Alternate names: Sopotskin [Rus], Sopoćkinie [Pol], Sopotkin [Yid], Sapotskin [Bel], Sopochinie, Sopochkinye, Sopockin, Sopockine, Sopotzkin, Sapockin, Belarusian: Сапоцкін. 53°50' N, 23°39' E, 13 miles NW of Hrodna (Grodno), 27 miles E of Augustów, 159.5 miles W of Minsk in Grodno Oblast in NE Belarus. 1900 Jewish population: 1,674.
yizkors: Korot ayara ahat; megilat ha-sigsug ve-ha-hurban shel kehilat Sopotkin (Tel Aviv, 1960) and Kol adam ve-zikhrono: ayarah, perihatah ve-hurbanah, hayeha, demuyoteha ve-tipusehah : Sopotkin nikra otah ... / nikhtav ve-neerakh ba-haruzim al yede (Tel Aviv, 1964).
There are two Jewish cemeteries in Sopotskin; however, both may not be found because the Nazis destroyed the headstones and anything identifiable during World War II. The older cemetery was hard to find even before the War. It was said to be very old even in the 1930's. The older one was closer to the center of town and the newer one at the very end of Synagogue Street, past where the Gentile houses were. This information was provided by Judy Goldman, Delray Beach, Florida, USA. She was born in Sopotskin and lived there through her teenage years until 1941. Source: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.; http://www.kramerlaw.com/Sopockin.htm [October 2000]
Jewish cemetery photo. [February 2010]
JOWBR burial listings [August 2010]
Cemetery restoration. [December 2010]
NY Orthodontist Michael Lozman began restoration of the cemetery in his father's village, which spread to help restore other Belarusian village Jewish cemeteries. Dr. Lozman realized he could not do this alone and recruited students from Dartmouth College to help during their summers over several years. One-third of the participating students are Jewish. He has started the Restoration of Eastern European Jewish Cemeteries Project to help restore more Jewish cemeteries and has received requests for restoration in Belarus and Lithuania. [December 2012]