Lyuboml New Jewish Cemetery

The exact period of the cemetery’s foundation is unknown. It was functioning in the 19th century and appears on Russian maps from the mid-19th century. The dates of the preserved gravestones date to 1966-1970s. The cemetery was fenced in 1930. It was demolished in the 1970s and 1980s by Soviet authorities. Up to seven tombstones was preserved, all dating from after WWII. Recent research has failed to confirm these findings due to thick vegetation. 150 metres to the west of this cemetery, there is a mass grave of local Jews killed during WWII, as well as a memorial marking the site.

The first mention of the Jews of Lyuboml’ dates back to 1370. The local community is considered as one of the oldest in Rzeczpospolita. During the Khmelnitsky uprising, Jews suffered greatly. In 1670, the fortress-synagogue was built and remained intact after a fire of 1728 or 1729, which destroyed all Jewish houses. In 1701, 527 Jews were living in Lyuboml’, and in 1897, the Jewish population had reached 3,297 (74% of the total population). A Talmud Tora school for children from poor families was established. One rabbi of the interwar period was Arie Leibush London. By 1920, a Hebrew Tarbut school had been opened, and a Yavne school was operating around 1935. Lyuboml’ was occupied by Germans on June 23, 1941, and a ghetto was set up on December 6. Ghetto residents founded two underground armed groups, which assisted in creating false papers and organising armed resistance. The Jews of Lyuboml’ were killed by Germans and Ukrainian police units in a number of Aktions. The final mass execution, in which the remaining 1,000 Jews were murdered, took place on October 1, 1942. In 1987, a monument was set up on the site.