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Explore our digital collection, bringing together artifacts scattered across the globe and research that sheds light on Belarusian Jewish culture and history.

Empty marketplace, shut down by Soviet restrictions against private trade, Shklov, USSR (now in Belarus), 1920s. YIVO.
Photograph

[Empty market place in Shklov]

Oral history interview

Ronya Schwaab interview

Popular autobiographical novellas depicting the life of a middle-class Jewish family in Shklov of the 1890s [Dan Miron, YIVO encyclopedia] first published in weekly installments in Forverts, then as two volumes (Shklover Yidn 1929 and Feter Zhome 1930).
Literature

Shklov Jews

Audio book

Shklov Jews [audio book]

Photograph

Bimah of Slonim synagogue

Photograph

Bimah of Slonim synagogue

A rectangular sheet of paper painted in watercolor in shades of gray, black, green, and brown, depicting a village courtyard with a figure. In the lower right corner, the signature in blue pencil and the date. On the back, in pencil, the artist's name, the date, the title, and the technique are written in Russian, and the artist's name is also written in Latin characters at the bottom.
Artwork

A courtyard in Lahoysk

Photograph

Pediment of the Holy Ark of the [Slonim] synagogue

Photograph

Mural paintings inside the Slonim synagogue

Photograph

Synagogue [of Slonim]

Black and white photograph of the western facade, people standing in front of it.
Photograph

Synagogue of Wolpa

Portrait in a medallion with a lyre, roses, an inkwell and books. Biographical text in Hebrew about Z. Shneour, born in Shklov.
Postcard

Zalman Shneur

Manuscript of the autobiography of Ben Israel (pseudonym of Pejsach Kozłowski) from Ashmyany. 70 pages. Part of the YIVO project “Autobiographies of Jewish Youth in Poland”.
Memoir / autobiography

"Ben-Israel", Oszmiana, Yugfor #5, 1932

Manuscript of the autobiography by ‘Der yunger zoken’ (pseudonym of Chaim Raskin) from Ashmyany, 59 pages. Part of the YIVO project “Autobiographies of Jewish Youth in Poland”. Titled in YIVO colection: "Der yunger zoken", Oszmiana, Yugfor #8, 1932
Memoir / autobiography

My way of life

Manuscript of the autobiography of M. G. (Mojżesz Goldsztejn), from Slonim, born 1913. 57 pages. Part of the YIVO project “Autobiographies of Jewish Youth in Poland”.
Memoir / autobiography

A few words for an autobiography

Four postcards in Hebreu sent from Chervyen’ to Mandatory Palestine
Postcard

Four postcards in Hebreu sent from Chervyen’ to Mandatory Palestine

Document from an archival folder: НИАБ. (National Historical Archives of Belarus) Ф. 2001. Оп. 1. Д. 1580. Л. 52. The report states that Movsha Smolyanitsky was illegally teaching children in the home of Nokhim-Itske Chernyak in Shumyachi and lists the names of seven heder pupils. It also notes that, by the time the report was submitted, Movsha Smolyanitsky had officially obtained a melamed’s certificate and the right to open a heder.
Archival Document

Report of the Klimovichi District Police Chief on the activities of illegal cheder in the town of Shumyachi

Document from an archival folder: НИАБ. (National Historical Archives of Belarus) 3209. Оп. 1. Д. 654. Л. 3d. The full title of the folder "Дела по прошению борисовского мещанина Лейбы Симонова Лившица о постройке деревянной бани в м. Чашниках Лепельского уезда”. The document includes an elevation drawing and a cross-section of the building, its floor plan, and a site plan of the surrounding area.
Archival Document

Project for the construction of a wooden bathhouse on a stone foundation in the town of Chashniki, Lepel District, by the Borisov townsman Leyba Simonov Livshits

Document from an archival folder: НИАБ. (National Historical Archives of Belarus) НИАБ. Ф. 3209. Оп. 1. Д. 870. Л. 6d. The full title of the folder "Дело по прошению мещанина Мовши Лейбова Иоффе о постройке общественной женской бани в м. Волынцах Дриссенского уезда". The document includes a facade drawing, cross-sections along the indicated lines, the building plan, a general plan of the town, and a legend containing a verbal description of the project.
Archival Document

Project for a one-story stone public women’s bathhouse (mikveh) in Volyntsy, Drissa District, Vitebsk Governorate, by request of the local Jewish community authorized representative, townsman Movsha Leyba Ioffe

Document from an archival folder: НИАБ. (National Historical Archives of Belarus) НИАБ. Ф. 3209. Оп. 1. Д. 985. Л. 35d. The full title of the folder "Дело по рапорту Витебского уездного полицейского управления о разрешении исправления еврейской общественной бани в м. Яновичах Витебского уезда". The document includes a facade drawing, cross-sections along the indicated lines, the building plan, a general plan of the town, and a legend containing a verbal description of the project.
Archival Document

Project for the construction of a stone public bathhouse in the town of Yanovichi, Vitebsk District and Governorate

"The Shoemakers" from the series "Memories of Ragachow"
Drawing

"The Shoemakers" from the series "Memories of Ragachow"

Photograph

[Slonim. Market street]

Photograph

Studies in the Slonim yeshiva

The photo shows members of the “He-Halutz” organization in Hlybokaye in 1927. In the back row, the third from the left is Khana Tils, the mother of Deborah Rothman. The photograph comes from the family collection of Yehuda Jungelson and Khana Tils. The digitized materials from this collection were provided by the rights holder, Deborah Rothman, to the Sefer Center during the Center’s field school–expedition in 2015. Deborah Rothman is the daughter of Yehuda Jungelson and Khana Tils. From Deborah’s account
Photograph

HeHalutz Organization in Hlybokaye

To the Jewish community in Ashmyany
Archival Document

To the Jewish community in Ashmyany

Fathers, mothers!!! In which school are you sending your child?
Archival Document

Fathers, mothers!!! In which school are you sending your child?

Photograph of the Gorelik family, residents of the village of Parychy, Gomel Region; one of two photographs remaining from the contributor’s immediate family members. The photograph was taken, presumably in the village of Parychy, in the Gomel region. The photograph is staged.
Photograph

Photograph of the Gorelik family

Photograph of Samson Solomonovich Gorelik, a native of the village of Parichi, Gomel Region. One of two photographs remaining from the contributor’s direct relatives. The man in the photograph is the contributor's great-great-grandfather on her mother's side. Since half of the Parich family had the surname Gorelik, their surnames are the same. The photograph was taken in Moscow in 1932. Where it was printed is unknown.
Photograph

Photograph of Samson Solomonovich Gorelik

Небольшая чёрно-белая фотография, напечатанная на фотобумаге в начале 1930-х годов. Автор фотографии неизвестен. Предположительно, снимок был сделан на одном из американских кораблей, направлявшихся в СССР с группой энтузиастов, ехавших работать на заводах и в промышленности в период активной индустриализации. Точная дата создания неизвестна; ориентировочно — начало 1930-х годов.
Photograph

Photograph from the Cramer family archive

Акварельный портрет, выполненный художником Борисом Кремером (1861–1944), изображающий его жену — Ольгу Аннетту Эмму Этту Кремер (урождённую Гурвич). Работа датируется 1917 годом и является одной из немногих подписанных работ художника из семейной («домашней») коллекции. Предположительно, портрет был создан в Павловске, где семья проживала в тот период.
Artwork

Portrait of Olga Cramer

Audio recording

Audio recordings of twenty Yiddish/Hebrew Songs

Материал представляет собой коллекцию из 3 фотографий первой половины XX века. На них изображена семья Кагановых: групповой снимок, портрет Стеси Кагановой, портрет Залмана Каганова. Жили в Могилёве, имели своё дело — шляпную мастерскую. Во время оккупации Могилёва отец Залман Каганов и его жена Басева погибли, их дочь Стеся Каганова бежала в Гомельскую область. Годы жизни Стеси Кагановой: 1909–1967.
Photograph

Photographs of Stesya Kaganova, her family and her father

Photograph of the Messer brothers: Josek, Aron, Shmul, Abraham, and Itzik. Shmul would later serve in World War I as part of the Polish Corps, that combated on the Belarusian territory. The photo is staged, with Jacob Messer, the father of the three brothers, in the center. The photo was most likely taken in Poland. The photograph was taken specifically to capture all of the Messer brothers. After the photograph was taken by the photographer, the brothers received the photograph.
Photograph

Photograph of the Messer brothers

A photograph depicting five soldiers of the 1st Polish Corps of the Russian Empire. In the center of the photograph is Shmul Messer, the brother of the contributor's grandfather. There is no title. Most likely, the photograph depicts friends and fellow soldiers who took this photograph so that they would not forget each other during World War I. Shmul served in the 1st Polish Corps, which was created to participate in hostilities on the side of the Russian Empire.
Photograph

Photograph of Shmul Messer with fellow soldiers

Gerszon Gisser and his brother Motel in Polish Uniform
Photograph

Gerszon Gisser and his brother Motel in Polish Uniform

Polish Passport of Boris Cremer
Legal document

Polish Passport of Boris Cremer

Photograph of Yerachmiel Getsl Chisin (Chagai) and his wife Sara-Lea Chisin
Photograph

Photograph of Yerachmiel Getsl Chisin (Chagai) and his wife Sara-Lea Chisin

Photograph of the Cramer family
Photograph

Photograph of the Cramer family

Extract of Bella Liebermann’s notebook. Handwritten notes in Russian on three songs, made during the recording of the Yiddish/Hebrew songs by Basia Bertman (nee Rozina). Accompanied by the typed translation into Russian of nine songs.
Song / music notation

Notebook with texts of Yiddish/Hebrew Songs

На фотографии изображены члены семьи Шендерович: в верхнем ряду — Галина Шендерович (1928–1941), Дмитрий (муж Сони), Соня Шендерович (1915–1985), Михаил Шендерович (1923–1941); в нижнем ряду — Дора Шендерович (1925–2016), Ехийль Шендерович (ок. 1885–1890–1941), Владимир Шендерович (1938–1941), Блюма (урожд. Гимбург) Шендерович (ок. 1892–1941) и Андрей Шендерович (1919–1990). Большинство изображенных на фотографии членов семьи были расстреляны нацистами в Бобруйском гетто 7 ноября 1941 года.
Photograph

Photograph of the Shenderovich family

Photo of three women. They are the sisters of Harvey Sohnen’s grandmother. Rezia was a teacher, Nechama a housewife, and Lea owned a grocery. They were all murdered during the Holocaust. They stand near their father’s grave in the Jewish graveyard of Oshmyany. The photo was been taken between May 1929 and the Second World War. The inscription in Yiddish on the back of the photograph says: “Remember Father's yortsayt”.
Photograph

Photograph of three sisters near their father’s grave

Passport issued by the Russian imperial state to Beniamin David Fishelev Strashunskii (Беніаминъ Довидъ Фишелевъ Страшунскій) on the 15 May 1913. It had originally 18 pages, but only the 6 pages with text are scanned. The passport belonged to Harvey Sohnen’s grandfather, Benjamin Strashunski. It also mentions his wife Henja and son Fishel but they didn’t emigrate to America until 1921.
Passport

Russian passport of B. D. F. Strashunskii

Passport issued by the Rzeczpospolita Polska to Harvey Sohnen’s grandmather, Henia Straszunska (born 1884) for her to travel with her daughters Sora (9 years old) and Etel (6 years old) to America. It had 22 pages but only the front and back cover and pages that have printing and/or writing on both sides are scanned. It includes a photograph of Henia and Etel. Henia signed in Yiddish (Hene Shtrashunske). The stamps in Henia’s passport shows that during her journey from Oshmyany to New York, she stopped in W
Passport

Polish passport of H. Straszunska

Photograph of Harvey Shonen’s maternal grandparents and of their five children, taken in 1923 according to Harvey. They changed their surname to Strauss in the US. Front row from left: Ethel Strauss, approximately 10 years old (married named Ethel Roifer); Bessie Strauss, a few months old (married name Bessie Bernstein; she is  the only one of the five children born in the US); Benjamin Strauss, 50 years old.
Photograph

Photograph of the Strashunski family

Excerpt of the list of passengers of the ship SS Finland from Antwerp, mentioning Harvey Sohnen’s grandfather Beniamin Strashunski (Benjamin Strauss) (1913). Excerpt of the list of passengers of the ship SS Carmania, mentioning Harvey Sohnen’s grandmother Henja Straschunska and her children Fiszel, Faiwel, Sara and Ettel , as well as her younger brother Efroim Owseizik (1921). (Note: Sara’s name was written as Lora by a clerical error. Also, Efroim was identified as a friend although he was Henja’s brother
Legal document

Strauss family's migration documents

Photo of three women. They are the sisters of Harvey Sohnen’s grandmother. Rezia was a teacher, Nechama a housewife, and Lea owned a grocery. They were all murdered during the Holocaust. They stand near their mother’s grave in the Jewish graveyard of Ashmyany. Rivka Aryewitz, daughter of Dov Tsvi Oriavitsh, died in May 1929. She was likely the great-aunt of Harvey’s grandmother Hannah. The photo was taken between May 1929 and the Second World War. On the back of the photo, a text written in Yiddish says:
Photograph

Photograph of three sisters near their mother’s grave

Photo of three women. They are the sisters of Harvey Sohnen’s grandmother. Rezia was a teacher, Nechama a housewife, and Lea owned a grocery. They were all murdered during the Holocaust. They stand near their mother’s grave in the Jewish graveyard of Ashmyany. Rivka Aryewitz, daughter of Dov Tsvi Oriavitsh, died in May 1929. She was likely the great-aunt of Harvey’s grandmother Hannah. The photo was taken between May 1929 and the Second World War. On the back of the photo, a text written in Yiddish says:
Photograph

Photograph of three sisters near their mother’s grave #2

Photo of three women standing in a field, probably not far from the Jewish cemetery of Ashmyany. They are the sisters of Harvey Sohnen’s grandmother. Rezia was a teacher, Nechama a housewife, and Lea owned a grocery. They were all murdered during the Holocaust. The photo was taken between May 1929 and the Second World War. On the back, the handwritten text in Yiddish says says: ‘in memory of the sisters Leya, Nekhome and Reyzele’
Photograph

Photograph of three sisters near the Ashmyany Jewish cemetery

Šabo žvakidės. Slanimas, Baltarusija, XIX a
Ritual object

Shabbes candelsticks. Slonim, Belarus, 19th c.

Lida. Yeshiva
Postcard

Lida. Yeshiva

Old Holocaust Monument at the Killing Site in Lenin
Monument / gravestone

Old Holocaust Monument at the Killing Site in Lenin

Testimony

Execution of Jews in Lenin

Memorial book of Vawkavysk
Book

Memorial Book of Vawkavysk

My Forty-Five Years in Vawkavysk
Memoir / autobiography

My Forty-Five Years in Vawkavysk

With open mouths. Stories from the past. [Book cover]
Book cover

With open mouths. Stories from the past. [Book cover]

Shklov, synagogue, plan
Drawing

Shklov, synagogue, plan

[View of the synagogue in Shklov]
Photograph

View of the synagogue in Shklov

Novy Bykhaw, synagogue, cross-section
Drawing

Novy Bykhaw, synagogue, cross-section

Bykhaw, synagogue, plan
Drawing

Bykhaw, synagogue, plan 1:200

Bykhaw, synagogue (reconstruction), cross-section, 1:100
Drawing

Bykhaw, synagogue (reconstruction), cross-section, 1:100

Bykhaw, synagogue, cross-section_2
Drawing

vBykhaw, synagogue, cross-section 1:100

Bykhaw, synagogue, cross-section_3
Drawing

Bykhaw, synagogue, cross-section 1:100

Synagogue in Ashmyany. Lower plan. 1:100
Drawing

Synagogue in Ashmyany. Lower plan. 1:100

Synagogue in Ashmyany. Cross-section. 1:50
Drawing

Synagogue in Ashmyany. Cross-section. 1:50