The Bolekhiv Jewish Cemetery is located on a hill near Mandryka St. in

Bolekhiv Bolekhiv ( uk, Болехів, translit=Bolechiw; pl, Bolechów; yi, באָלעכאָוו) is a regional city in Kalush Raion, Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast ( province) of Ukraine. It was once home to a large Jewish community, very few of whom ...

( Ukrainian: Болехів; Polish: ''Bolechów'';

Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...

: באָלעכאָוו),

Ivano-Frankivsk Ivano-Frankivsk ( uk, Іва́но-Франкі́вськ, translit=Iváno-Frankívśk ), formerly Stanyslaviv ( pl, Stanisławów ; german: Stanislau), is a city located in Western Ukraine. It is the administrative centre of Ivano-Frankivsk O ...

Oblast ( province) of Ukraine. Many of the tombstones in the cemetery contain impressive epitaphs of animals (birds, lions, and bears), plants, and arabesque carvings. Animals graze on the grass in the cemetery keeping the tombstones relatively visible, although many of the stones are tilted or laying completely face up or down. There are between 2,000 and 3,000 individual graves in the cemetery.

History

1612 Events January–June * January 6 – Axel Oxenstierna becomes Lord High Chancellor of Sweden. He persuades the Riksdag of the Estates to grant the Swedish nobility the right and privilege to hold all higher offices of governme ...

the Jews of Bolekhiv were given permission to establish a cemetery in the town. According to the group ''Jewish Galicia and Bukovina'', a group which works to record and commemorate Jewish history from

Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...

and

Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...

, the earliest known burial in the cemetery occurred in 1615. According to National Geographic's book ''Jewish Heritage Travel: a Guide to Eastern Europe,'' the first burial in the town cemetery actually occurred in 1648., Between 2013 and 2014, individual graves were documented, mapped, and surviving tombstones were photographed and translated by ''Jewish Galicia and Bukovina.'' Burials occurred until at least 18 August 1944, with the burial of Sara Schneid.

The Holocaust

Many victims of the Holocaust are buried in the cemetery. In December 1942, Jews who were working in Bolekhiv were executed (shot) and buried in the cemetery. During the Holocaust in Bolekhiv, a majority of the towns Jewish population was murdered by Nazi's and local officials.

Notable burials

* Dov Ber Birkental Bolechower (1723–1805) - Jewish wine merchant and author * Reisel Landes née Frenkel (1832–1882) - great grandmother to future American producer, David L. Wolper

References

{{coord missing, Ukraine Jewish cemeteries in Ukraine Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast