June 2010
This report on the Jewish burial grounds of Odesa Region, or Oblast, is one of the results of a number of education and research projects undertaken by the Lo Tishkach Foundation in the spring and summer of 2009. It catalogues 40 Jewish cemeteries and 36 Holocaust-era mass graves. Thanks to the efforts of local partners and with the support of the Genesis Philanthropy Group, the sites were located, visited, surveyed and photographed, creating a unique record of the region’s Jewish heritage. The publication can be downloaded here.
The surveys took place within the context of broad educational seminars for local youth and students in Odesa, building leadership and volunteerism and raising awareness of Jewish history, heritage and identity.
The sheer number of Jewish cemeteries and mass graves in Ukraine and indeed throughout Central and Eastern Europe demonstrates the scale of Jewish life which was wiped out in the Holocaust. It stands as an everlasting testament to the vibrancy of Jewish communities over many centuries in Europe and is a physical reminder that we should not forget.
But today, with the absence of Jewish communities in most villages and former shtetlach and the speed of economic development in much of post-Soviet Central and Eastern Europe, we cannot afford to choose individual sites, ignoring the many other places that may lie within just a short radius. Remnants and records of Jewish burial sites are disappearing fast. All of these sites must be visited and this vital information catalogued before it is too late. That is the basis of the Lo Tishkach project; to preserve the historical record in all places where Jews once lived. Details of assistance needed are available for each site listed in the report.
