Life in Kolomyya, story 4
Tour by Jeff Austin, July-August 2019, part 2
The next stop was the 2nd Jewish cemetery used from 1783 to 1894. The entrance is at corner of Anton Checkov and Symon Petliura Streets (formerly Gottgera and Tarnowskich). It is a few blocks north of Ivano Franko Street. There is a single footpath that cuts through the grounds and leads to Motuzkovvy Park. Follow the footpath to the end to Mis”ke Ozero, a kidney shaped lake with a small island you can walk to from the western shore and that houses a nature preserve. Again, there were no standing headstones. However, Yasha has collected all the headstones into this park and has constructed 4 Memorial Walls so far. He has plans for at least 4 more from the headstones lying throughout the area.
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| Sign at the entrance of 2nd Jewish Cemetery. It reads: Old Jewish cemetery of Kolomyia, 1783-1894. | Path at opposite end of cemetery There were debates about this cemetery after Ukrainian independence. Some people wanted the areas set aside as a public garden, but city hall and city council said that was not possible because it was a cemetery. Not just a Jewish cemetery because other people were buried here. This was also a place of execution in WWII of both Jews and Ukrainians. The Ukrainian community put up the cross, but the Jews protested since it had originally been a Jewish cemetery. Obviously, the Ukrainians won this argument. |
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| One of the wall built by community leader Yasha out of the headstones found throughout Kolomyia. Many were used a paving stones for roads on in building foundations. This walls shows graffiti with Jewish stars being thrown away. | A pile of knocked over headstone. Yasha has built 4 memorial walls so far and plans to make as many as necessary to preserve the headstone. |
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| Second memorial wall.
. Jeff looked for family names Ausfresser or a
Gerstenhaber but did not find anything. |
Third memorial wall |
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| Fourth memorial wall |
"Ohel" the canopy protecting the grave of Rabbi Baruch Lichtenstein. Born in Hungary and known for his ultra-orthodox beliefs, Lichtenstein was chief rabbi of Kolomyia from 1863 to his death in 1891. I am unsure when the brick ohel was built but I believe it was built by Yasha and his crew after 1991. |
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| Sample portions of the
monument walls |
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We drove by 3rd "modern" cemetery. We did not go in because there was nothing to see.
We visited the Museum of Kolomyia History and took photos of the Jewish exhibits plus various street scenes.
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| Typical early 20th
century house |
Early 20th century living
room |
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| The Great Synagogue |
Picture of 3 synagogues |
Sheparivtsi (formerly Szeparowce) Forest
We drove to Szeparowce Forest to view the memorial at the
edge of the forest. Tens of thousands of Jews were executed in
the forest behind the memorial between August 1941 and 1944.
In 1993 a group of 28 survivors from Kolomyja, led by David
David of Milwaukee, Wisconsin returned to Ukraine to dedicate
this monument at the edge of the Szeparowce Forest on the side
of the road between Otynya and Kolomyja. The monument
had plaques in Hebrew, Yiddish and Ukrainian designed by the
Organization of the Descendants of Kolomyja in Israel.
The Ukrainian portion of the monument was vandalized in June,
1994. A protest was filed with the Ukrainian Ambassador to the
United States by David David. Several months later a new
Ukrainian plaque was installed and arrangements were made for
ongoing maintenance. The Yiddish plaque was eliminated
at some point.
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| Sheparowce Forest outside
of Kolomyya |
Holocaust Memorial at
Sheparowce Forest |
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| Ellie Austin approaching
monument |
Hebrew: “In eternal
memory of the Jews from Kolomyia and surroundings who
were murdered here at the hands of the cruel Nazis and
their helpers during the years 1941 – 1944.” Ukrainian: “In eternal memory of the Jews of Kolomyia and the surrounding places who fell at the hands of the Nazi executioners 1941-1944”. |
Kolomyia Ghetto A
Solomyia walked us through a part of the 1st ghetto. |
Entrance to the former Jewish Ghetto. |
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| View to the left of the
entrance |
View to the right of the
entrance |
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| Another view of inside of
former ghetto |
Exit from ghetto |
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| Views
of the outside of the former ghetto. |
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