890  There were 11 synagogues, a Jewish hospital, almshouse, Talmud Torah and many cheders in Dunaevtsy.

Dunayevtsy became known as a center of Hebrew and Zionist literary and educational activity. The scholars and writers Yezkel Kaufmann, Levi Scharfstein, S.L. Blank and Abraham Rosen were born and educated there.

In 1899 the Jews rented sugar beet, refinery, distillery factories and from 1907 – iron foundry (from workers were a lot of Jews). In 1903 was opened Jewish female 3d class specialized school by Burshtatman and in 1907 male Jewish 2nd class specialized school by Gusakova.

In 1906, Jews owned two printers, leather factory and few cloth factories, as well as shops, stores, hotels, pharmacies, book shop, photography and other substances beginning.

Dunaevtsy enterpreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directories by 1904 and 1913:

After the establishment of Soviet rule the town became impoverished.  Many Jews immigrated or moved to the cities of the Russian interior.

After Civil War

In the beginning of 1920th in Dunaevtsy were illegal Bund, “Ge-Halutz” and the Zionist groups. In 1925 there were 212 Jewish families, who wanted to move to the Jewish Agricultural colony in Crimea. There were 5,186 Jews in Dunaevtsy in 1926 (60.5%  of the total).

Dunaevtsy Jewish Community money of revolution period:

Since 1931 there were Dunaevetsky Jewish village council. In the Jewish collective farm in 1933 there were 362 Jews. In 1932-33 the Jewish population suffered from hunger. Before 1936 in Dunaevtsy rabbi was Benzion Fendler.

Next photos of Dunaevtsy were made by Pavel Zholtovskiy and Stefan Taranyshenko in the 1920′s-1930′s. There you can see “classic” shtetl buildings which were destroyed in second half of XX century:

Holocaust

The Germans occupied Dunaevtsy on July 11, 1941.

Germans concentrated the local Jews and Jews from neighbouring villages in the ghetto, they were forced to pay contribution (all gold, silver and copper items). Exit from the market was allowed only one time during 1 hour in week. Every day dozens people died in ghetto.

Grave of 19 young Jews killed by Nazi in 1942

On March 11, 1942 were hang 19 young Jews. After the war they were reburied to Jewish Cemetery. Only 10 names are known…

On May 8, 1942 approximately 2300 Jews were thrown alive in the phosphate mine (this place was adviced to germans by local engeneer ). Enterance to mine was immured and nobody could get out. Three weeks people outside heard cries for help, moaning, crying dying in terrible agony. They died of thirst, hunger and suffocation.

All other Jews from ghetto was moved to second ghetto which was a labor camp. In the second half of May 1942, Jews from Balin, Velikiy Zhvanchik, Zinkov, Smotrich, Shatava were brought to ghetto. Prisonres were forced to work at railway station. After the start of epidemic Germans decide to eliminate camp.
On October 19, 1942 about 1,820 Jews from the Dunayevtsy ghetto were assembled in the ghetto square, then they were taken in 3 groups to the Solonenski forest and shot to death in sandpits.
On August 1942 were killed 2000 Jews and at October 27, 1942 were killed 1500 Jews.

Near former Jewish collective farm “Pedeks” Germans shot 68 people from mixed Jewish families.

One of the Judenrat heads, Shiko Goren, attempted to strangled one of the German soldiers, but was shot to death by Ukrainian policemen.

During the WWII in Dunaevtsy were killed more than 8000 Jews, 2500 of them were local inhabitans. All together in Dunaevtsy region were killed more than 12000.

There is only 2 lists of Holocaust victims (all there collected by members of Dunaevtsy Jewish community after WWII):
- names of 150 head of the families with mark “killed with family”
- 77 names of killed Jews.

Available lists you can download here (Special thanks for translation to Anna Roizner).

Dunaevtsy was liberated by Red Army at March 31, 1944.

After WWII

After liberation few Jewish families returned to Dunaevtsy. In 1948 there were illegal minyan.

Monument to Dunaevtsy Holocaust victims in New Montefiore Cemetery of New York.

In the honor of Dunaevtsy Holocaust victims in NEW MONTEFIORE CEMETERY of New York was erected memorial (in 1965). Initiator was United Dinewitzer Podolier Benevolent Association. Memorial Committee: Louis Meilman (hon. chairman), Harry Shein (chairman), Irving Rosen, Adolph Gellman, Max Belzer, Israel and Sonia Zipperman, Oscar Kalinowsky, Sol Zipperman, Ezzie Zutler, Julius Miller (information find here).

“In memory of the martyrs of Dinewitzer Podolier who were murdered by the Nazis and their agents during the years 1941-1945. Humanity must never forget them. We will keep their memory alive forever. May their souls rest in peace..”

In 1970s and 1980s most Jews immigrated to Israel and USA.

Jewish Community was registered in 1995.  In 2002-2004 there were exist children Jewish Sunday school with studing Hebrew and Jewish traditions. Dunaevtsy emmigrants in USA sponsored monument on the mine in Demyankivcy.

Head of Jewish Community is Roizner Tatiana Konstantinovna.

Places

Old Jewish Cemetery

Old Jewish cemetery was destroyed after WWII and Armature Plant was built on this place. Location of gravestones is unknown.

Sichenci Jewish Cemetery

This cemetery still in use. Oldest gravestones can be dated by the beginning of XX century (according to photos which I have find). There is a grave of Holocaust victims.
On the cemetery located ruins of Hevra Kadisha house.

Synagogue

The Last building of synagogue. Photo from photohunt.org.ua

Only one building of synagogue is existing in our time (there were 11 synagogues before the Revolution). it is located on the corner of Sportivna Str. and Bazarna Str. and belong to Police Department.

Jewish Ghetto during WWII

It was located at the Erysalimka region. Before the Revolution it was a living place of impecunious Jewish population.

Jewish Labor Camp

It was located on the place of current Hospital.

Demyankovtsy phosphate mine

On May 8, 1942 approximately 2300 Jews were thrown alive in the phosphate mine. They died of thirst, hunger and suffocation. Monument was erected at Soviet times. It was restored at 2003 for a money of last members of Dinewitzer Association in USA. One of them Martin Gelman visited Dunaevtsy. At 2002-2003 only in USA was only 3 members of this organization and they were ~90 years old.

Holocaust Mass grave on private courtyard

Tretiego Internacionala (Third International) St. 12, in the courtyard. Owner: A. P. Chichanovskyi. There is a memorial at the site.

Mass grave in Solonenski forest

Kamenets-Podolski, city in Khmelnitski district (until the 1950s district capital), in Ukraine.

Under the rule of Lithuania from the 14th century, and after the union with Poland (1569) under Poland-Lithuania (but for the short though important and formative interval of Ottoman rule there, 1672–99); it passed to Russia in 1795, and from then until the 1917 Revolution was capital of the province of Podolia.

Beginning

For a long time the municipality of Kamenets-Podolski prevented attempts of Jews to settle in this important trading and communications center in southeast Poland-Lithuania. In 1447 Jews were prohibited from staying there for more than three days. In 1598 King Sigismund III prohibited Jews from settling in the city and suburbs and from engaging in trade there; their visits were again restricted to three days only.

During the Chmielnicki uprising, many Jews sought refuge in the fortified city which withstood attacks by the Cossacks in 1648 and 1652. Subsequently King John II Casimir permitted Jews to reside there, and they apparently continued to live in Kamenets-Podolski despite repeated prohibitions in 1654, 1665, and 1670.

From Sefer shimush, by Ya‘akov Emden (Amsterdam, 1757 or 1758). Illustration depicting the bishop of Kamieniec Podolski, Mikołaj Dembowski, drinking in celebration after the burning of the Talmud was carried out at his order.

Under Ottoman rule Jewish settlement was permitted and grew to a considerable size. After the city’s return to Poland in 1699, the Christian citizens resumed their opposition to Jewish settlement.

In 1737 the city council submitted a request to the state and Church authorities to banish the Jews from the city, maintaining that they had no right to settle there, and were competing with the Christian inhabitants and impoverishing them. King Augustus III expelled the Jews from Kamenets-Podolski in 1750. Their houses passed to the town council and the synagogue was demolished. The expelled Jews settled in the suburbs and in nearby villages, which were under jurisdiction of Polish noblemen, and developed extensive trading activity there which led to additional complaints on the part of the citizens.
In 1725 the Council of Four Lands met in Kamenets-Podolski. In 1757 a public disputation was held by the Church in Kamenets-Podolski – enjoined by the local bishop – between the representatives of Podolian Jewry and Jacob Frank and his supporters. After it took place the Talmud was publicly burned in the city on the bishop’s orders.

After Kamenets-Podolski passed to Russia, Czar Paul I confirmed in 1797 the right of Jews to reside there. At that time 24 Jews belonging to merchant guilds and 1,367 Jewish inhabitants were registered in the tax-assessment books of the city. Two years later, in 1799, 29 merchants and 2,617 Jewish inhabitants were registered.

Next photos of Jews in Kamenets-Podolskiy were made in XIX century by Michail Greim (photos taken from http://kamienec.livejournal.com):

Pre-Revolution period

In 1832 the Christians in Kamenets-Podolski petitioned the government to expel the Jews from the city, basing themselves upon their ancient privileges. The petition was rejected but in 1833 the government restricted the right of the Jews to build shops and new houses, or to acquire houses, to two suburbs of the city only in order to prevent them from residing in the city itself. The restriction was rescinded in 1859.

In 1857 Kamenets-Podolski and the county there were 67 Jewish merchants of the 1st and 2nd of guilds (the Christians were not), merchants third Guild – 933 (Christians – 10).
The community numbered 4,629 in 1847, 16,211 (40% of the total population) in 1897, and they were busy in small industry, trade, and artisanship. Rabbis who served in the city were Pinkhas of Koretz, Itshok Moizels, Zalman Lerner, Dov-Berish Eliash, David Wasserman, a disciple of R. Levi Isaac from Berdichev, S.Y. Abramovitsh (Mendele Mokher Sforim), and Menakhem Poznanski; the poets Aharon Ashman and Avraham Rosen were active for various periods.

Entrepreneurs list in 1913

In 1904 official Rabbi was Pinkas Mendelevich Oxman.

In 1905 pogrom take place here. In 1910 there were 22,279 Jews and 33 synagogues. Four private schools and modernized hadarim were operating, and later also two Hebrew schools and a library. All major Jewish parties were active there.

After 1918, during the civil war, the Jews in Kamenets-Podolski suffered severely and 200 Jews were killed there in pogroms by Petlyura’s gangs in July 1919. In February 1921, 16 Jews from Kamenets-Podolsk were shot by Red Army soldiers. Rabbi Akselrod was killed too.
Before 1921 Rabbi was Israel Gutman, one of the Besht’s descendants.

After Civil War

From 1917 to the middle of 1920s in there acted different Zionist organization, including “Tzeirei Zion,” “Poale Zion”, “Ge-Halutz,” “Tarbut”. Hebrew Schools, evening classes, Jewish library and Jewish folk house were organized. In 1920 a union of Hebrew teachers was organized. In 1920 there existed Jewish comedy troupe led by A.M.Sigalesko. Z.Zhabotinsky vizited city at that times.In the beginning of 1920′s opened a branch of publishing house “Culture League”.

Manor of Genendel Shmulevna Sadigurskaya. Photo by 1924

At the beginning of the Soviet period, most local Jews were traders, artisans, officials or workers. After the establishment of the Soviet regime, many wealthy Jews led across the frontier and the economy of the Jewish population was ruined. Jewish cultural and communal life was entirely suppressed after a protracted struggle with the Yevsektsiya.
In 1922 ORT opened vocational schools to train Jewish youth in crafts. By 1926 only 12,774 Jews remained (29.9% of the total population). In the 1920s 76 families let to settle in Crimea, and 80 to settle in Birobidzhan. Three Yiddish schools and two teachers’ colleges opened there, but only one school was active in 1938.

In 1926 Jews (100 persons) Organized agricultural group “Work and Bread” and later agricultural collective “Product”. By the beginning of 1930, when private business was restricted, most merchants shifted to crafts and industry. Many local Jews left for larger cities, while Jews from shtetls came to live in Kamenets-Podolsk. The 15 synagogues and prayer houses were closed after 1936, though synagogue officials managed to conceal some 30 Torah scrolls, which survived the Holocaust and were later used by clandestine religious communities. Minyans met in private houses. Mikvah was organized in private bath.

Jewish artel “Help” in Kamenets-Podolskiy. Photo on April 24, 1931

In January 1939 the Jewish population of Kamenets-Podolskiy was 13,796 or 38 percent of the total.

Holocaust

Kamenets-Podolskiy was occupied by German and Hungarian troops on July 11, 1941. Some Jews succeeding in leaving the city before the arrival of Axis troops. Soon after the start of the occupation some 60 Jewish men were shot in the Old Town. The German military authorities appointed a local administration consisting of Ukrainian ultra-nationalists, who proceeded to conduct antisemitic propaganda.

The Ukrainian administration was responsible for registering the Jewish population of the city, appointing members of a Jewish council, and forcing the Jews to wear a Star of David. August 5, 1941 the Jews of Kamenets-Podolsk were forced into a ghetto on an island in the Old Town.

At the end of July 1941 Hungarian occupation authorities began to deport Jews from Carpatho-Rus (later they all were named as Hungary Jews but really they were from territory of current Zakarpatska region of Ukraine). By the end of August more than 10,000 of these Jewish deportees had arrived in Kamenets-Podolsk, where they were put in castle and later in ghetto together with local Jews.

These deportees were shot on August 26, 1941. On August 27 and 28, 1941 about 10,000 Kamenets-Podolsk Jews were murdered. The remaining 5,000 Jews of the city were put into a new ghetto located in the area of a former chemical institute in the neighborhood of Polskie Folvarki. Later, Jews with specific skills who had been spared in the massacres in the Kamenets-Podolsk area were forced into this ghetto as well. In the summer of 1942 about 800 Jewish children and old people were murdered. The killing of Jews from Kamenets-Podolsk continued throughout 1942.

In the second half of that year the remaining Jews were transferred to the former military camp of the Soviet borderguard training unit. In October, 30 or early November 1942 about 4,000 last ghetto inmates were shot. 500 Jews escaped from ghetto before liquidation but most of them were caught and killed.

The murder of those Jews who had survived the massacres of 1941-1942 but were caught by Germans and local auxiliaries, and that of Jews brought to Kamenets-Podolsk from surrounding localities continued in 1943. There were killed Jews from Orinin, Zhvanec, Lyanckoryn, Kitaygorod, Old Yshitsa, Chemerovci, Smotrich and many others unknown places which we don’t know.

A total of almost 30,000 Jews were victims of the Nazi genocide in Kamenets-Podolsk (~12 000 of local Jews and 18 000 Jews from Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania ).

The city was liberated by the Red Army on March 27, 1944.

The Kamenetskoy Commission, [established after liberation to investigate crimes of the Nazi invaders] discovered seven mass graves for the Jews [in the area], including a grave with the bodies of 500 children

After WWII

Jews who returned to Kamenets Podol’skii after the war tried to organize a community in 1946–1947. However, authorities turned down their application to restore the only surviving synagogue building, forbidding them to gather for prayers in private premises, and refusing to legalize a community organization.

Houses of Frid, Helman and Berger merchants in center of Old Town

In 1947 the community bought two rooms in a private home for prayer assembly. In March 1953 was arrested a group of Jews (A.M.Perel, Shteynshrayber, Kleinerman, A.I.Berlyand), accused in the Jewish natsionalizme.

In 1979 about 1,800 Jews lived in Kamenets-Podolski.

Most of Jews let Kamenets-Podolski in the 1990s for Israel or the West.

Beit Midrash in Kamenets-Podolskiy on Dragomanova Str., 4. Photo beginning of 1990s by Miriam Wainer. Now building was rebuild and belong to protestant community

In 1992, the Shalom Jewish Cultural Club was organized with more than 1,000 members. The first head of community was Yefim Abramovich Hayat (b. 1940), from 1997 head of community became Moses G. Lam (born 1933, Kamenetz-Podolsk). From 1995 to 1999, a monthly regional Jewish newspaper, Shalom Aleikhem, appeared. The Jewish Agency opened an office in the town and in 1999 the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee organized a local branch of the Ḥesed Besht society, which performed social services for about 500 Jews and their families and became the central Jewish cultural and educational institution of Kam’ianets’-Podil’s’kyi.
Building of former Beit Midrash was proposed to Jewish Community for rebuilding to Synagogue but wasn’t completed. Now this building belong to protestant community.
In 2003 there lived 233 Jews.

Community contacts: Gryshevskogo St., 32-93 Phone: +38(03849) 32500, +38(03849)34387

Places

Big Artisan Synagogue

Synagogue located in the Dovga street. It is a last building of synagogue which is still exist in city. Synagogue was build in the middle of XIX century ( It was existing in 1872 city plan). I didn’t find a year of closing but can assume that it was 1920′s-1930′s. Building was badly damaged during WWII but was rebuild after city liberation. Restaurant situated in the building in now days.

I find another name of this building – Tailor’s Synagogue but not sure that it is true.

Dovga Street was a religious center of Kamenet’s Jews during centuries and there were located 6 synagogues: Big Artisan Synagogue, Great Synagogue, Synagogue of Gravediggers, Sandegutskaya Synagogue (in 1924 it has address  Dovga Str., 39) and Zinkovskaya Synague.

1 – Pottery Tower
2 – Big Artisan Synagogue
3 – Great Synagogue
4 – Gravediggers Synagogue
5 – shelter

Great Synagogue was an oldest synagogue of Kamenets-Podolskiy and was build in the middle of XVIII century. It appeared on city plan in 1808. In documents of 1884 year it decribed as two-storey building from stone for 300 persons. In 1886 was build third floor. It is possible that togetherwith construction of the Great Synagogue in the canyon of the river was built a mikvah. I didn’t find year of closing and destroying  of this Syangogue.

Shelter was located on this street too. From all Jewish buildings on this street now we can see only the buildings of Big Artisan Synagogue and crafts school, but I didn’t find photo of this school.

Old Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery located in picturesque place behind old castle.

New Jewish Cemetery

There are two part – old and new. New part is well maintained but old part abandoned.

One day in the summer of 1942 all able-bodied Jews from the ghetto of Kamenets-Podolsk were taken out to work. After they left, about 800 children and old people who remained in the ghetto were taken by truck and on foot to the New Jewish cemetery on the northeastern outskirts of Kamenets-Podolsk. There they all were shot by members of the Kamenets-Podolsk branch of the security police and SD head quarters, the 1st Police Cavalry Detachment, and local auxiliary police.
According to eyewitnesses, approximately 300 more Jews of all ages and both sexes were shot there at the end of 1942.

Munitions depot mass grave

On August 26, 1941, between 12,000 and 14,000 Jews deported to Kamenets-Podolsk from Hungarian-controlled Carpatho-Rus were murdered in the area of the munitions depot on the eastern outskirts of Kamenets-Podolsk. Jews of all ages and both sexes were ordered to assemble at the city’s train station on the pretext that they were either going to be returned home or resettled in Palestine. Instead they were taken to the murder site. There they were forced to run a gauntlet of policemen and to surrender their valuables. Some of them were ordered to undress and then lay face down in a pit and were shot in the back of the head. The executioners were members of the 320 Order Police Battalion, as well as members of a unit formed especially for this massacre by Friedrich Jeckeln, the High SS and Police Leader of the South, from his personal bodyguards, a guard platoon from his headquarters, and members of his staff.

Photo from photohunt.org.ua

The next day, August 27, 1941, early in the morning, the Jews of Kamenets-Podolsk were driven out of their houses by Germans and local auxiliary policemen. They were told they were going to be resettled. The Jews were then taken on foot to the former munitions depot area, a huge territory on the northeast outskirts of Kamenets-Podolsk. Craters left by explosions of munitions were visible there. The Jews were ordered to undress, to hand over their money and valuables and, then, taken in groups to the craters, and shot by automatic weapons fire. The perpetrators of this massacre were members of the German 320 Order Police Battalion and of a special unit formed by Friedrich Jeckeln, the High SS and Police Leader “South,” from his bodyguards, a guard platoon from his headquarters, and members of his staff. The massacre continued on the following day.

According to some eyewitnesses, during the murder operation of August 26-28, 1941 Jewish deportees from Hungary were murdered at Polish cemetery too. The exact number of Jews murdered and buried here is impossible to establish.

At 30 August, 1941 Friedrich Jeckeln reported to Himmler that 23600 Jews were killed in Kamenets-Podolskiy.
After the transfer of the surviving Jews of Kamenets-Podolsk to the ghetto in the area of the former Soviet military camp of a Soviet borderguard training unit, in the every Saturday in the second half of 1942 small groups of the ghetto inmates were shot at the munitions depot area nearby.
In early November 1942 the inmates of the ghetto totaling about 4,000 persons of all ages and both sexes, were brought by truck, in groups of 40 to 60, to two pits. There the victims were forced to completely undress, enter the pits, and lie face down. They were then shot in the back of the head with sub-machine guns.
At the end of 1942 and throughout 1943 the munitions depot area served as a site for the murder of those Jews who either had succeeded in avoiding the previous massacres of Kamenets-Podolsk Jews or had been brought to the city from nearby localities.

Photo from photohunt.org.ua

After the war Jews from Kamenets-Podolsk tried in several ways to commemorate their relatives who were murdered in the Holocaust. In August 1946 an attempt was made to hold a meeting to commemorate the fifth anniversary of the mass murder of the Jews of their city. The local authorities, however, categorically banned such a meeting. In July 1948 members of the Jewish community of Kamenets-Podolsk petitioned Nikolai Shvernik, the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the USSR, and Nikita Khrushchev, the Chairman of the Council of Minsters of the Ukrainian SSR, to allow them to publicly commemorate the Jewish victims, but to no avail.
Nevertheless, local Jews later succeeded in erecting several monuments at the murder sites of members of their community. Two monuments were set up at the site of the former munitions depot where, in late August 1941, thousands of Jews from Kamenets-Podolsk were murdered. The Russian and Yiddish inscription on the larger of the monuments reads as follows “Eternal memory to the fathers, mothers, brothers and sisters tortured to death in a barbaric way on 5th of Elul 3040 [sic], 1941 by German-Fascist monsters”. Jews still living in Kamenets-Podolsk are gathering annually at this monument to commemorate Holocaust victims. Some of them gather according to Hebrew date, on 5th of Elul (in late August or early September), others gather on August 5, taking 5th of Elul for 5th of August.
One more monument erected in Kamenets-Podolsk commemorates Jewish children perished in Holocaust. The monument has a shape of small obelisk fenced off by chains.
Memorial stone for the Holocaust victims of Kamenets-Podolsk was erected also at the Holocaust Memorial Park in New York.

Medschybisch (German), Medzibezh, Medzibozh, Mezhibezh, Mezhybozhe (Alternative Name), Mejibuji (Turkish), Międzybórz, Międzybóż, Międzybuż (Polish), Międzybóż, Medschybisch, Smiedzyborz (Alternative Name), Меджибіж (Ukrainian), Меджибож – Medzhibozh (Russian), מעזשביזש, Mezbizh (Yiddish)

Medzibozh, small town in Khmelnitsky district (former Kamenets-Podolski district), Ukraine; until 1793 in Poland and then under Russia, until 1917 in the province of Podolia.

Beginning

The Jewish community of Medzibozh is one of the oldest in the Ukraine – Jews are mentioned there in Polish documents of 1509 when Medzhibozh Jew Liberman was appointed to supervise tax collection. About existence Jewish community here in the first half of XVI century point gravestones on Old Jewish Cemetery.

In 1571 a census was recorded, listing the population as being made up of 95 Ruthenians, 35 Jews, and 30 Poles.

In the beginning of XVII century Medzhibozh Jewish Community was biggest and influential in South-East Poland. At that time had of community became Rabbi Israel Sirkes (1561, Lublin – 1640, Krakow), more known as a Bach (according to abbreviation of his main book’s name “Bait Hadash” – “New House”, which were a comments to codex “Arba Turim”).  He was on this position 2 terms and leave Medzhibozh in 1612. Main Synagogue (it was build before) was named in his honor and was called “Bach Synagogue” till the demolation in 1950′s.

In 1648 the cossack uprising led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky captured the town 3 times and held the region for the period of 1 year. At the time, there were approximately 12,000 residents living in Medzhybizh and its environs. Of this number there were 2500 Jews living in Medzhibozh in the year 1648 out of a total Jewish population of Podolia of 4000 souls (spread between 18 communities). The massacre of Jews by the cossacks under the command of Danylo Nechay and Maxym Kryvonis (a cossack of Scottish ethnicity – originally Cameron) occurred July 20, 1648 in Medzhybizh, almost all 2500 Jews were either killed or taken into captivity at the time of the massacre. The Jewish population in Medzhybizh was virtually eradicated, and there were no burials recorded for several years after 1648, consistent with depopulation.

Besht Siddur

Jan Casimir and Khmelnitsky negotiated a treaty in 1649, however the hostilities continued in 1651 and 1653. In 1657 the Hungarian Prince Rákóczi took the city, ceding it to the Turks in 1672. It remained under their administration until 1682. By 1661, only a handful of Jews remained in Medzhybizh. In the 1678 census their numbers increased to 275 souls.

Weakened by the cossack uprising, Podolia was invaded and occupied by Turkey in 1672. Medzhybizh became part of the Turkish Ejalet of Kamieniecki as “Mejibuji” and was a sanjak centre. In 1682, Medzhybizh was recaptured by the Poles under Jan Sobieski. However, Poles didn’t regain full control until 1699 because the town was frequently ravaged by ongoing struggles between the Poles and Turks.

Besht name in a Tax List at 1758

After Medzhybizh was recaptured from the Turks, it went through what many consider its golden age during the 17th and 18th century. Under the Sieniawski family and later the Czartoryski family, the town prospered. Medzhybizh successfully defended itself from several Haidamak attacks. By the mid 1700s, Medzhybizh was the seat of power in Podilia Province. It had a population of nearly 5,000 of which there were 2,500 Jews.

In 1765 there were 2,039 Jews registered in the community of Medzibozh and the nearby villages.

The founder of Hasidism, Israel ben Eliezer Ba’al Shem Tov, made the town his seat from about 1740 until his death in 1760 and was buried there. The  zaddikim Baruch ben Jehiel, Israel’s grandson, and R. Abraham Joshua Heschel of Apta also lived and were buried there.

In 1792 Medzhybizh fell into Russian hands during the second partition of Poland. The Czartoryski family continued to own the town until Prince Adam Czartoryski was forced into exile in 1831. During Russian rule, the seat of power for Podilia moved from Medzhybizh to Kamianets-Podilskyi. The economy of Medzhybizh deteriorated because the railroad line bypassed the town to the south. The nearby town of Letychiv however flourished.

From 1815 to 1827 a printing press published hasidic and kabbalistic works in Medzibezh.

Big Synagogue in Medzhibozh at 1935

Main Jewish activities at XVIII – early XX century were trade and crafts (tailor, shoemaking, blacksmithing, lathes, metalworking, weaving, glass, jewelry, bookbinding, baking, etc.). Among the Jews of Medzhibozh were doctors, chemist, hairdressers, musicians, and carters. Community functions performed rabbi, treasurer, gabay, melamed, shochet and bathhouse attendant. In 1813 rabbi became Avrom-Yehoshua Heschel from Opatov (1755-1825), in the middle of  XIX century rabbi in Medzhibozh became his grandson Avrom Yehoshua Heschel (1832-1887), in 1881 rabbi became Yisroel-Shalom-Yosef Heschel (1853-1911).

At the beginning of the nineteenth century, Rabbi Avraham Jehoshua Heschel was the rabbi of Medzhibozh.

Medzhibozh enterpreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directory by 1904

From 1,719 in 1847 the number of Jews grew to 6,040 (73.9% of the total population) in 1897, then fell to 4,614 (58.2%) in 1926.

Pre-revolution period

In 1881-82, in 1896 and 1905 pogroms take place in Medzhibozh but they were stopped by military units.

In 1900 was founded Jewish Hospital with free clinic, working on of “Ezra Hoylem”. In 1902-12 rabbiwas Shaul Issachar Bick, in 1912-25 – his cousin, the last rabbi of Medzhibozh – Chaim Michl Bik. Official rabbi in 1914 was Joseph Leibovich Schwartzman. There were 9 synagogues. Jews owned all three hotels, two bookstores, all three pharmacies, all 4 lumberyard, 21 manufactories, all 19 grocery, all 9 haberdashery shops, two bakeries, a mill, singular brewery.

In the end of XIX – early XX century Medzhibozh was the residence of Avrom Yehoshua Heschel son’s – Meshulam-Zusi (? -1929). Later a dynasty was headed Yitzchak Meir Heschel (1904-1985, Haifa, Israel).

Medzhibozh castle. Postcard beginning of XX century

In the beginning of XX century official leadership of the community was transferred to official rabbi Shvartcman, but a real spiritual leader remained a rabbi of local synagogue from Bick family. In early 1900’s there were actively conducting Zionist activities. During the WWI a Jewish boy from Medzhibozh David Wolfowitz Bots was awarded by St. George Medal and the George Cross 4th and 3rd degree.

In 1912 Jews  of Medzhibozh tried to rename it to Borodino, but it failed.

The local inhabitant Blonskiy tried to organize peasant to make pogrom but it failed due to Jewish self-defense organization (headed by Yakov Myshlin, he became an officer of red Army and was killed during Stalin repression). There were no big pogroms during Civil War.

After Civil War

Family of last Medzhibozh Rabbi Chaim Bick in 1926

In 1921 members of the “Ge-Halutz” went to Israel. Kantor Iosel Karolnik and “Hanuya-Di-Melamed” teach Hebrew on semi-legal position. Until the middle of 1920’s in Medzhibozh were 10 synagogues, 6 heders (In the middle of 1920’s was closed last heder of melamed Beresh Midaner-Grinshtein).

In 1925 last rabbi from Bik family Haim emigrate to USA.

In 1923 Medzhibozh became a district center.

In 1922 on fundament of Jewish hospital was built Jewish school there was opened Jewish School (closed in 1938), with band, choir and drama studio. At the end of 1920’s most synagogues were closed. In 1926 in Medzhibozh was organized Jewish Settlement Councils, head of council was Motl Greenstein (? -1942, Stalingrad).

In 1930, in the vicinity of Medzhibozh was organized Jewish collective farm “Equality”. Heads of the farm were (in order) Vergynis, Derevickiy, Tsigelshteyn, Grinshteyn, Rydenberg. There continued to operate semi-legal “Bikur Hoyle” and Chevra Kadisha society.

Unknown Medzhibozh synagogue at 1930th

In 1939 the number of Jewish population dropped to 2,347 (52% of the total population). Before the war rabbi was Avrum (we don’t know his last name), he was a baker and killed together with Jews of Medzhibozh in 1942.

Holocaust

With the Germany invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, only a number of Medzhibozh’s Jews managed to evacuate. Others believed that the souls of the great rabbis would save the town from misfortune as had occurred, so they supposed, during the pogroms of 1905 and 1919. Other recalled the moderate German regime of 1918.
Following the retreat of the Red Army on July 6, local Ukrainian nationalists carried out a pogrom against the Jews. The Germans occupied Medzhibozh on July 8, 1941.

Medzhibozh enterpreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directory by 1913 (save and zoom on your PC)

Head of local police became Blonskiy, sun of a man who try to organize pogrom during Civil War. Most cruel policeman Dobrovolskiy, brother Lisovskiy, Kisilnik, Gonchar, Pavlovskiy (he said that killed by his hand more than 500 jews).
From the first days of occupation, they humiliated the Jews, and demolished the famous Besht Beit Midrash, Ashkenaz Kloiz and other Jewish historical sights. All the Jews of the town were then herded into a ghetto, located on some poor streets of the town near Bannaya str. Head of ghetto was appointed Haim Milis. Ghetto was surrounded by big wall with barbed wire. Many Jews died in ghetto due to cold and hunger, part of them were burried on the territory of ghetto.
On April 14, 1942, 220 Jewish men were sent with horses to the front line. None returned.

Germans murdered more than 2,000 Jews on September 21 (according to another source, September 22), 1942. Most of those who succeeded to escape this mass murder operation were caught and killed over the next two weeks.
About 100 young Jews of Medzhibozh who had been selected before the massacre, together with some additional Jews who had been caught in the first days after the mass murder operation, were sent to the Letichev labor camp. Only some of them survived. A few Jews from Medzhibozh survived in the neighboring villages with the aid of local peasants.

After WWII

The Red Army liberated Medzhibozh on March 24, 1944.
After the war, about two dozen Jewish families returned to Medzhibozh. Head of local police Vasiliy Cherniy helped them to settled in their houses because they were occupied by local Ukrainians.

Jewish houses on central street of Medzhibozh. 2010

Remains of Old Synagogue was destroyed in 1950′s. Jews protested against this but without results

In 1967, at the site of the Jews execution a monument was erected . In 1969 district center moved to Letichev and most Jewish families left Medzhibozh.

In 1981 Medzhibozh lived only three Jewish families.

Since the late 1980′s Medzhibozh became a place of mass pilgrimage of Hasidim from U.S., Israel and other countries.

In 2011 died Polina Dereviskaya, wife of Vladimir Samoloivich Dilman. She was a last native Jew in Medzhibozh. In 2012 Vladimir Dilman (96 years old) was a last Jew of Medzhibozh. He lives alone, his children are living in Russia.

Full description of Medzhiboz’s Jewish history was done in book “100 Jewish towns in Ukraine” of Peterburg Jewish University. If you need some details please contact us.

Great documental film which was made by Peterburg Jewish University in Medzhibozh in 1988:

Interview with last Jew of Medzhibozh made in 2009

 Genealogy

 Places

Baal Shem Tov grave

Rabbi Yisroel (Israel) ben Eliezer (Hebrew: רבי ישראל בן אליעזר), often called Baal Shem Tov  or Besht, was a Jewish mystical rabbi. He is considered to be the founder of Hasidic Judaism. Died in Medzhibozh at May 22, 1760 and was burried on local jewish cemetery.

The Baal Shem Tov is buried among a host of his students and descendents, including Reb Wolf Kitzes, Reb Baruch of Mehzbehz, The Degel Machanei Ephraim, and The Ohev Yisrael – Rav Avraham Yehoshua Heschel of Apt.

The oldest burial in this cemetery dates from 1556. Last burial there belong to 1840-1850′s.

Wooden canopy on Baal Shem Tov’s existing till the WWII. After the war cemetery was fully abandoned, local people stolen grave stones and looters dig graves in attempts to find gold. Grave stone on Besht’s grave was stolen or destroyed. In 1960′s old jews who remember place of grave put cement board on it.

Besht street in Medzhibozh

In 1977 in Medzhibozh arrived rabbi from Monreal – Izhak Gehtman together with rabbi Shalom Kleiman from Moscow , Eli and Gilel Lapickiy from Kiev. Gehtman brought plan of old Jewish cemetery which he received from son of last Medzhibozh rabbi Moshe Bick. On this plan right to Besht’s grave were buried his students rabbi Vulf Kices, rabbi Monish-Dayan and rabbi Dov Berish Kohen-Rappoport. Passage lead to the Besht’s grave, left to passage was a grave of his grandson rabbi Moishe Haim Efraim from Sydilkov and right to passage was buried another Besht’s grandson – rabbi Baryh from Medzhibozh (part of graveston

Grave stones from Jewish Cemetery on the castle territory at the end of 1980th

e with his name still remain on cemetry). Right to rabbi Baryh’s grave was located grave of  Apter-rebe.

Local authorities gave permission for setting gravestone on Besht’s grave. At this time on this place were build 2 open concrete ohels.

In the end of 1980’s local museum moves part of gravestone from Jewish cemetery to museum yard. They were moved back to cemetery by ethnographic expedition from Leningrad University. At that time due to efforts of Mihail Grinberg from Moscow cemetery was surrounded by fence.

In the beginning of 1990’s on Besht’s grave was built bricken ohel.

Over the past few years, the “Agudas Ohalei Tzadikim” organization (based in Israel) has restored many graves of Tzadikim (Ohelim) in Ukraine, including Baal Shem Tov’s (2006). A new guesthouse and synagogue is also being built next to the Ohel of Baal Shem Tov.

New Jewish Cemetery

This newer Jewish cemetery, has graves from the early 1840′s through to the 2011. There are located graves of tzadikim from Heshel family. In 2011 there was buried wife of last jew in Medzhibozh – Polina Dilman.
Cemetery surrounded by new wall.

Besht Beit Midrash

Synagogue constructing from 2000 to 2005 on the place of old Besht Synagogue which was destroyed by nazi during  WWII.

Apter Synagogue

Apter Synagogue. Photo from jews.in.ua

This sinagogue was built together with Big Synagogue in XVI century. It was belonging to Heshel family of Medzhibozh tzadikim and was connected by gallery with their house. Another name of this synagogue is “Medzhibozher-rebens Beit Midrash”

Synagogue was nationalized in 1917 and till the 1960’s there were a bank. In 1960’s fire brigade was placed there. Synagogue was returned to Jewish in 1990’s and now it is one from 3 acting synagogues in Medzhibozh.

Holocaust mass grave

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdxYOYNb0r4
Before dawn on the morning of September 22, 1942, Yom Kippur, Germans came to the ghetto of Medzhibozh and, with the help of Ukrainian policemen, rounded remained Jews. They marched them along the Rusanovtsy road in the direction of the Southern Bug, and shot them in the ravine. At this day were killed more than 2000 women, children and aged people.
At this place also were killed many jews from Staraya Sinyava and Novokonstantinov.

In 1965, a group of Jews decided to commemorate the Jews murdered in Medzhibozh on September 22, 1942. Georgian Jews donated a significant part of the money, which was gathered to erect the monument and cover the grave with concrete. The group intended to prepare two separate plaques for the monument, one in Yiddish and one in Russian. However, the local authority forbade the Yiddish inscription, and ordered the word “Jews” to be deleted from the Russian text. Instead the cliché “Soviet citizens,” used in lots other localities, was used.

The group managed to add the words “prisoners of the Medzhibozh ghetto.” The plaque’s final Russian inscription reads: “In these ravines, on September 22, 1942, German-Fascist barbarians brutally shot more than 3,000 elderly people, women and children – prisoners of the Medzhibozh ghetto. Eternal memory to our dear fellow residents. September 22, 1967.” The monument was erected for the 25th annual memorial ceremony. Many Jews from across the USSR came to the gravesite annually to participate in the memorial ceremonies. At the end of the 1980s, during the period of Perestroika, some 100 Jews, many with their children and grandchildren, gathered for the annual memorial ceremonies in Medzhibozh. After the ceremonies, they visited the tomb of the Besht in the old Jewish cemetery.

Testimony of Bronya Khalfina about the mass murder of the Medzhibozh Jews:

Other buildings and places

Basement of Old Synagogue. Photo from photohunt.org.ua

Basement of Old Synagogue still exist near a new Besht Synagogue.

On the main street you still can see two-storeyed Jewish houses. They are in the bad condition but still show that this village has great history.

At Shevchenko str., 5 you can see two-storeyed building where lived last rabbi of Medzhibozh Haim Bick.

Medzhibozh music school located in building which was built by Jewish community in 1922 for Jewish School.

During last few months I changed website design and added different usefull features for more confortable reading. There were added many youtube video from Yad Vashem and other sources which related to certain shtetles.

As a result of 2 visits in Chernigov Archiv was find and added to site list of Priluki synagogues and list of pogrom victims.

Novgorod-Seversky, city in Chernigov district, Ukraine.

During the 14th century, Novgorod-Seversky was conquered by the princes of Lithuania; in the 16th and 17th centuries it was alternately in the hands of the Poles and the Russians; and in 1667 it was definitively annexed by Russia.

Beginning

A Jewish settlement is mentioned for the first time in a residence permit granted to the townspeople by King Sigismund III Vasa (1587–1632) of Poland. According to the permit Jews were forbidden to sell meat in the town, except in the courtyard of the synagogue. Also included were several tax levies which Jews were ordered to pay.

Pre-revolution building (shop) in the center of Novgorod-Seversky

During the Chmielnicki persecutions of 1648 many Jews in Novgorod- Seversky were massacred by the Cossacks.

The community was renewed only in the late 18th century. In 1847 1,336 Jews were registered in the community; by 1897 the number had risen to 1,956 (32% of the total population).

Here I find list of Jews in Novgorod-Seversky county – 1882, 1888 and 1910. You can download it.

In 1892, there were six private Jewish schools and a state Jewish school in Novhorod-Sivers’kyi. At that time Rabbi was Haim Bogin.

Before Revolution

The community suffered in the wave of pogroms which swept over Russia in 1905. On October 9, pogrom happened in Novgorod-Seversky. I find only that 59 Jewish families have suffered.

In the beginning of XX century in Novgorod-Severskiy acted 5 synagogues and Jewish secondary school. There were 2 jewish cemeteries.

Enterpreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directorie by 1904:

In 1914, Jews owned one pharmacy (the only one in city), all 4 storage of pharmaceutical goods, both bakeries, all 3 hotels, the only photostudio, watchmaker workshop, 35 shops and stores (all 10 groceries, all 4 manufactory, the only jewelry store). Jews were both timber merchants.

On April 6, 1918, units of the Red Army retreating before the German army savagely attacked the Jews of Novgorod-Seversky and 88 Jews (including the author A.J. Slutzky) lost their lives (from another sources 57 Jews were killed and 16 were injured).

In 1924-1935 rabbi was Zelman Abramovich Khurgin (1900-?).

In 1926 there were 2,089 Jews (22.8% of the total population) in the town, and in 1939 it dropped to 982 (8.56% of the total population).

Holocaust

Monument on the Holocaust mass grave near Ostroushky village

The city was occupied by the Germans from August 26, 1941 to September 16, 1943 although by this time most of the local Jews had already evacuated.

On November 7-8, 1941, the remaining 174 Jews were shot by the 10th Infantry Regiment unit of the first mechanized infantry brigade of the SS (captain Gebel) with the assistance of Ukrainian police. The massacre of 155 people took place near the village of Ostroushky in antitank ditch. The rest of the local Jews were killed on the spot, when found in their apartments on the next day.

Monument on the territory of former concentration camp

Last local Jews were killed in concentration camp together with more than 17000 Soviet captives in 1942-1943.

We know only names of 133 murdered civilian Jews and 56 warriors…

After WWII

After the end of WWII many Jews returned from evacuation.
Officialy Jewish community was created again in 1990.

Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery was founded in first half of 19th century and still in use.
Location: Along Uryts’koho Str., entrance between the house numbers 68 and 72.

Photos were taken from Lo-Tishkah web-site.

Izyaslav (formerly  Zaslavl) city in Khmelnitski region (former Kamenets-Podolski), Ukraine. Situated on the Horyn river, the city dates back to the 11th century. It is one of the oldest cities in Volhynia. Population in 2009 was 17,232.

Beginning

The first information about the Jewish community there dates back to the first half of the 16th  century. Most of the Jews fled to the neighbouring cities (Ostrog, Mezhirich and Dubno) during the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648. Among them was Nathan ben Moses Hannover who described these tragic events in his book “Yeven Mezulah” (Venice, 1653). Approximately 200 Jews who had remained in Izyaslav were killed on the Old Jewish cemetery and then burnt. Synagogue was ruined and converted to a stable.

After the massacres, the community was rebuilt. With the beginning of the Haidamack movement in 1708, the community was destroyed and most of its members killed.

In 1747 five Jews from a nearby village were put to death in the city as a result of a blood libel. The same tragedy reoccurred in 1830.

At the beginning of XVIII century in Izyaslav lived famous cantor and Besht’s disciple rabbi Mordehai. A Hebrew printing press was active there from 1807 to 1808 and five books, three of which were liturgical, came out within this period.

Towards the end of the Polish rule, Izyaslav was a centre of Hasidism. Due to the influence of Leib Bolekhovski (?-1883), the rabbi, the community was culturally superior to other settlements in the area.

In the XVIII century Daviv Tevle was the rabbi in Izyaslav. After his death, came his son-in-law Yakov Shimon Shapiro (1772-1811) who founded his hasidic dynasty. Next rabbis were his son Iskhor Doyv-Ber and Iskhor’s son Pinhos-Yosef Shapiro Dehner (? -1874).

Pre-revolution postcards of Izyaslav:

Heads of rabbinical Court in Izyaslav between 1834 and 1888 was Arie-Leib ben Eliyahu. At the beginning of XX century, this position was occupied by Eliezer Kharif (1845 -?).

In 1857 there were 14 synagogues, in 1886 — 9, in 1889 — 10, and in 1902 — 11.

In 1886 in Izyaslav there was a Jewish hospital, almshouse, Mark-Boruh Feld’s library and his bookstore.

In 1897 Izyaslav was home for 6,000 Jews (almost 50% of the total population).

Izyaslav enterpreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directories by 1913:

In 1913 there were such Jewish institutions: Talmud Torah (closed in 1913); male, female and mixed secondary schools.

Most jews lived in the center of the Old and the New city.

Former Talmud Torah. Before the WWII there was located Jewsih 4-year school. After the war there was common school. Now building is abandoned.

Tzadik Abraham-Yeshua Rozenfeld lived in Izyaslav at the beginning of XX century.

In 1915, the hospital building was constructed under the rule of engineer David Goldshteyn. Now this building is used as surgery department.

After the Russian Revolution of 1917, the Zionist movement flourished in Izyaslav.

Pogrom happened here in November 30, 1917.

With the establishment of the Soviet rule in 1920, Jewish community life in the city declined. In 1920’s most of the city’s Jewish children were enrolled in Hebrew kindergartens and schools. By 1926, 3,820 Jews (one third of the population) remained there, dropping to 3,208 (28% of the total) in 1939.

Holocaust

Former Jewish school in Izyaslav

With the beginning of the Nazi invasion, local authorities provided a lot of transport for evacuation, and many Jews succeeded to escape from inevitable death.

The Germans captured Izyaslav in July 5, 1941. On August, 24 (Shabbath) local police and Germans surrounded the city and ordered the Jews to gather for “ressetlement to Palestina”. On this day 1,000 Jews were murdered in 10 antitank caponiers on the western outskirts.

A ghetto was set up near the building of Old Synagogue in the Old city and Jews from neighbouring towns were brought there. It was surrounded by fences from barbered wire and planks. Ghetto area was guarded by local police and no Jews were allowed to leave it. Jews were used for various hard labor. Many of them died during the construction of the dam on Gorin river and burried inside it.

In August 17, 1942 (Shabbath) ghetto was surrounded by Germans and local police. Jews were moved out to pre-made ditches near Sochenki village and then killed. On that day about 2,000 of Ghetto inhabitans were murdered. Ground moved on the grave few days… A group of essential workers was put into a local labour camp and executed on January 20, 1943.

Monument on the mass grave near Sochenki village

Only few teenagers succeded to escape from the ghetto and join different partisan detachments. We know only 3 names: S.U. Shider, Sonya Finkel and Rosa Zigelboim.

Izyaslav was liberated by Soviet Army on March 5, 1944, during Proskuriv-Chernovetsky operation of First Ukrainian front.

During WWII, hundreds Jews from Izyaslav fought with Nazi in the ranks of Red Army. We know only names of 94 perished warriors. Aleksandr Berenboim in his articles in local newspaper provided names of Ruvim and Natan Vinokurovy, Grigoriy Dorfman, Isaak Vertman, S. Goldshtein, Boris Fridman, Pinya Gorel, brother and sister Armil.

All relatives of many soldiers were killed and nobody could even recieve the notification about their death in WWII.
List of Holocaust victims wasn’t created by Izyaslav Jews after the war…

After WWII

After the end of WWII many local Jews returned to Izyaslav. Community was joined by Jews from nearby former shtetles Belogorodka, Kunev etc. That is why the number of jewish population after WWII can be estimated by few thousands.

Building of the former synagogue. Now it’s an evening school.

After demobilisation from Army veterans A. Nahmanzon (a bank officer), brothers Iosef and Shloma Shusters, brothers Anatolii and Uhim Kreplik, Iosef Chotirbotskiy, U. Halypskiy, U.Kirzhner, L. Kornblit, M.Shafir, Fanya Geler and Genya Roitman returned to Izyaslav.

In 1999, veterans Iosef Geler, N. Domeshek, U. Vertman, L.Kats, B. Goldengur, S.Zavtra and Oleksandr Berenboim lived there.

Most Jews emmigrated from Izyaslav to Israel, USA and Germany in 1980′s-1990′s. But community was registered in the beginning of 1990′s. First Head was Verman Aaron (? – 1997), after him was Lys Leonid Sergeevich (1933-2007). Now Head of Jewish Community is Tuzman Boris Tzadikovich.

In 1999, Aleksandr Berenboim outlined the history of Izyaslav Jewish community in 4 articles in a local newspaper. You can find them below (in Ukrainian):

In 2013 there were only 9 Jews.

Geneology-

Old Synagogue

Synagogue was built in the XVII century and was intended exclusively for men. Its southern wall was adjoined directly to the city walls and was a part of the fortification system. In the second quarter of the XVII century, rabbi Nathan Hannover  started his preaching activity in Zaslavsky synagogue.

During Bohdan Khmelnytsky’s uprising, according to Nathan Hannover, Zaslavsky “churches and synagogues were devastated and turned into a stable.”

Building was reconstructed in XVIII century under the direction of architect Paolo Fontana. Famous Jewish ethnographer Simon An-sky visited Zaslavskiy synagogue several times in 1910′s and wrote down many samples of Jewish folklore.

Synagogue was severely damaged by fire in 1924. In 1927 synagogue was visited by the expedition of Ukrainian Museum of Jewish Culture named after Mendel Moyher-Sforym. Synagogue was closed in 1930′s.

In the second half of the XX century the building was turned into a boiler which belonged to musical instruments factory “Octave”. Now the building of the synagogue is abandoned and unused.

Old Jewish Cemetery

New Jewsih Cemetery

Cemetery was founded in the end of  XIX century and still in use.

Berezna is a town in Chernigov oblast, Ukraine. Population in 2011 was 4902 persons.

Beginning

There were no Jews in the town at the beginning of the 19th century.

In 1847 the Jewish community of Berezna had 292 men and 252 women. In 1897, the population of the town numbered 9,922 of whom 1,357 were Jews. The Orthodox Christian population number 8,500.

In Russian Empire Business Directories by 1903 mentioned next Jewish enterpreneurs:
- Butovskiy Samuil Izrailev (grocery)
- Zalmanzon Izrail Aronov (grocery)
- Magilner Toiba Shlemovna (haberdashery)
- Poritskiy Todres Leibov(grain)

After publication of the October Manifesto in 1905, there were progroms on 22, 23 and 24 October. There were no deaths but 10 Jews were wounded and 200 Jewish families robbered. [The October Manifesto issued by Tsar Nicholas promising democratic reforms was opposed by reactionary forces who unleashed their anger on Jews. Translator's note]

In 1919 there was pillaging by Petliura’s [Ukrainian nationalist] forces.

In 1939 there were 211 Jews.

Holocaust

Einsatzgruppe 7B arrived in village at first day of occupation and killed 8 Jews.
In November 5, 1941 there were killed 10 Jews. Most of them were aged people who haven’t managed to hide.
Some Jews tried to escape to another places but were find and killed by local police. Family of Tamara Haimanets (3 people) was find and killed in Begach forest on April 23, 1942.
I haven’t find number of Holocaust victims in Berezna but they were 90% of all killed local inhabitans.

Geneology

In Chernigov Archiv (fond 469) store different lists of Berezna inhabitans from XIX – beginnig of XX century: merchants, conscription lists etc.

Berezna Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery is located on the south-eastern outskirts of the settlement in Lenina Street, near the house № 106. Cemetery was founded in first half of the XIX century.

The cemetery was demolished during WWII, only one tombstone remains. The site is owned by a private individual.

Photo and information was taken from Lo-Tishkah web-site.

Berezna Mass Grave

In Krasnoe cemetery, on the north-western outskirts of the town. There is a memorial at the site.

The memorial is in the shape of a large cross, and there is no inscription mentioning the Jewish victims. The inscription reads: “In the memory of victims of Holodomor (famine of 1932-1933) and political repressions”.

DETAILS OF ACCESS: The mass grave is located in Krasnoe cemetery, on the north-western outskirts of the town.
LOCATION & DEMARCATION: The mass grave site is part of a municipal cemetery, situated in an urban location, on flat land. No road or entrance sign mark the site.
Photo and information was taken from Lo-Tishkah web-site

- added articles about Berezna  and Novgorod-Seversky
- due to help of Anna Roizner  was created article about Izyaslav
- added list of arrested Zionist activist in Priluki in the 1920′s
- was added list of Priluki enterpreneurs from Russian Empire Business Directories by 1903
- amazing photos of shtetl’s building in Dunaevtsy were made by Pavel Zholtovskiy and Stefan Taranyshenko in the 1920′s-1930′s, you can see them here

Borzna is a historic town in northern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Borzna district in the Chernihiv region. The estimated population of the town is around 10,640 (as of 2011).

Beginning

The local Jewish community in Borzna was destroyed in 1648 and Jews did not resume living there until the mid-18th century. In 1736, there lived 3 Jewsih families. Thereafter, the local Jewish community grew rapidly, reaching its peak at the end of the 19th century. In 1881 a pogrom took place in Borzna

Borzna enterpreneurs list from Russian Empire Business Directories by 1903

In 1863, a synagogue operated in the town. The most common occupations among Jews were garment manufacturing and trade. Many Jews of Borzna were skilled tailors. In 1881 a pogrom took place in Borzna.
In the 1890s, the rabbi in Borzna was Itshok-Dovid Vidrevich (1861 -?). In 1909, a society of assistance to poor Jews was established and in the following year, the Borzna Jewish community owned a cemetery.

Civil War

The first wave of pogroms in Borzna were organised by the Red Army in Summer 1919.
During the pogrom of August 25, 1919 two Jews were killed by Denikin’s soldiers. During the numerous pogroms organised by the Volounteer Army in September were more than twenty Jews were killed and the synagogue was destroyed.

In the 1920′s. Borzna Jews collected money for the construction of a new mikvah. According to JOINT records, in 1924 there was an orphanage for 25 Jewish children.
Under Sovet rule a Yiddish school was established in Borzna.
In the 1920′s and 30′s. the rabbi was a Lubavitcher Hasid, Avrohom-Yitshok Glazman.

In 1939 326 Jews lived in the town, comprising 3 percent of its total population.

Holocaust

School building in Borzna

Borzna was occupied by German troops on September 11, 1941. Evacuation from Borzna to the East, even two months after the war had begun, was almost impossible. There was no railway in this area, and terrible roads made it impossible to evacuate. Those few who were able to obtain a horse and a wagon, managed to escape, while others tried to leave on foot.

Some Jews from Borzna were shot by Germans in November 1941 in an unknown location. I can guess that they were Communist party members. About 119 people were shot (according to published sources). According to a study of the 1990′s – 168 people. In February 1942, the German invaders ordered all the Jews of Borzna to gather, on the premise that they were to be sent to Doch railway station. In the evening, the Jews were sledged along the road to Shapovalivka village and shot in an anti-tank ditch to the left of the road.

Jews who escaped the first “action” were caught during remaining of occupation. They were killed in Nezhin and Bakhmach.

During the Holocaust in Borzna there were one hundred and eighty local Jews and approximately forty Jews from Borzna district. Of these individuals we only know fifty seven names.

In the 1990′s was discovered the names of twenty Jewish soldiers from Borza who had been drafted into the Soviet Army and died in battles against the Germans.

Borzna was liberated by the Red Army on September 8, 1943.

These memories were taken from http://kehilalinks.jewishgen.org

After WWII

After Borzna liberation some Jews returned from army and evacuation.

The Jewish community was officialy re-established in 1995.

Geneology

Monument on Holocaust mass grave

Monument on the grave

The mass grave is located on the western outskirts of the Shapovalovka village. To the right of the road towards Borzna, behind the garden belonging to the collective farm. There is a memorial at the site. The monument is a 4-faced, 3-step pyramid, the height of which is 4m, and the size of the basement is 2m x 1m x 5m. There is a star at the top of the monument.  The monument has the following inscription in Russian: “Eternal memory to the victims of fascism who were shot in 1942.” There is no reference to the victims’ Jewish origin.

Information taken from http://lo-tishkach.org

Jewish Cemetery

The cemetery is located on the north-western outskirts of the town, in an area known as “Novoe mesto”, in Radians’ka Street.
Number Of Gravestones In Cemetery: 17
Earliest Known Jewish Burial: 1951
Last Known Jewish Burial: 2001

Information taken from http://lo-tishkach.org

Last Jew in Medzhibozh Vladimir Semenovich Dilman died in August 16, 2014. He was 97 years old…