Nezhin

Nizyn (Polish), Нежин – Nezhin (Russian), Ніжин (Ukrainian)

Nezhin is a historic city located in Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine, center of Nezhin district. Nezhin is located on the Oster River, a tributary of the Dnieper. The city’s estimated population is 72 422 (as of 2015).

In XIX – beginning of XX century it was center of Nezhin Yezd of Chernigov Gubernia. 

Beginning

It is difficult to assume when Jews first appeared in Nezhin. It might have been in the XVII century.
Nezhin was one of the centers of Cossacks’ fighting against the Polish under Khmelnitskiy’s leadership. It is clear that Nezhin’s early Jewish community was during the uprising of 1648-1651. This was long period of the civil war and internal strife in Left-Bank Ukraine known as The Ruin. Because of this Nezhin’s Jewish population was only able to reestablish itself in the late XVIII century.

Because of this Nezhin’s Jewish population was only able to reestablish itself in the late XVIII century.
The Hasidic Tzadik Dov Ber of Lubavich, the son of Shneur Zalman of Lyady, the “middle rabbi” of Chabad Hasidism, died and was interred in Nezhin in 1827. The town became a center for the Chabad Hasidim of the Ukraine. It was especially well known while Israel Noah Schneersoh lived there from 1867 to 1883.

Israel Noach Schneerson (1816, Lubavich – 1883, Nezhin) was the son of Tzemach Tzedek and became a tzaddik in the city of Nezhin. The first tzaddik in Nezhin from the Schneerson family was Rabbi Menachem Nahum, son of Rabbi Dov Ber of Lubavitch (see above), after whose death the tzaddik was his son, Rabbi Shneur. However, the Hasidic court in Nezhin gained fame thanks to Rabbi Israel Noach, who was considered the most learned of the sons of Tzemach Tzedek. Under his leadership, Nezhin became Ukraine’s main centre of Chabad Hasidism.

 

In 1847, 1,299 Jews were registered in the community.

In 1865, Moisey Ettingen was a state rabbi.  Nezhin state Jewish college existed from 1854 till 1877. It consisted of two forms with about 20 children in each.

The staff of the Jewish college in 1858: honorable guard, the second guild merchant Leyba Berkovych Fainberg, supervisor Yakiv Vasyliovych Krzhyzhanovskyy, teacher of Judaic religion Afroyim Nukhanovich Ratner, German and Jewish languages teacher Abram Yankhelevich Cherkaskiy.

The staff of the Jewish college in 1870: honorable guard Leyba Berkovich Fainberg, supervisor and teacher of the Russian language and Mathematics Mykhaylo Yakovych Popov, teacher of traditions, religion and the Jewish language Abram Yankelevich Cherkaskyy, teacher of the Bible and the German language Yakiv Abramovych Kharshak.

The opening of private Jewish colleges was met by the opposition of some melameds. Their protests at times  caused some colleges to close. The owner of the women’s college in Nezhin Aron Kushner had to close the college “because he couldn’t stand arguing with the melameds any more”.

In March 1893, I.-L. B. Libman ‘s men’s private college was opened in Nezhin. General subjects were taught.
On July 20, 1881, an anti-Jewish riot broke out there and continued through July 21 and 22; most of the Jewish houses were destroyed. The military, which was called to suppress the riot, twice used their arms against the mob, killing ten of the rioters.
According to the datum of 1910, one private Jewish college and three women’s ones were functioning in Nezhin.

In 1907, doctor P.A.Bushtedt opened his own private medical and obstetric school in Nezhin. The majority of the students were Jewish.

In 1897 there were 7,631 Jews (24% of the total population). The Jewish artisans numbered (census of 1898) 980. The Talmud Torah has 98 pupils; the three Jewish private schools has 59; and the thirty hadarim, about 350. The general schools (boys’ and girls’ classical gymnasiums, etc.) have gave instruction to 142 Jewish pupils. The charitable institutions include a dispensary and a bikkur holim.
Unfortunately, there is no information about the time of Talmud-Torah founding in Nezhin. However, it is known that it didn’t exist in 1890. In 1911, there was one Talmud-Torah and 22 hedders with 405 students in it in Nezhin district.

Since 1895 the town has had a Jewish loan and savings association.

The laws of the Russian Empire had multiple bans and restrictions on professional activities for the Jewish population and therefore Jews in Nizhyn could work only in transportation of agricultural products, while many were tailors, manufactured harnesses for horses and other necessary items for the town and village residents. In 1798, out of the 358 merchants in the city, only three were Jews, but by 1897, out of 481 merchants there were 303 Jews. Such increase in Jewish trade was due to limitations in their professional employment.
The manufacture of various tobacco-products, which formerly gave employment to many Jews who worked in small shops, is no longer carried on there on account of the new system of collecting tobacco-duties, which favors the concentration of the tobacco industry in the hands of the greater manufacturers.
Chaim Isaakovich Entin organized veterinary services in Nezhin and Nezhin district in the late XX – early XX centuries. His son died at the front during World War I. His two daughters were shot by the Germans in 1941.
During the period from 1897 to 1917, the Jewish population of Nizhyn decreased substantially, mainly due to emigration, pogroms and deaths of the male population serving in the Russian army

In 1910 there were 8 synagogues and Jewish cemetery.

Photo from collection of Judaica Institute, Kiev:

In 1910, watchmaker Nozhnytskyy started the first cinema in Nezhin. It had to be set in motion by hand. Films were accompanied with the music of Muzykanskyy’s family orchestra. Later, cinemas “Vega” and “Lunapark” appeared in the local garden in a building of summer cinema. A woman of Polish origin owned “Vega”, “Lunapark” belonged to M. Glezer. Malkin and Serebrianik, the owners of photo studios in Gogol str., bought the first car “Bents”.

Jews Gorbstein and Fonariov repaired sewing machines and bicycles. Zolonitskyy had the most popular shop in the town. They sold jewelry, watches, and bicycles. Doctor R.Yoffe cured people. In 1916, A.Ya.Goldin settled in the town. Soon he started his own steam bakery. He produced white and nutritious bread which was delivered in the vans with the ad “Steam bakery of A.Ya. Goldin”. Then he organized the production of Nezhin pickled cucumbers, led a narrow-gauge railway to the factory and equipped it with a steam machine. Eizenberg’s pasta factory worked in Shiroka str. Davidzon’s largest  rolling mill was in Dorohinska str. Tarnapolskyy owned a large sewing studio. Merchant Mordukh Aronovych Lazarev financed the Jewish community.

Pharmacy in Nezhin by 1917 had almost 180 year-old history. The following Jews were the owners or co-owners of the drugstores: Rabynovych, I. Myronskyy, I.V. Epelbaum, M. Mayzlysh, and I. Ass. Sh. Berlind, I. Eydelman, F. Shnershtayn, M.Sobol, and others were the assistants there. G. Agre, B.Ayzenberg, and others worked at a tobacco factory which belonged to Popov brothers and Ayzenberg. M.Glezer was the owner of one of printing houses. G.Shepel, G.Liberman, and others worked there. Artillery loads were delivered by L.Fratkin’s enterprise.

 

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Shlomo Menachem Mendel Chein was born on 1879 to his father, The Rav David Tzvi Chein (Known as the RADAZ CHEIN) the Rav of Chernihiv.
In 1906, the 26 year old rabbi was invited to be the Rav of the Jewish Congregation of Nezhin.
As a young man he was widely acknowledged for his learning and intellectual powers and became very close to the Chabad leaders of his time. In spite of being young and coming from the small town of Nezhin, he was elected to the Great Rabbinical Conference of 1910 in Petersburg and played an important part in the defence team in the Beilis Trial.

Civil War

The waves of pogroms which overtook Russian Jewry in 1905 also affected the Jews of Nezhin.

On the first day of Elul, 1919 (26.8.19) the forces of the White Russian army commanded by General Denikin, occupied Nezhin. Pogroms followed and six days later Rav Chein, together with a Pravoslav priest named Andreyevski and other Jewish men, went to meet the local Governor to seek protection for Nezhin Jewish congregation.
The Governor addressed the group, but apparently did not promise his help.
On the way back, while in the street, they were warned that the hoodlums were approaching. The priest offered to hide them in his church close by, but Rav Chein did not want to save himself in the church. He entered a Jewish hotel nearby and was killed together with many other Jews who stayed there.
Only one man survived and he testified that in the last few minutes before their deaths, the Rav conducted the Jewish Ritual Confession before death and requested that whoever will survive will ask the Jewish People of Nezhin to observe the Jewish Torah Laws.

His widow, Pesia Chein, emigrated to Israel in 1925 together with their four children.

Approximately 200 Jews were savagely massacred in these days. Many women were raped and much property pillaged.

It must be stated that a large contingent of Nezhin’s intellectuals had sympathetic feelings for the Jews and tried to save them. A graduate of the second men’s gymnasium, future honored teacher of ukraine S.S.Kovtun hid Jewish families Ioffe and Freydinov in his house.

Nezhin Orthodox priest I.Semashko must be recalled with a particular respect. During Denikin’s pogroms he saved Jewish families of Tsilevich,Burshtynskiy, and Pevzner.

During one Jewish pogrom preist of Mykolayiv church Heorhiy Spaskyy had saved 30 Jewish families.
More details about pogrom in Nezhin can be found in article (in Ukrainian) “Живі заздрять мертвим” – До історії єврейського погрому в Ніжині у 1919 році

After Civil War

Ten synagogues had been functioning in Nezhin by 1917. Seven of them renewed its activity n the 1920’s. There is no information concerning three of them. In 1921, the synagogue after Shneyerson, synagogue “Remisna”, synagogue “Ruzyka” started their work. In 1922, synagogue#2, synagogue after Zolotnytskyy, and synagogue “Kamenka” began functioning.

Jewish prayer houses were located on the both banks of the river Ostior, from Migalevka (Franko str.,9) up to Dzerzhinsky  street. The buildings  have been built there since the end of the 1950’s. The synagogues in Oktiabrska, Sverdlov, Dzerzhynsky, Ordzhonikidze streets were demolished. Nowadays we definitely know the addresses of three former synagogues, Franko str.,9, St.Yavorskiy str.,7, and Borodin str., 1.

Photos of Lifshits family in Nezhin, courtesly Avigdor Cahaner from Israel:

In the beginning of 1920th 200 shops from 623 belong to jews. In 1920th-1930th in Nizhin was Yiddish-language school, jewish club and theatre (1926-1927).
In 1926, there were 6,131 Jews in Nezhin (16.1% of the population), their number dropping in 1939 to 2,725 (7% of the total population).
In 1921, there was Jewish crafts school #4 in Nezhin.

In 1922, the community invited M. A. Gluzkin, from Minsk province, to be their rabbi instead of M. Kheyn who had been killed by Denikin’s band.

The head of the Jewish community was N.I.Shneyerson.

 

Here are the names of the founders of Nezhin Jewish religious community: N.I.Shneyerson, M.Malkin, I.D. Zolotnytskyy, L.Tsitlenok, Z. Agranovich. Kh. G. Lifshits, I.Kaplan, N.Simanovskyy, I.Vaserman, Kh.G. Lifshyts, B.Katsman, I.Vilner, M.Bilyy, L.Gornyy, A.M. Nosovskiy, A.I. Lempert, I.Burnstein, A.L. Rayer, Ye. G. Faynberg, M. Tsilevich, and others. There were 27 people of them.

On September 11, 1920, opening of a Jewish children’s house took place in Nezhin.

 

A Jewish evening school with two-years’ studying started its work in 1926.

In early 1926, A.Berstein and M.Duchyn began producing cigarettes in Bobrovytsi, and Nezhin businessmen Ya.Zolotnitskiy, Ayzenberg, and others who were the producers of tobacco goods turned into the producers of tobacco leaves. In November 1927, the seventh tobacco factory which belonged to Ayzenberg brothers was about sold and demolished. The businessmen mentioned above opened “collective points” of tobacco leaves in the villages of Nezhin district in 1925.

In Nezhin Jewish orphanage “Jewish commune” 34 children were being brought up, 14 boys and 20 girls.

Photos of members of HeHalutz branch in Nezhin, courtesly Avigdor Cahaner from Israel:

A story about Nezhin sionist Mendel Beilin:

In 1929, the head of Zolotnitskyy synagogue Moisey Khaykin organized matsah baking.

In the late 1920’s, Shneyerson and Zolotnitskyy synagogues were closed.

By mid 1922, three groups had been working in Shevchenko theatre. Those were the Ukrainian group, the Russian and the Jewish ones. P.M. Liubarskiy was the director of the Jewish group.

In 1929-1930, three Jewish collective farms were organized in Nezhin district.

50 poorest families were incorporated into Nezhin Jewish collective farm named after Smidovich. It was formed in late 1929. Unfortunately, there is very little information about its workers. G.Gerdov worked in the collective farm in the 1930’s. his son  Ju. Gerdov lives in the USA with his family now.

Photo from the private collection of Mikhail Kenin:

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In late 1929, private enterprises were demolished, and businessmen A.Ya. Goldin, Zolotnytskyy , and others appeared to be in difficult financial situation. Furthermore, their property is taken away for not paying the taxes. So, on the 29th of November 1929 the selling of A.Ya. Goldin’s house is announced. It was situated in Kosyy lane, now Borodin street).

In 1929, 14 teachers take an active part in town activities. M.Z. Mazlysh, N.L. Ash, S.L. Ash were among them.  19 doctors and pharmacist operated in the town; Topoz, German, Gerdsberg, Glikman, Fayerman, Zatilovska, Lipovetskiy, Kryzhanovska, Fefer, Fratkin, and other nursing staff, one lawyer, two engineers. The teachers in the institute at that time were professor Naum Akhiozer, associate professor Lazar Bykhovskyy (from 1931 till 1935), associate professor Moysey Karminskyy (from 1923 till 1941 and from 1944 till 1967), candidate of Science Lazar Polonskyy (from 1936 till 1941 and from 1944 till 1954).

Nezhin railway station in 1941, few months or weeks before German invasion:

Holocaust

The Germans occupied the town on September 13, 1941. Most of the Jews succeeded in escaping because Nezhin locates on a major railway line Kiev-Moscow.

Nazi administration registered 322 jews in September-October 1941 (men between 16 and 60 years old was only 14%). This list was found in Nezhin Archive in 1990’s and provided to jewua.org by Chernigov researcher Yacob Sokolskiy in 2017:

From one memory it happened 6 November 1941 from another 7 November… All jews were ordered to gather in one place and was killed near the brick factory. According to memories in the column of Jews were near 500 people (among them were 218 Jewish POWs). Precision number of killed in that day still unknown. During next year of occupation many hidden jews were killed too.

After the Jewish population of Nezhin was killed, the Germans and police were shooting prisoners of different nationalities for two years on same place where Jews were killed.

Now we know names of 335 killed civilians and 218 warriors. Only 16 jews survived during Holocaust in Nizhin.
Nizhin was liberated by Red Army at September 14, 1943.
Yad Vashem published next interview of Holocaust survivals in Nezhin:

 

 

At least several members of every Jewish family died at the front:
Agre family – two brothers David and Ilya died
Beylin family – two brothers David and Iosif
Bliumkin – three brothers Ayzik, Moisey, and Fayfel, nephew Abram
Braginskiy – two brothers Mordukh and Samuil
Mogilevskiy – two brothers Naum and Samuil, father Shneur-Zalman; when the third brother found out about his brothers’ death went to the army voluntarily(!)
Poliak – two brothers Leyb and Petr
Sinelnikov – two brothers Chaim and Yakov
Borshchevskiy – Iuda and Iosif
Kats – two brothers Yakov and Mark
Peysakhovich –  Andrey and Ayzik
Sinelnikov – the third brother Aron
Supinskiy – two brothers Iosif and Lev
Ferberov – two brothers David and Isaak
Chaykin – Mikhail (Moisey) and Zalman.

Photos of Nezhin Jews who were killed in action during the WWII, taken from book of Moses Abramovich Men:

Memorial ceremony near Holocaust mass grave in Nezhin, 2017:

We know the names of the Jews from Nezhin who managed to avoid the executions and survived in the occupation thanks to the the help of local non-Jews:
– Vlasovets (maiden name Melnik) Etia Lippovna (1913-1959), her daughter Maya (born in 1938), and son Yuriy (born in 1934) separated from the column in the area of the incubator laboratory. The column was led to be shot. They were hiding in Nezhin for some time and then in Bobrovitsy.

– Grudina Dina Dmitriyevna lives in the USA.
– Geskin Isaak Naumovich was called up to the army and died in 1941. His wife and five children left in occupation. Only his wife Mania Avramovna Geskina (born in 1900) and two children Sarah (born in 1926) , and Avraam (born in 1929) survived.
– Nekhama Shliomovna Dondysh (maiden name Portnaya) and her four-year old son Izia Berkovich Dondysh.
– Medvedev sisters – Dverta Solomonovna and Sofiya Solomonovna orphaned. Vustina Ivanovna Petrenko and the residents of Shatura village determined their destiny.
– Sofiya Isaakovna Latinskaya was saved by Yevdokiya Yevdokimovna Bogdan.
– Two sisters Mariya and Sima Leyzerovna Poliakova.
– Raisa Grigoryevna Sidorenko survived due to the dedicated deeds of her neighbor Mariya Kolesnik.
– Liubov Markovna Shevel survived during the years of genocide.

Six more Jews are known to go through the occupation. Four of them lived in Nezhin and two – in other places. Those two were M. Pudalov and F.Intergoyz.

In Nezhin and its district:

“The Righteous Person among the Peoples of the World” is Vustina Ivanovna Petrenko (1908-2003)
“The Righteous People of Ukraine”  are Yevdokiya Yevdokimovna Bogdan (born in 1924), Andrey Trofimovich Kirichenko (born in 1918), and Alina Mikhaylovna Malakhova (born in 1922).

Jewish WWII vetarans, who lived in Nezhin after the War, from book Moses Abramovich Men :

In 1950’s-1960’s,  a monument was erected on the grave of those who had been shot. Before that the monument was used on the mass grave of Soviet Army soldiers at the non-Jewish cemetery. The nationality of people who had been shot is not mentioned on the monument.

Article in local newspaper about the Holocaust in Nezhin and commemorate in 2020.

After the war

After the war more than one thousand Jews came back to Nezhin.
Many Jews were the directors of enterprises in Nezhin.
–          Mechanical plant – director A.P. Krumgolts
–          Clinker plant – director Ye. Finkelberg
–          Nezhin state creamery # 14 – director M. Likhterman
–          Cooperative association “Your Labor” – head M.L.Yudin
–          Nezhin society of the blind – head G.P. Zemskiy
–          Coooperative association “Stakhanovets” – head Z.V. Nakhatovich
–          Brewery – director M.N. Pritykin

 

After the war life of a Jewish community was renewed by the acts of local enthusiasts. Its members brought religious objects for praying process. Ya.Kh.-G. Basenok, L.M.Blokh, A.Volovich, Ye. Krol, T. Milman, M.Nol’, M.L.Rubanovich, I.Sankin, M. Slonimskiy, B.Turovskiy, B.Ya. Fridman were the most active participants. In total, there were about 30 members.  Rabbi was Yda-Izka Boryhovich Reznikov (1875-?).

In 1946, two shochets (ritual slaughterers) were in Nezhin – Basenok and “young” Rosenberg.

A synagogue was situated in Engels str., 17. A room for women was in the extension of the building.  Before the revolution, there was one of the Jewish prayer houses in this building.

When the synagogue had officially been closed Jews gathered in the house opposite Vasilyevska church. Today the building doesn’t exist as it was demolished. The rent was paid by the members, B.Turovskiy was in charge of the financial estimates.

Rabbi’s and Shoykhet’s duties were fulfilled by Yankel Chaim Basenok (1869-1962). He was in evacuation with his three daughters. His son Aaron died at the front.

Yankel-Chaim Gershov took a part of the books and cult object with him to the evacuation. The other part was well hidden.  When he came back he revealed Siddurs, Torahs, Havtorot from the secret place. Thus, the community didn’t need necessary things up to the 1960’s.

When Nezhin was freed from the occupation Ye. Krol was the headman of the synagogue and keeper of Rabbi Dovber’s  grave.

Ye. Krol managed to preserve a Torah scroll that dates back to the “elimination” of synagogues in 1929-1938. The scroll “underwent” evacuation together with his keeper, and was returned to the religious community.

B.Turovskiy together with M.Slonimskiy, Ye. Feygin had set the work of the synagogue and restoration of a Jewish cemetery. The latter was destroyed twice for last 100 years. The activists cleaned the cemetery up.

M.Karminskiy (1890-1969) speaking Hebrew fluently was “Shaliakh-Tsibur” and a Torah reader. He could answer the questions concerning the essence of Holy Scriptures, Jewish culture and traditions. Moisey Semenovich was buried at Nezhin cemetery.

M.Reyner (1895-1978) got a traditional Jewish education. He had been an active member of religious meetings by the mid 1970’s. Moisey Izrailevich read in Hebrew very well and used to fulfill the duties of Torah and Havtorot reader, daily prayers and blessings during public service in the synagogue as well.

In 1950’s, local Jews invited rabbi David Nol from Novgorod-Severskiy, who was a rabbi till his death in 1961.

When the synagogue had been closed in 1960, he kept participating in informal meetings of the believers.

Information about the last rabbi of Nizhyn, David Nolé, was provided by his grandson, Yakov Nol, who resides in Nesher, Israel:

87 books and 88 fragments of the Torah scroll and Havorot was kept in Nezhin archive, but now they are mostly lost.

By the end of the 1960’s Nezhin Jews used to read “Jewish Encyclopedia”. Shimon (Semen) Markovich Ash (1882-1974) owned it an brought it to the synagogue to read. Also, he preserved a Torah scroll and prayer books during the WWII.

Candidate of Sciences Isaak Likhtenfeld used to work in Nezhin Pedagogical Institute from 1944 till 1954.  Associate professor Mordukh Krugliak worked there from 1945 till 1972, Candidate of Sciences Roman Gurevich from 1949 till 1994, Associate professor Ninel Gomon-Dziubanova from 1950 till 1967, Associate professor Oscar Baram from 1952 till 1982, Doctor f Sciences Marko Plisetskiy from 1964 till 1966.

In the 1990’s, the majority of Jews left for Israel, the USA, and Germany, approximately 100 people. However, the community still exists.

The first place used for community gatherings was the evening school. On Jewish holidays, more than 100 people would gather.
In the 1990s, the chairpersons of the Jewish community at different times were Mikhail Kenin, Oleg Garber, and Sokolovskiy.

According to census 2001 in Nezhin 137 Jews were registered.
In 2000’s, local Jewish historian Moses Men (1931-2007) published 3 books about Nezhin Jewish history: “Mittler Rebe and his descendants in Nezhin”, “Nezhin’s tzadikim and their contemporaries in 1800-1949” and “Jews of Nezhin 1941-2005”.

Genealogy 

Many useful links to digitalized archive records, related to Nezhin Jewery, locates here.

Famous Jews from Nezhin

Mark Naumovich Bernes (1911, Nezhin – 1969, Moscow), People’s Artist of RSFSR (1965), winner of Stalin Prize of the first degree (1951). One of the most favorite artists of the Soviet bandstand, outstanding Russian chansonnier. His real name was Menakhem-Man Neukh-Shmuylov Neyman.

Mani Leib (born Mani Leib Brahinsky, 1883, Nezhin – 1953, New York) was a Yiddish-language poet.

Zhanna Pintusevich-Block (née Tarnopolskaya; born 1972, Nezin) is a Ukrainian former world champion sprinter who competed in the Olympic Games.

David Bar-Rav-Hai (Born David Borovoi, 1894, Nezhin – 1977) was an Israeli politician who served as a member of the Knesset for Mapai from 1949 until 1955, and again from 1956 until 1965.

Tavel Shevelich Dokshitser (1921, Nezhin – 2005, Vilnus), musician.

Genealogy

Links to different records about Nezhin Jewry on FamilySearch you can find in  Lara Diamond blog.

Nezhin Jewish cemetery

Cemetery locates on the north-eastern outskirts of the town, in the area of Kozimirovka, near a road to the village of Lypiv Rih.
Rabbi Dov Ber Schneerson from Liubavitchy (1773, Liady – 1827, Nizhyn), son of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liady (haAdmor haEmtsai), second Liubavitcher Rebe, buried in this cemetery.

During the excavations as part of restoration works, the ancient graves were found which had been located under the barn, adjacent to the building of the synagogue.

The barn was recently demolished by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe during the synagogue reconstruction. Representatives of the Centre believe the graves to belong to the son of Rabbi Dov Ber, Menachem Nohum, and his 15 followers. New tombstones were erected for them. The restoration was completed in late 2007. The Jewish cemetery was restored with the help of the US based American philanthropist Muli Cohen.

Restoration of the cemetery included modernization of electric lighting, repairs of the entrance and the fence. This restoration took place right after the synagogue reconstruction.

In 2015, the sign on the ohel was broken and painted with green colour. Local non-Jews are constantly trying to open the synagogue and ohel to loot.

Most of the gravestones in the cemetery were stolen by local Ukrainians during the WWII.

Y.Krol, Sh. Mindel (died in 1987), I.Kats, M.Kenin, M.Lipkovich were the keepers of the grave of Lubavitcher Rabbi after WWII.

Now cemetery consist of 5 parts:
1. Central part with ohel of second Lubavitcher Rebe and synagogue.

2. Pre-WWII part which overgrown by trees and have no trace of stolen gravestones (80% of cemetery)

3. Post-WWII part with graves dated by 1945-1970’s

On many of the graves there are the names of the relatives who had died or disappeared during the war.

 

4. Post-WWII part with graves dated by 1970’s – 1980’s

5. The modern part which is still in use and consist of man’s and woman’s plots.

 

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