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:
Then came the massacre of Radomysel. Refugees arrived in Kiev bringing with them fourteen orphans who had each lost both parents in the massacre. All day the children were driven in a wagon all over the city, and the people showered them with gifts. Among the refugees from Radomysel were a boy of 9 named Itsikel and his little sister.
The lad’s mother, grandfather, and grandmother were killed. When the murderer’s entered the house, he put his little sister upon his shoulders, fastened her with strap and carried her off to a neighbor’s house; then he ran for a doctor.
But the murderers would not admit the doctor; so the little boy climned through a window and bandaged the wounds of the dying if not already dead.
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.