Alternate names: Alternate names: Korets [Rus - Корец, Ukr - Корець], Korzec [Pol], Koretz and קאָרעץ [Yid], Koritz, Korec, Koric, Korzets, Korzhets, Korzysc. 50°37' N, 27°10' E, 40 miles E of Rivne (Rovno).
- Encyclopedia of Jewish Life (2001), p. 661: "Korzec".
- Pinkas HaKehilot, Poland, Vol. 5 (1990), pp. 171-175: "Korzec".
- Shtetl Finder (1989), p. 40: "Koretz, Koritz".
- Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego (1880-1902), IV, pp. 432-433: "Korzec".
- Museum of the History of Polish Jews
- Jewish Records Indexing - Poland
- JewishGen Ukraine SIG
Yizkor: Korets (Wolyn); sefer zikaron le-kehilatenu she-ala aleha ha-koret (Tel Aviv, 1959) - Jewish history [July 2012]
- Specific Jewish history [July 2012]
Jews lived there in the 16th century. During the *Chmielnicki massacres[1648/49], the community ost was annihilated with only ten Jewish houses left. The community later became the largest and most influential in the Council of Volhynia Land. A textile factory of Joseph Czartoryski starting in 1786 employed 60 Jewish workers while of Pinkhas Israel started in 1787 employed only Jews. Jewish population: 1765: 937; 1787: 364; 1847:3,832; 1897: 4,608 (76% of the total population); 1921: 3,888 (83%); and Dec 1937: 4,695. From 1766 and 1819 four Hebrew printing presses printed nearly 100 books, mostly Kabbalah and Ḥasidism. Tanneries and a large sugar refinery, all were owned by Jews. Nehemiah Herschengon (d. 1923) was rabbi of the community for 67 years. In 1924 many Jews were elected to the City Council; and one was vice-mayor.
Jewish history with photos (Roots to Roots) [July 2012]
CEMETERY:
- photos [July 2012]
MASS GRAVE:
Memorial: June 22, 1941, 500+ Jews escaped from Korets to Russia. German troops entered on July 2, 1941. On Aug. 8, 1941, 112 Jewish men, called for forced labor, were murdered on the outskirts of the city. On Aug. 20, 1941, another 350 Jewish men were murdered there. On August 25, a 100,million rubles fine was levied against the Jews. On May 21, 1942, 2,200 Jews were killed near the village of Kozak. The community survivors, about 1,000, were concentrated in a ghetto. On September 25, 1942, the final liquidation of came. Partisan Krasnostawski set fire to ghetto houses for cover of fire and smoke so that escaped, among them 11 persons led by Gildenman to the forests north of the town. Gildenman built up a partisan unit, connected later to General Saburov, and became one of the outstanding partisan leaders of the region. About 500 survivors returned after the liberation on January 13, 1944, but most left for Israel and the West. The Jewish population in 1970 was estimated at a few families. During Passover 1959 the militia dispersd a a minyan conducting services in private. Source [July 2012]