We stopped in Kiev on the way to a meeting in Bucharest. Kiev is 70 km from Bila Tserkva, also known as Belaya Tserkov) where Srulik and Nessie Olitsky (Ulitskiy) lived before coming to the USA in 1910. We hired a guide and a driver to go there for the day.
A bit about the history of this town.
It was founded by Yarus the Wise over a 1000 years ago. It also became a home for a Polish count who married a Russian princess. The count invited Jewish managers to look after his estate in his absence. The Jews who were originally in what is now southern Ukraine came from Greece and areas south. Jews from Europe came to help manage land. Because they were not allowed to own land, they were managers for these estates and educated themselves for this purpose. In addition, many others who came were tailors and merchants. They were not allowed to own property or stores so they traveled to sell their goods. One of the reasons that there was so much antisemitism was that the managers were made to collect taxes from the people on the lands they managed. They had no ability to lesson this burden during bad years. The people had no contact with the actual owners of the land, only the managers who they thought were cruel.
There were only certain areas that Jews were allowed to live. Only very wealthy Jews could live in Kiev at this time. Bila Tserkva had a large Jewish population, about 50%.
The city was called Bila Tserkva "white church" because of the large white church which is no longer there.
The city had a large Jewish population at the turn of the 20th century. During this time, many pogroms existed which lead to many Jews leaving the city.
This is the market at the center of the town which existed in 1910. This is where merchants would come to sell their goods.
This is the square next to the market with the statue of Lenin.
There were 13 synagogues at one time in Bila Tserkva. Now there are none. The congregations were made up of people with similar professions.
This was the merchants synagogue where my great grandfather probably would have attended. It is just off the square and is now a school
These are home facing the central market. You can tell the Jewish homes as they did not have a front yard. The yard was in the back. The home would be right up on the street since they had stores on the first floor.
This is the spot (but not the actual house) that the famous Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem lived. Fiddler on the roof is based upon his stories.
This building was once a school. In 1941, the Nazi soldiers placed all the children in this school after their families had been murdered and killed all the Jewish children of the town here.
A small lake on the outskirts of the town.
A small memorial where the old cemetery used to be. All tombstones before the war were destroyed. Behind the memorial is a parking lot where the graves used to be.
Pictures from the newer cemetery. Graves here are from after the war. Some people buried here were born in the late 1800s. There are six graves with the Ulitskiy name. On is a woman whose father was named Yankel which is Yiddish for Yakov, the name of my great great grandfather. She could be a relative.
A memorial for the over 7,000 Jews who were killed on September 6, 1941 when the Nazi soldiers came.
Another memorial in the newer cemetery for a family who were killed on the same day. Even recently when a new house when being constructed a mass burial site was uncovered where families were brought and killed.
The Jewish day school in Bila Tserkva. They have 110 students in grades K - 12. You can see the website at www.mitsva.org.ua/en/
A poster at the school showing old photos of the town around 1900
A few of the older people in the town that came to see us. They shared their stories....
The lady on the left was 3 years old when the Nazi's bombed the city. Her neighbors took her and carried her to the woods just before their home was destroyed. They traveled to the eastern are of Ukraine until the war was over and she then returned. There was very little food to eat and her younger sister starved to death during this time.
The lady on the right is named Ulitskiy. This was a fairly common name so we are not sure if we are related. Her father is listed on the poster as someone who died in the war. He was a soldier and died. When her family evacuated the town they could not bring anything with them. This was true for most people. She has no memory of her father and does not have a photo of him. She became very tearful as she told us this.
Any Jew who did not leave the city was murdered when the soldiers came. Most on September 6, 1941.
Bila Tserkva is now a fairly large city of 200,000 people and about 1000 or more Jews. Most are older but they do have this school and a Chabad which is supported by people in Kiev.
A bit about the history of this town.
It was founded by Yarus the Wise over a 1000 years ago. It also became a home for a Polish count who married a Russian princess. The count invited Jewish managers to look after his estate in his absence. The Jews who were originally in what is now southern Ukraine came from Greece and areas south. Jews from Europe came to help manage land. Because they were not allowed to own land, they were managers for these estates and educated themselves for this purpose. In addition, many others who came were tailors and merchants. They were not allowed to own property or stores so they traveled to sell their goods. One of the reasons that there was so much antisemitism was that the managers were made to collect taxes from the people on the lands they managed. They had no ability to lesson this burden during bad years. The people had no contact with the actual owners of the land, only the managers who they thought were cruel.
There were only certain areas that Jews were allowed to live. Only very wealthy Jews could live in Kiev at this time. Bila Tserkva had a large Jewish population, about 50%.
The city was called Bila Tserkva "white church" because of the large white church which is no longer there.
The city had a large Jewish population at the turn of the 20th century. During this time, many pogroms existed which lead to many Jews leaving the city.
This is the market at the center of the town which existed in 1910. This is where merchants would come to sell their goods.
This is the square next to the market with the statue of Lenin.
There were 13 synagogues at one time in Bila Tserkva. Now there are none. The congregations were made up of people with similar professions.
This was the merchants synagogue where my great grandfather probably would have attended. It is just off the square and is now a school
These are home facing the central market. You can tell the Jewish homes as they did not have a front yard. The yard was in the back. The home would be right up on the street since they had stores on the first floor.
This is the spot (but not the actual house) that the famous Yiddish writer Sholem Aleichem lived. Fiddler on the roof is based upon his stories.
This building was once a school. In 1941, the Nazi soldiers placed all the children in this school after their families had been murdered and killed all the Jewish children of the town here.
A small lake on the outskirts of the town.
A small memorial where the old cemetery used to be. All tombstones before the war were destroyed. Behind the memorial is a parking lot where the graves used to be.
Pictures from the newer cemetery. Graves here are from after the war. Some people buried here were born in the late 1800s. There are six graves with the Ulitskiy name. On is a woman whose father was named Yankel which is Yiddish for Yakov, the name of my great great grandfather. She could be a relative.
A memorial for the over 7,000 Jews who were killed on September 6, 1941 when the Nazi soldiers came.
Another memorial in the newer cemetery for a family who were killed on the same day. Even recently when a new house when being constructed a mass burial site was uncovered where families were brought and killed.
The Jewish day school in Bila Tserkva. They have 110 students in grades K - 12. You can see the website at www.mitsva.org.ua/en/
A poster at the school showing old photos of the town around 1900
Listing of people of the town killed in the Holocaust. There are several with the name Ulitskiy.
The lady on the left was 3 years old when the Nazi's bombed the city. Her neighbors took her and carried her to the woods just before their home was destroyed. They traveled to the eastern are of Ukraine until the war was over and she then returned. There was very little food to eat and her younger sister starved to death during this time.
The lady on the right is named Ulitskiy. This was a fairly common name so we are not sure if we are related. Her father is listed on the poster as someone who died in the war. He was a soldier and died. When her family evacuated the town they could not bring anything with them. This was true for most people. She has no memory of her father and does not have a photo of him. She became very tearful as she told us this.
Any Jew who did not leave the city was murdered when the soldiers came. Most on September 6, 1941.
Bila Tserkva is now a fairly large city of 200,000 people and about 1000 or more Jews. Most are older but they do have this school and a Chabad which is supported by people in Kiev.
