Zbarazh New Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Ukraine
Region
Ternopyl
District
Zbarazh
Settlement
Zbarazh
Site address
The cemetery is located on the crossroads of Hrushevs'koho and Hoholya streets.
GPS coordinates
49.67368, 25.76294
Perimeter length
362 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
The cemetery has a fence installed in November 2018 by ESJF. Its eastern side is surrounded by a metal fence, its three other sides are surrounded by a new brick fence with metal sections on top and metal gates.
Preservation condition
Fenced and protected Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The cemetery is well-maintained by the local municipal service. The fence is in excellent condition.
Number of existing gravestones
200
Date of oldest tombstone
1905 (oldest found by ESJF expedition)
Date of newest tombstone
1946 (latest found by ESJF expedition)
Urgency of erecting a fence
Fence is not needed
Land ownership
Property of local community
Preserved construction on site
Drone surveys
No

Historical overview

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. The earliest preserved gravestone relates to the early 20th century so it can be assumed that the cemetery emerged during that period. First, it appears on Wojskowy Instytut Geograficzny (WIG) maps of 1939.

The Jews started to settle down in Zbarazh in the late 15th century. In the first half of the 17th century, a synagogue was built. The Jewish community of Zbarazh suffered the Khmelnytskyi massacres in 1648-49, Turkish occupation in 1675, and Haidamak raids of 1798. In 1765, 910 Jews were inhabitants of Zbarazh. In 1880, the Jewish population reached a peak of 3,768 (46,7% of the total population). In 1858–93, Ishiyagu Babad (1821–1893) fulfilled the duties of an Av Beit Din. Zbarazh became one of the earliest centres of Haskala in Galicia. In the early 20th century, the Hasidic court of Yom Tov-Lipman Geller (died in 1910) seated here. By the late 19th century and in the interwar period, various Zionist organizations were active. “Hazionim Hazaerim” was one of the first established Zionist group. In 1907, Hebrew school for over 500 students appeared. The number of Jewish residents dropped to 2982 (35,5% of the total population) in 1921. In 1931, 2870 Jews resided here. In the 1930s, a WIZO orphanage, a trade association and a Jewish bank operated. The thousands of the Jewish refugees arrived from Poland when WWII started. The Wehrmacht troops occupied the town on July 6, 1941. In September 1941, 76 Jews, mostly intellectuals, were executed in the Lubianki forest. In June 1942, nearly 600 Jews were shot. By the early autumn of 1942, the hundreds of Jews were deported to the Belzec extermination camp. After a ghetto establishing, thousands of Jews were sent to the Belzec extermination camp. The ghetto was liquidated on June 8, 1943.