Reni Jewish Cemetery

Cemetery Information

Country
Ukraine
Region
Odessa
District
Reni
Settlement
Reni
Site address
The cemetery is located on Budagyana Street, 220 metres to the north from the intersection of Budagyana Street and Proletars'ka Street, on the left side of the road.
GPS coordinates
45.46213, 28.28504
Perimeter length
303 metres
Is the cemetery demolished
no
Type and height of existing fence
No fence
Preservation condition
Unfenced Jewish cemetery
General site condition
The cemetery is fenced from the front with a concrete fence of 1.5 metres. Its other three sides are unfenced. The cemetery is cared for by the ​local Jewish community, which cleans it on Saturdays.
Number of existing gravestones
Around 400
Date of oldest tombstone
1830 (earliest found by ESJF expedition)
Date of newest tombstone
2008
Urgency of erecting a fence
High
Land ownership
Municipality
Preserved construction on site
There is an abandoned brick beit-tahara on the cemetery site, presumably dating from late 19th century.
Drone surveys
No

Historical overview

According to epigraphic data, the cemetery emerged not later than 1830 and has been operating until now. In the mid-1990s, there was a regular caretaker and the cemetery was fenced from all sides. Now a small local community takes care of the cemetery.

Jews began settling in Reni during the 18th century. In 1847, 22 Jewish families were living here. The Jewish population had grown to 730 (11% of the total population) by 1897. At the beginning of the 20th century, Zionist organisations were active. In 1910, a synagogue and a Jewish cemetery were operating. In 1910, the number of Jews numbered 1,018 (11% of the total population). In 1930, their number slightly increased to 1,201. On July 19, 1941, the Wehrmacht occupied Reni. In August 1941, around 18 Jews were murdered. The remaining Jews, around 300 people, were imprisoned in the camp and, on October 4, 1941, deported to Transnistria. After 1945, some Jews returned to Reni, and in 2005, the town again had a Jewish population.

3D model