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Alternate names: Sanok [Pol], Sanuk,Sonik סאניק [Yid], Sonik, Sanocum [Lat], Saanig [Ger], Сянiк [Ukr], The Royal Free City of Sanok (Królewskie Wolne Miasto Sanok), part of The Land of Sanok (Polish: Ziemia Sanocka, and Ruthenian Voivodeship in SE Poland with 39,110 inhabitants in 2009.. 49°34' N, 22°12' E, 35 miles SSE of Rzeszów, 30 miles WSW of Przemyśl. 1900 Jewish population: about 3,000. Yizkor: Sefer zikaron le-kehilat Sanok ve-ha-siviva (Jerusalem, 1970) and Khurbn Dynow, Sonik, Dibetsk (New York, 1949/50). ShtetLink. Sanok was previously in Krosno Voivodship (1975-1998) and in Ruthenian Voivodeship (1340 - 1772) as part of the Little Poland Province. This historic city is situated on the San River at the foot of Castle Hill in Małopolska region lies in a wooded, hilly in southern Poland and in the heartland of the Pogórze Bukowskie part of Doły (Pits), 300 meters above sea level with some hills located within the confines of the city. The earliest mention of Jews in Sanok comes from the reign of the Cazimir the Great. The kahał was subject to that of Lesko. In 1720, King August II the Strong granted privileges to the Sanok Jewish community until for many years, Jews represented a large part of the population of the city, particularly Chassidim. Before the outbreak of war, almost 5,000 Jews lived in the city. The cemetery is located near the former synagogue building on Old Jewish Street. photo. [August 2005]
OLD CEMETERY: The first Jewish cemetery called sanoczan okopiskiem was established at ul 3 Maja probably about 1720 and was completely destroyed by the Nazis during the WWII. No gravestones remain. Fragments were imbedded in the old restored wall in 1960. [June 2009]
NEW CEMETERY: The second Jewish cemetery is located on the slope near a small building on ul. Kiczury with the entrance from ul Głogowej. Founded in the 19th century, the Nazis destroyed it during WWII and stole gravestones to build several downtown streets in Sanoku Rejtana and the road to Trepczy. In 1942, they murdered 630 Jews here and dug mass graves. The last burial took place in 1957. During WWII, the Germans stole most matzevot to build streets. 50 19th and 20th century gravestones in the 1.7 site have inscriptions in Hebrew and Polish. In July 1988, the Nissenbaum Family Foundation restored the site by rebuilding the fence and installing a Holocaust memorial. The earliest fencing was destroyed during the German occupation. In August 2008, the Foundation of Protection of Jewish Heritage in Poland with Sanoka municipal authorities cleaned and inventoried the gravestones. Today, the land is fenced with the key to the locked gates available at the Municipal Administration of Cemeteries office in the surrounding urban cemetery. The office is open weekdays, but call ahead to confirm the visit. (tel. 013 463 29 73). Photos. MASS GRAVE: The Gestapo brought Jewish women with their children to the cemetery, the youngest held in the mother's arms and the oldest a girl of eight or nine. The grave was not ready so the women waitedwith the children on the grass near the graves. The innocent children played between the gravestones. The Gestago took babies from the mother's arms, lifted them up with one hand and shot with the other, dropping them in the mass grave. The other children began to understand the horror of the situation and ran. The Gestapo man grabbed the girl by the hair, shoved her to the ground and held her down with his shoe. There, he shot her. Normal 0 Normal 0 [June 2009]
SANOK (I): US Commission No. POCE000732
The town is located in voivodship of Kroonienskie or Krosno at 49º33' 22º13', 45 km from Krosno. Cemetery: 3 Maja (Trzeciego Maja) Street, Karpacka Restaurant. Present town population is 25,000-100,000 with no Jews.
- Local: Burmistrz [Mayor] Urzad Miejski, Pl. Rewolucji Pazdziernikowej 1, 38-500 Sanok, tel. 308-90, telex #65512 um.
- Regional: mgr. Wojewodzki Konserwator Zabtkow Alojzy Cabactor, [see: Baligrod] Alojzy Cocbocta ul Biesuaolzki 1, 34-400 Krosno, tel. 2 1 974.
The earliest known Jewish community is the second half of the 14th century. 1921 Jewish population was 4,067. The 1939 Jewish population was around 5,000. Meir Szapiro lived here. The isolated urban hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all with no fence, wall or gate. No stones are visible. The municipality owns the property used for recreation. Adjacent property is commercial or industrial and residential. It was vandalized during World War II. No care or structures.
Pietr Antoniak, ul. Dobra 5 m 36, 05-800 Pruszkow. [see Baligrod] survey completed on 11 Sep 1992 after a visit on 8 Aug 1992.
SANOK (II): US Commission No. POCE000733
Cemetery: Kiczury Street. See Sanok I above for history. The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker has Jewish symbols on gate or wall. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is entirely closed with a continuous fence and locking gate. The cemetery is 0.1.67 ha. 20-100 19th-20th century marble or sandstone flat stones with carved relief decoration or finely smoothed, 1-20 in original location with more than 75% toppled or broken, have Hebrew and Polish inscriptions. The cemetery contains special memorial monuments to Holocaust victims. The municipality owns the property used for Jewish cemetery. Adjacent property is residential. Rarely, private visitors stop. It was vandalized during World War II. Family Nissenbaum Foundation cleared vegetation, fixed wall, and fixed gate in 1988. Occasional clearing or cleaning by authorities is the care. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures. Vegetation is a constant problem disturbing graves. Weather erosion is a moderate threat. Pollution and vandalism are slight threats. See Sanok I for survey information.
BOOK: Gruber, Ruth Ellen. Jewish Heritage Travel A Guide to East-Central Europe. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1992. p. 78
[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [April 2016]