Leshniv Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Ukraine
Region
Lviv
District
Brody
Settlement
Leshniv
Site address
To reach the cemetery, proceed for about 160 metres in the north-western direction from the western edge of the village. The cemetery is located on the right of the road.
GPS coordinates
50.24538, 25.08054
Perimeter length
473 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
Fenced by ESJF in May 2021.
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
This is a fenced and well-maintained Jewish cemetery. The telecommunication tower is located on the cemetery site.
Number of existing gravestones
About 50. Many gravestones are dug into the ground with its front sites, and it's impossible to read the dates.
Date of oldest tombstone
1884 (oldest found by ESJF expedition)
Date of newest tombstone
1935 (latest found by ESJF expedition)
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
State
Preserved construction on site
Drone surveys
No

Historical overview

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. Presumably, it appears on the Austro-Hungarian maps of the 1880s. According to Pinkas haKehillot, the cemetery was operating until 1939.

Jews first settled in the early 17th century. A Jewish cemetery was established from the emerge of the Jewish community. In 1880, 696 Jews lived (31.6% of the total population) in Leshniv. In the 17-18th century, the Jews were engaged mainly in crafts and trade. Yoel Halperin (from 1760), Zvi-Hirsh Ramraz (in the mid-19th century) and other rabbis served in Leshniv. In the first half of the 19th century, a synagogue was built. In 1900, the Jewish population was 513 (25.6% of the total population). The peak of the Jewish population was about 800 in 1911, and it fell to 179 (9.5% of the total population) in 1921. In summer 1941, the Wehrmacht occupied Leshniv. In January 1942, 269 Jews resided in Leshniv. On November 2, 1942, a ghetto was established. On 17 April 1943, the Leshniv ghetto was liquidated, and more than 250 Jews were deported to the Brody ghetto. 19 Jews returned to Leshniv after WWII.