Minkovitz
is situated 60 km northeast of Kamenets-Podolskii,
on the way to Vinnitsa.
The town is located
in the broad valley surrounded by high hills, on the banks of the
Ushitsa river
(a tributary of the
Dnestr), on the road between Dunaevtsy (21
km)
and Novaia Ushitsa (13 km).
Minkovitz Synagogue
Built in 1776, the
big wooden synagogue was located on the bank of
the Ushitsa River. An ezrat nashim (women's
gallery) was added later to the second
level. The walls and cupola were decorated
with frescos, some included prayers and
psalms. The frescos included symbolic
mystical depictions of a battle between a lion and
a unicorn and a carriage passing through the gates
and other representations of Paradise.
Records
Here are 2 files that Alex
Krakovsky posted of Jews from Minkovitz.
They are in
both Russian and Hebrew. The file name tells
the contents.
Lists
of household owners on the state lands of
Minkovets and other Ushytsya counties
Metric
books of the Jews of Minkovtsi and
Dunaivtsi. 1845
Can you read either language and help
index/translate the files? If so, please
contact Barbara
Ellman.
Maps
1908
Map of Minkovitz area
Visit to Minkovt'sy
Thanks to Joan Adler and Bobbi Furst for
providing a trip report of their visit to our
ancestors home
Books about Minkowitz
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This funny, sad, thoroughly
engaging book just came out to critical
acclaim. It is about Judith Fein's
search for Minkowitz, and how it turned her
life into a detective story and solved the
mystery of where she came from and what
remains of the world her grandmother left
behind.
The book was published in Jan, 2014. (Click
on the book's image to connect to Amazon to
order)
Photos by Judith's husband, Paul Ross are
located on the Photos page.
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"This book is centered around
the memoir "Looking Back", written in 1928
by then 20 year old Isadore Weiss, only six
years after coming to the United States.
Isadore provides a fascinating insight into
Jewish life in the Ukrainian village of
Minkovitz before, during and after World War
One. As the war reaches Minkovitz, the
reader experiences the rare insight of the
community's reaction to the fighting, the
first cars, first motorcycles and first
airplanes ever seen by people in that
region. Contrary to popular current thought,
we also see the excellent relationship
between the Jewish community of Minkovitz
and the German occupying troops, who made
toys and gathered firewood for the homes of
the people where they were housed during the
winter. Isadore also recounts the artillery
and the hand-to-hand combat between the
forces of Simon Petlura, leader of the
pogroms, and the Bolsheviks. We get to see
how the new Communist regime establishes
itself in Ukraine.
Isadore's wife, Sylvia, rounds out the story
of how they built a life together in the
United States. The story continues of how
Isadore graduated with honors from the
University of Pittsburgh, and then worked as
a Federal investigator as he overcame the
barriers of a new language and
anti-Semitism.
Contributing authors provide background on
the contemporary social, demographic and
political environment in Ukraine to help the
reader put "Looking Back" into context."
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Searchable Databases
JewishGen "All Ukraine Database" is a multiple
database search facility, which incorporates
all of the following databases: Yizkor Book
Necrologies, JewishGen Family Finder (JGFF),
JewishGen Online Worldwide Burial Registry
(JOWBR), JG Discussion Group Archives, SIG
Mailing List Archives and much much more.
International
Jewish Cemetery Project
Photos of the cemetery are found on the Photos
page
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