Lyuboml New Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Ukraine
Region
Volyn
District
Lyuboml’
Settlement
Lyuboml’
Site address
From the Christian cemetery at the intersection of Ostrovetska Street and Shevchenko Street, proceed 780 metres to the east and turn left. The cemetery is located on the right side of the road, in an orchard.
GPS coordinates
51.23331, 24.00602
Perimeter length
863 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
The cemetery has a fence installed in October 2020 by ESJF.
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
This is a fenced and well-maintained Jewish cemetery.
Number of existing gravestones
7
Date of oldest tombstone
1912
Date of newest tombstone
1970s
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
Property of local community
Preserved construction on site
No
Drone surveys
Yes

Historical overview

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 1912-1970s. 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.