Ukraine: A Summary
Jews have lived in Ukraine for over 1000 years.
Ukraine like Poland has been a major centre for religious and cultural development.
But Jews have experienced times of hardship and joy.
Between 1917 -21 Thousands were murdered by a warlord.
By 1939 one third of the population was Jewish but the then Soviet Union recognised them as an ethnic minority not as a religious one.
In 1941 disaster struck with the Nazi invasion and Jews were singled out for ruthless repression and extermination.
Despite the Nazi terror two thousand Ukrainians did help to save Jews.
Orthodox priest Alexej Glagolev was one of many.
The post war Jewish population was to 840,000 compared with 1.5 million pre war.
The recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia has left all Jews and fellow Ukrainians fearful of their future.
Ukraine
Jews have been present in lands that include the modern day Ukraine for around 1000 years. The various Jewish communities experienced periods of great religious and cultural successes but also times of persecution and suffering.
Jews may have made up to one third of the various city populations.
Following the Russian Revolution and subsequent civil war between 1917 – 1921 thousands of Jews were murdered by Ukrainian forces under Symon Petilura. But Yiddish, which was spoken by many Jews, was recognised as an official language by the short lived independent Ukrainian People’s Republic 1917-1921. It then became part of the Soviet Union and religions were not officially tolerated.
By 1939 Jews made up about one third of the population.
With the Nazi invasion of Ukraine in 1941, the Jews were particularly singled out for harsh treatment initially with Einsatzgruppen, mobile German killing units and later by transport to extermination centres.
Despite the severe Nazi terror against all civilians including the Jews, some Ukrainians such as the priest Alexej Glagolev did helped to hide Jews. The fact that Yad Vashem, the main documentation centre for the Holocaust, lists over two thousand Ukrainians as Righteous Amongst the Gentiles is remarkable considering the terrible repression of the population.
Total civilian losses during the Nazi occupation during World War Two are estimated to have been seven million. Post war the Jewish surviving population may have been down to 840,000 from around 1.5 million.
Some Ukrainians such as the Christian pries Alexej Glagolev
After the ravages of the Holocaust many Ukrainian Jews have become fearful of the Russian invasion.