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Remembering the Jewish Community of

Priluki, Ukraine

Remembered by Eldad Ganin

Priluki is a town in central Ukraine, about 80 miles east of Kiev. The first mention of Jewish settlements in Priluki was in 1648 when they were destroyed during the Chmielnicki massacres. The Jewish community was restored at the beginning of the 19th century, and by 1926 there were over 9000 Jews in the town (31% of the population).

Jews were involved in tobacco and cotton processing plants in the town. They also worked as carpenters, blacksmiths, tinsmiths and in many other trades. There were 8 or 9 synagogues in the town. Jews lived in relative harmony with their Ukrainian neighbors.

In the summer of 1941, many Jews fled to the forests or eastward towards the Ural mountain area when the Germans approached the town. Several hundred Jews were left in the town when the Germans arrived. They were immediately put to work as slave laborers. The Germans harnessed old Jews to wagons and made them pull heavy loads of lumber.

In March of 1942, the Germans herded the whole Jewish population into the large wooden pavilion in the center of the marketplace and set it afire. The pavilion burned for almost 2 hours. The cries became weaker and weaker until they ceased altogether. All that remained of the Jewish community in Priluki was a mound of ashes.

Six Jews managed to escape from the town at this time. Five of them died from disease and hunger during the next few weeks. Only one person survived.

Our member, Eldad Ganin, lost his great-grandfather, Mordechai Manilev plus about six other family members who lived in this town.

After the war, about 2000 Jews returned to Priluki. The Soviet authorities closed the last synagogue in the town in 1961.

Jewishgen.org has a Priluki site, and here is a story about a visit in 1998.