The Jews of Baligrod (from http://www.sztetl.org.pl/ )

Jews lived in Baligrod as early as the town was founded. The first mention of a Jew by the name of Zelman in Woronikowka dates back to 1605. Most probably till the end of the 18th century, Jews were subordinated to Lesko kehillah, and later the Jewish community in Baligrod gained its independence. In 1710, 148 out of the total of 533 inhabitants were Jews. The damage caused during the Great Northern War reduced the town's population significantly – in 1764 only 114 Jews lived there, and in the whole Baligrod kehillah, which the town and ten nearby villiges belonged to, there were a total of 144 members. 20 years later as many as 400 Jews out of the total population of 782 lived in Baligrod itself. In 1807, there arose a serious dispute which led to a quite severe conflict between the Baligrod Jews and a Zernica tenant. In 1880, the kehillah owned baths and a hospital.

In 1870, 147 Jewish families (435 people), and only 90 Christian families lived in the town, whereas ten years later there were 564 Jews and 544 Christians. In the years 1870-1898, a Jew by the name of Hersch Grossinger was the owner of Baligrod manors. He purchased some granges in the surrounding villages: Bystre, Cisna, Huczwice, Mchawa, Rabe and Steznica. After his death his sons, Lazar and Chaim, inherited his properties. In 1895 the Loans Society (Towarzystwo Kredytowe) was established with Juda Hersch Mittman as the president. By the end of the 19th century, Lipa Meisels owned an inn, Hinde Weithmann ran a hostelry and an inn; moreover there were two wine stores and several Jewish shops in the town. Hersch Blank was the baker, Isaak Morgenbesser – the butcher, and Juda Falek was the tailor.

At the beginning of the 18th century, a synagogue was built, whose existence was verified in 1870. At that time the Jewish community in Baligrod also owned a cemetery and a religious school, which 40 pupils attended. Another synagogue was built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It was situated in the north-west corner of the market square, in the street leading to the Jewish cemetery. That synagogue was built of brick and covered with a hip roof.

In 1900, there were 2,484 Jews in the whole municipality, whereas in the town itself 988 inhabitants (i.e. 61.5% of the population) were Jewish, Before the First World War about 1,100 Jews lived there. Later their number declined to 515 people in 1921 as a result of intensive war actions which took place in 1914 and 1915 in the area. Before the outbreak of the Second World War, about 990 Jews inhabited Baligrod. At that time they owned inter alia 52 shops, which was 90% of all stores.

In the summer of 1942, the Nazis transported circa 1,200 Jews from Baligrod and nearby villages to the labor camp in Zaslaw. In that period it was a gathering point for Jews from villages of Bieszczady region, for example from Solina, Wolkowyja and Zawoz. Later, in the local Jewish cemetery summary executions of Jews were carried out. Franciszek Wronowski from Zawoz and two families, the Wajners and the Nagielbaums, whom he had sheltered, and also others were shot. The synagogue was burnt by the Nazis, and its ruins were demolished after the war.