Hannopil Jewish Cemetery

The exact period of the cemetery’s establishment is unknown. It appears on a German map of 1918 (copy of the Russian map of the 1880s), but the oldest preserved gravestone relates to the first half of the 19th century. Later, it was marked on Russian topographic maps of 1909 and 1939. The Jewish cemetery was destroyed during WWII. The graves of Dov Ber ben Avraham of Mezeritch and Meshulam-Zusi Zvi-Menachem-Mendl were reconstructed in 1988.

Jews first settled in the 18th century. In 1784, 215 Jews were inhabitants of the town. A disciple of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, Dov Ber ben Avraham (died in 1772), aka the Maggid of Mezritch, lived here together with his son Avraham (1741-1776), aka Ha-Malach. ​​Avraham Ha-Malach later moved to Fastiv, where he was known as a tzaddik. Rabbi Shneur-Zalman of Liady also stayed there for a while. A significant contribution in the spreading of Hasidism in Volyn’ was made by the disciple of Dov Ber, Meshulam-Zusya Annopolsky (died in 1800), who settled here after his death. The son of Meshulam-Zusi Zvi-Menachem-Mendl (died in 1814) after his father’s death became an Admor of Hannopil’. In the 19th century, Jews earned their living in crafts, wholesale and intermediary trade of agricultural products. In 1890, a few synagogues existed. The Jewish population numbered 1,812 (82% of the total population) in 1897, and it dropped to 1,008 after WWI and the Russian Civil War, in 1923. In 1910–16, the Bundist and Zionist movements became active. In late 1917, a pogrom was staged by local gentiles. In the 1920s-30s, five synagogues operated. A Yiddish school was opened. A Jewish association of individual farmers (in 1925) and a Jewish rural council (in 1931) were established. In 1931, 1,280 Jews resided here. In 1932–33, the Jewish community suffered from hunger. In January 1942, the Jewish community of the town and the Jews from neighbouring villages were sent to Slavuta, where they were executed on June 26, 1942.