Stara Zhadova Jewish Cemetery
Cemetery Information
Historical overview
The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. According to epigraphic data, it already existed at the end of the 19th century and was operating until WWII. The latest preserved gravestone relates to 1940.
Jews settled in the mid-19th century. 246 Jews lived in Stara Zhadova in 1880. The Jews were mostly involved in cattle, grain and lumber trades. The community became independent in 1890 when Rabbi Israel Ginsburg came from the town. The Jews of Stara Zhadova maintained a synagogue and four prayer houses. The Jewish community maintained a mikvah, Talmud-Torah and several heders. The peak of the Jewish population reached 713 in 1910. The Zionists became active in the pre-war period. In 1930, 468 Jews (24% of the total population) resided in Stara Zhadova. In the 1930s, some Jews had positions in the town’s council. On July 6, 1941, the German-Romanian troops captured the town. 543 Jews were forced to march to Storojineti and locked in the synagogue with the Jews from the surrounding villages. There, the Jews were forced to work in labour units. Many of them later were deported to the Edineti ghetto. In autumn 1941, they were gathered in Mogilev and expelled to various camps. A few Jews survived WWII.