SOKAL (Sikal, Skol, Skul) | Ukraine | International Jewish Cemetery Project

Alternate names: Sokal' [Rus, Ukr], Sokal [Pol], Sikal [Yid], Skol, Skul. 50°29' N, 24°17' E, 47 miles NNE of L'viv (Lvov), 25 miles S of Volodymyr Volynskyy (Ludmir). Jewish population: 2,408 (in 1880), 5,220 (in 1931).

KehilaLink [October 2012]

Sefer Sokal, Tartakov, Varenz', Stoyanov ve-ha-sevivah (Tel Aviv, 1968)

Encyclopedia of Jewish Life (2001), p. 1211: "Sokal".

Pinkas HaKehilot, Poland, Vol. 2 (1980), p. 352-356: "Sokal"

Shtetl Finder (1980), p. 95: "Sokal, Skol".

Galicia SIG

(forer Galicia) We found the remains of a very ancient beautiful synagogue. It is falling apart but fenced by the government with chain link to prevent further vandalism. We were told by local residents that the stones from the Jewish vemetery were used to pave roads following WW II. Later, they weretorn up and are piled in a nearby village that we could not find after a long search. Source Betty Provizer Starkman: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. [Feb. 8, 1998]

US Commission No. UA13070101

Alternate name: Skol (German) and Sokal (Polish.) The town is located at 50º29 24º17, 75 km from L'vov and 9 km from Chervonograd. The cemetery is located S of town center. Present town population is 25,001-100,000 with fewer than 10 Jews.

Town officials: Mayor Naumchuk Stepan Semenovich of Town Soviet [Phone: (257)46210].
Regional: Regional Executive Committee. Soviet of L'vovskaya Oblast Chairman Goryn'.
Jewish Community of Sokal' and Jewish Community of L'vovskaya Oblast. Others: Local History Museum of Sokal'.

The earliest known Jewish community was 16th century. 1931 Jewish population was 5450. The last known Hasidic burial was in 1941. No other towns used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated urban hillside has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. No wall or fence or gate surrounds the cemetery. The approximate size of cemetery before WWII was 5.00 and is now 0.25 hectares. No stones are visible OR The cemetery has only common tombstones. Stones removed were incorporated into roads or structures. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Municipality owns site used for residential. Properties adjacent are residential. The cemetery boundaries are smaller now than 1939 because of housing development. Rarely, private visitors and local residents stop. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II. There is no maintenance. Within the limits of the cemetery are houses. Serious threat: uncontrolled access (There are houses on the cemetery land.) Moderate threat: weather erosion (seasonal), vegetation (seasonal) and existing nearby development. Slight threat: pollution, vandalism and proposed nearby development. Aberman S.E. 4/2, Novakovskogo St. L'vov [Phone: (0322) 724687] visited site and completed survey on 11/10/95. Prokopchuk Mariya was interviewed on 11/10/95.

[UPDATE] Photos by Charles Burns [April 2016]