International Jewish Cemetery Project
International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies

Print

Alternate names: Ostroshitskiy Gorodok [Rus], Ostroshitski Gorodok, Gródek Ostroszycki [Pol], Ostroshitskiĭ Gorodok, Gorodok, Gorodok Ostroshitskii, Astrašycki Haradok [Bel], Russian: Городок Острошицкий. Belarusian: Астрашыцкі Гарадок. 54°04' N, 27°42' E, 3 miles NE of Minsk. 1900 Jewish population: 760. JOWBR: Jewish Cemetery Burial list. Encyclopedia of Jewish Life (2001), p. 951: "Ostroshitski Gorodok". photos of Gorodok at 54'09" 26'55" between Vilna and Minsk.

Jewish cemetery photo and cemetery photo and photo [March 2009]

Story with photos: "In Gorodok, a small regional center in the North of Belarus, I observed a different picture: an old Jewish cemetery, still open, cleared away from bush and trees, more than three hundred stones dug out, the fence tomb inscriptions renovated. ... The cemetery is located on a hill and from there all of Gorodok can be seen. From one side one can see the Gorozhanka River, from the other - a small lake. A small stream separates the cemetery into two parts: an older and a more modern one. ...'The oldest part of the cemetery is more than three hundred years old. I suppose it has existed since Jews settled in Gorodok. ... It is known that the first part of land was allocated for the Jewish cemetery in 1869. (And apparently this land was annexed to the old cemetery.) Ten years ago there was an impassable forest on the territory of the old part. Nobody had visited it for many years. Once Ziama Gelfand and I went there, out of curiosity, and saw memorials - sharp edged stones covered with moss, partially sticking out from the land. Some of them could be identified only to the touch, hidden under a thick layer of sand or moss. I suggested cleaning away the bush and the trees." Restoration story continues. [December 2009]

photos. [February 2010]