Talne

Talna, Tolne, טאלנא (Yiddish), Talne (Polish), Talne – Тальне – Tal’ne (Ukrainian), Talnoe, Talnoya (Alternative Name), Tal’noye, Talnoe – Тальное (Russian)

Talne is a city in Cherkasy Oblast (province) of Ukraine.

The Jews of Talne were mentioned for the first time in connection with Cossack pogroms when the local Jewish community was destroyed in 1768. In 1848, according to the census, the Jewish community of Talne consisted of 1,807 people, while in 1897, the Jewish population increased to 5,452 people (57%). In 1854, Rabbi David Tversky (1808—1882) arrived in the town, and the place became a centre for Hasidim.

In 1910, a Talmud Torah existed in Talne, as well as a private Jewish college for men, a synagogue and four other prayer houses. The Talmud Torah was opened in 1889, and 59 people studied there at the expense of the community. In 1912 – the number of pupils had reached about 100. In 1912, the population of Talne included 3,810 Orthodox Christians, 40 Catholics and around 10,000 Jews.

The local Jewish population suffered heavily in the years 1919-20 from pogroms by many peasant gangs, as well as the White Army soldiers, who pillaged and burned most of the town in the summer of 1919.
The announcement of Ukrainian national forces regarding the forthcoming pogrom in 1919 read: “… All Russian peasants should display icons in their windows so that the Cossacks do not attack the villagers… Everything must be finished in half an hour”.

The pogrom of May 13, 1919 was organized by local residents with 15 people killed and about 50 injured.
In early September, the Soviet troops were driven out by Tiutiunnyk’s gang who organised the killing of 53 people.
The biggest massacre took place on September 19, 1919, under Denikin’s rule with houses looted and the burning of a part of the town.
In early October 1920 Budenny’s troops defeated a Jewish self-defense, robbing and murdering many of the Jewish population .

In Spring 1922 jews organized a self defence detachment. In 1922 mainly the poorest Ukrainians and Jews founded a guild known as the “Beehive and a Bee”.

This photo was made in Talne in 1933. All these people are members of Jewish Komsomol devision. Photo was provided by wife of Shika Pogrebinskiy – Pogrebinskaya Sura Iosipovna before her death.
People in the first row (standing) from left to right: 1,2 – unknown; 3 – Pozharskiy; 4 – unknown woman; 5 – Shika Pogrebinskiy (?-1993)
People in th second row (sitting): 1 – Volinets; 2 – M. Pogrebinskiy; 3 – unknown woman; 4 – teacher Gorodetskiy; 5 – Baziyan; 6 – R. Pozharskiy; 7 – B. Hrapko
People in a third row (sitting): 1 – unknown; 2 – Kagan M.
People in 4th row (sitting): 1 – Kagan M.; 2 – unknown woman; 3 – Mezhiritskaya

In the 1920-30s. the number of Jews in Talne, like in other towns of Ukraine, decreased due to famine, repression and migration.
According to the 1926 census, 4,169 Jews lived in Talne (39% of the population).

This photo provided by Kerpelman Grigoriy.
First row (standing from left to right): Naum Bilinkis, Kerpelman Grigoriy, Munya Shvartsman.
Middle row: Liza Soloduha, Buzya (surname is unknown), Martur – pioneer leader, Kogan <unknown name Nusevna> – Yiddish teacher, Yakov Bilinkis – head of school, Esya Finkel, Nesya Havulya, Sonya (surname is unknown)
Lowest row: Lisogor, Israel Chepurnoi – son of math teacher, Sonya.

 

First row (standing, from left to right): Solomon Safran, Gorbokon, Leva Sherstyaniy

Second row: Leva Pribluda, Leva Fonfat, Naum feldman, Milya Gendler

Before the war, 1,866 Jews were recorded as living in Talne (15%).

Only small number of Jews evacuated in the first weeks of war. Germans tanks attack railway station and killed many civil people who were waiting for evacuation. Nuber of Jews among them is unknown but was a signifacant.  On August 16, 1941, the local commandant ordered the registration of all Jews who were gathered in the square and told they would be sent in several parties to Uman.They were killed in the village of Bilashky (more than 2000).

On April 17, 1942, a second death action took place. Around 115 residents were killed. Many Jews who tried to evacuate from Western regions of USSR delayed in Talne and was killed together with local Jews.

After Talne liberation small number of Jews returned to Talne. After the WWII there was only one doctor in Talne region and she was a Jewish woman Titler Mariam.

Remains of second “action” victims were reburied in 1952-1953.

Last minyan was gavered in private house in Talne at 1960′s. Most Jews emmigrate from Talne to different cityes of former USSR in 1970′s. In 2013 there live only 20 Jews, most of them are pensioners. Head of Jewish Community – Titler Valentina Romanovna. I have his contacts and can provide if you need it.

Due to efforts of Naum Feldman (who was borned in Talne, and now living in USA) in Brooklyn Holocaust Memorial Mall was opened a Monument in the honor of 500o jews which were killed in Talne. He gavered more than 100 jews from Talne and their descands for opening ceremony.

They lived in Talne:

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). R. Duvidl lived in Talne from 1854. His grave in the Jewish cemetery has become a place of pilgrimage for Bratslav Hasidim. Rabbi Duvidl lived in luxury and wealth and is said to have sat on a silver throne with a quotation from the Talmud inscribed in gold: “David, king of Israel, lives forever”. Rabbi David loved singing and music, and surrounded himself with cantors and klezmer singers. His personal cantor was Rabbi Joseph of Talne. After the death of R. Duvidl in 1882, the Hasidic court was headed by Rabbi Nohum Tversky. He died young and was succeeded by his son, Rabbi Yitzhak Tversky (1930-1997).

Josef from Talne (Josef Volynets) – the personal cantor of Talner Rebbe, author of Hasidic melodies, composer and performer,
Misha Elfman – a famous musician, violinist. Born on January 20, 1891 in T,, in 1923 he moved to New York, where he died on April 5, 1967.
Petr Efimovich Vesklyarov (real name Vekslyarov, alias Grandfather Panas) – born on the 28th of May 1911 in Talne, died Jan. 5, 1994. in Kyiv) – an actor, TV presenter.
Isaac Shaevich Dvuhbabny – the Hero of the Soviet Union. Born on April 2, 1922 in T. Died on May 17, 1944. He was buried in the village of Geroevskoe near Kerch.

Places

Old Jewish Cemetery

Situated in city centre, behind the school building. Ohel of Rabbi Duvidl Tversky (1808-1882) situated there. The cemetery borders on private gardens. Date Of The Oldest Known Gravestone is 1825.

Inscription on the most recent gravestone: פ”נ
אשה חשובה
הכשרה והצנועה
מ’ טובה אשת
ר’ פסח צאמין
שנפטרה כ”ו
שבט שנת תרנ”ז
תנצבה
Here buried
Is a respected woman,
Decent and humble,
Tova, the wife of
Rabbi Pesach Tzomin,
Who died on Shvat 26
5657(1897).
May her soul be bound in the bond of life

Tombstones laying on the riverbank where the Soviet authorities had bulldozed all of the tombstones from the old Jewish cemetery.  They needed to bulldozed the stones off to make room to build a school which now stands over the old graves.  The tombstones lie on a nearby river bank – just scattered around – wherever they fell.

New Jewish Cemetery

Located 3km from the city of Talne, along the Talne-Cherkasy road. The old part of the cemetery contains up to seven tombstones, the earliest burial refers to 1928. This part is utilized as a grazing ground. On the new part of the cemetery there are approximately 50 graves, as well as the mass grave of Jews murdered on August 19, 1941 at the city slaughterhouse, and reburied in the cemetery in 1952-53.

According to the Head of Jewish Community Titler Valentina Romaniva on this cemetery will иу buried only last 3 Halakha jews of Talne…

Inscription on the oldest found gravestone.
פנ
שמחה בר
אליהו
גאבערביק נפ
יט טבת תרפח
Here buried
Is Simcha, son of
Eliyahu Habervik,
Who died
On Tevet 19, 5688

 

Mass grave

The mass grave is located 3-4 km from Talne along the Talne-Uman road, in a field not far from the road (on the left side).  There is a granite obelisk with an inscription in Russian. The obelisk was erected in August 1972. It isn’t mention that most of killed person were jews.

Titler Valentina provided few historic photos – 4 survived Jews in 1981 and photo near monument at 1970′s.

 

 

Synagogue

In Internet i find only one photo of synagogue in Talne (on Yad Vashem website). Now It is District Metodical Cabinet.

School number 3 is a former Rabbi home.

Eshiva buiding still existing now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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