Information about the Jewish community dates back to the 1500s. Beginning with the Chmielnicki massacres of 1648, populations went up and down regularly:
1708 Haidamack Movement (most Jews killed)
1830 Blood libel trial again (more Jews put to death)
1880s Pogroms across Volhynia
Oct 1905 and again in 1917
Despite these attacks, Jewish population peaked in the 20th century, nearly half of total Izyaslav's population. Izyaslav was the center of "Hasidism," and Zionism flourished.
Published by The Tsal Kaplun Foundation in 2020, this 47 minute film provides a moving history of the Jews of Izyaslav.
Leonard shares his sense of Zaslav, his parents hometown.
In the 18th century, David Tevle was the rabbi in Izyaslav. During this time, lived a famous cantor and Besht’s disciple, Rabbi Mordehai. After his death, came his son-in-law Yakov Shimon Shapiro (1772-1811) who founded a Hasidic dynasty. A Hebrew printing press was active there from 1807 to 1808 and five books, three of which were liturgical, came out within this period. Rabbis that followed were his son Iskhor Doyv-Ber and Iskhor’s son Pinhos-Yosef Shapiro Dehner (? -1874).
Towards the end of the Polish rule, Izyaslav was a centre of Hasidism. Due to the influence of Rabbi Leib Bolekhovski (d. 1883), the community was well respected compared to other settlements.
The head of the Rabbinical Court in Izyaslav between 1834 and 1888 was Arie-Leib ben Eliyahu. At the beginning of the 20th century, Eliezer Kharif (1845 -?) was in this role.
In 1857 there were 14 synagogues, in 1886 — 9, in 1889 — 10, and in 1902 — 11.
In 1886 there was a Jewish hospital, almshouse, Mark-Boruh Feld’s library and his bookstore.
In 1897 6,000 Jews lived in Izyaslav (almost 50% of the total population).
Between the world wars, Soviet industrialization and urbanization took its toll on the Jewish population. During this time Jews worked as artisans as well as white and blue collar jobs in state-owned companies. The Holocaust decimated the Jewish community of Izyaslav. After the Luftwaffe bombed the town, the Germans captured Izyaslav on 5 July 1941. The Germans murdered 1000 Jewish townspeople on August 24, 1941. A ghetto was created in the town’s old quarter and Jews from neighboring towns were brought there. Avraham Minevich was appointed as Director of the Jewish population. Sadly, many Jews died in the ghetto due to overcrowding and starvation.
Further reading about Izyaslav's history was compiled by Barry Seiger and is available on the Detailed History page.