General cleanup of the “New” Jewish cemetery in the village of Vilkhivtsi is complete
Together with the local community, the charitable organization “Heritage Springs” organized the cleaning of the Jewish cemetery. The cleaning formed a part of regular maintenance and included: mowing of the grass and the pruning and removal bushes. The cemetery is surrounded by a two-meter concrete wall that protects the area from outside elements.
There are two Jewish cemeteries in Vilkhivtsi:
● The “Old” Cemetery, with the earliest recorded burial in 1849 and only a few tombstones still standing.
● The “New” Cemetery, which can be reached via several narrow, stone-paved paths from different parts of the village.
About 200 Jewish graves from Vilkhivtsi and surrounding villages like Ternovo, Nersnytsa and Novoselytsa rest on this slope. Post World War II, the Vilkhivtsi Jewish Cemetery served as a burial place for the entire district with the oldest tombstone dating back to 1870, and the most recent burial in 1973. The tombstones were made of ordinary round stone, decorated with carvings of the menorah or the star of David and the text of the epitaph composed in Hebrew (the sacred language).
The cemetery is East-facing, directly opposite the synagogue, which is considered one of the oldest synagogues in Ukraine. The restoration of this landmark is currently underway by Heritage Springs in conjunction with the local community. The restoration and maintenance of the synagogue and cemeteries are in line with the organizations primary mission of preserving the history, and honoring the memories, of the Jewish people.
Contact:
Yana Krichfalushii
Executive Director – Heritage Springs 501(c)(3)
Tel: +38 097-705-2277
Email: yana@hertitagespgs.org