Orla Old Jewish Cemeter

The old Jewish cemetery in Orla was likely established in the 17th century and was located behind the synagogue. It is not known on which town plan of Orla this cemetery would be marked. According to previous research, the cemetery covered a part of Poświętna Street (former Armii Czerwonej Street) and the area where the pump room and fire brigade buildings behind the synagogue are located – up to Partyzantów Street to the east and Żwirki i Wigury Street to the south. The cemetery was used until about the mid-19th century. During the war, the Germans took matzevot from the cemetery for utility purposes, and local residents continued to steal tombstones after the war until the area was devoid of tombstones. There are residential and farm buildings in the area and there are no traces of the cemetery and its former borders.

The first mentions of Orla as a private village appear at the beginning of the 16th century. In 1618, it was granted town rights, including a permit for free settlement of both Christians and Jews. During the wars in the mid-17th century and the Northern War, Orla was significantly damaged. In 1807, Orla was inhabited by 1,586 inhabitants, 70% of whom were Jews. In 1878, there were 2,351 inhabitants, 77% of whom were Jews.

In 1939, Jews constituted about 70% of approximately 2,300 inhabitants. Jews first settled in Orla as early as the 16th century, before Orla gained town rights., the Jewish community was revived relatively quickly after the wars in the mid-17th century. In 1765, 1,358 Jews were registered in the town and the neighbouring villages which belonged to the kehilla. 1,102 Jews lived in the village in 1807, 1,812 in 1878, and 1,450 in 1939. During World War II, in March 1942, the Germans established a ghetto in the town, which was liquidated at the beginning of November 1942. The Jews were deported to the extermination camp in Treblinka.