SHCHIRETS

SHCHIRETS I:     US Commission No. UA13200101
Alternate name: Skorez (Polish) and Shcherets [ Where Once We Walked ]. Shchirets is 30 km from L'vov. The cemetery is located at S center, near the old synagogue. Present town population is 1,000-5,000 with no Jews.

• Town officials: Village Soviet Chairman Shurko Miron Vladimirovich [Phone: (230) 67105].
  
• Regional: Regional Soviet Chairman Chura O.G. [Phone: (230) 60513]. Soviet of L'vovskaya Oblast Chairman Goryn'. Museum of Religion, L'vov and Regional Archives.
  
• Jewish Community of L'vovskaya Oblast.

The earliest known Jewish community was 17th century. 1939 Jewish population was 890. The last known Hasidic burial was in 1941. The isolated urban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a public road, access is open to all. No wall, fence, or gate surrounds the unlandmarked cemetery. The approximate size of cemetery before WWII and now is 3.00 hectares. 101 to 500 common tombstones, few in their original location, date from 1836. Location of any removed stones is unknown. The cemetery has special sections for rabbis and Cohanim. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Municipality owns site used for Jewish cemetery only. Properties adjacent are agricultural and residential. The cemetery boundaries are unchanged since 1939. Rarely, organized individual tours visit. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II and not in the last ten years. There is no maintenance. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures. Very serious threat: uncontrolled access (the free access.) Moderate threat: vegetation (seasonal) and vandalism. Slight threat: weather erosion (seasonal), pollution and existing nearby development.
Aberman S.E. of Apt. 2, 4, Novakovskogo St. L'vov [Phone: (0322) 724687] visited site and completed survey on 11/10/95. Biletskaya was interviewed on 11/10/95.
SHCHIRETZ II:
Lviv Oblast, Pustomytovsk district. The cemetery is in village center, next to the church and forMayor synagogue, not far from the local slaughterhouse. No caretaker or key but an old man keeps up the barbed wire around the cemetery. His father, the previous caretaker, was paid by the Polish. A local person who may have information about the cemetery is Ms. Balitskaya, a local resident. The earliest reference to the local Jewish Community is in the mid-seventeenth century. Local Jewish population figures are 1880:1835 Jews of a total population of 1754; 1900: 1324 Jews of a total population of 1730, and 1910: 1264 of 1614 total. There were 2000 Jews in 1912 but in Jan 1939 only 890. The cemetery was established in the second half of the 17th century with last known Orthodox burial in 1941, not used by other Jewish communities. The town plains, separate with no special markings, is reached by going around the church and church orchard. Barbed wire fence but no gate surrounds. The cemetery was 150m x 200m but looks bigger. About 500 tombstones have 100-500 not in original places and half overturned and broken. Very overgrown weeds are a seasonal problem restricting access. Drainage is a seasonal problem. There are separate sections at the cemetery for rabbis and Kohans. The oldest tombstone is from 1836. The limestone and sandstone rough stones or boulders, hewn stones with inscriptions or flat stones with engraved images have Yiddish inscriptions. Municipality owns site used as a Jewish cemetery bordering agricultural and residential areas. Occupying the same area as in 1939, occasionally organized groups visit. Vandalism took place during WWII, but not recently. There has been no maintenance and no care except for the barbed wire. No structures. Security and vegetation are grave dangers. Erosion, vandalism, and incompatible construction are less so.
Aberman S.E., tel. (033322) 72444687 completed survey October 12, 1995. Documentation: at the Greek- Catholic Church Archive - 1912 (at the local Archives of Pustomytovsk district, Lviv Province.) Also a newspaper article, in Russian, in the local library but not used. Aberman visited October 11, 1995, Sergay Aberman and Ms. Biletskaya of Schchiretz village were interviewed. Translated from Russian by Viktor Syzonenko; 12/18/95; Kiev tel. (044) 412-6884.
Sandi Goldsmith This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. also visited the site with Sergay Aberman and noted that WOWW spells the town Shcherets.