Welcome to the ShtetLinks page for the Jewish shtetl of Pogrebishche. It is a place for those of us investigating families from Pogrebishche to share our research with one another. If you are interested in Pogrebishche and have any information to share with others, please send an e-mail message by clicking here
To see a timeline of events in the Pogrebishche Jewish community, click here
Pogrebishche is located in the current region of Kiev and in the former district of Vinnitsa of the Ukraine. The first existing records of it come from the 12th century. Prior to World War I, it was a part of the Bedichev district of Kiev province in the Russian Empire. Its coordinates are Latitude 49°29´, Longitude 29°16´.
In 1897, the Jewish population of Pogrebishche was 2,494, a fairly small shtetl, and in 1926 it rose slightly, to 2,881. What this means is that we, the Pogrebishche shtetLink group, have a reasonable goal in trying to identifying all the Jewish residents of Pogrebishche.
Due to political shifts over the last few hundred years, Pogrebishche has names and spellings in a variety of languages. Below are some of the more common names and spellings:
| Probishta (Yiddish) | Pohrebyszcze (Polish) |
| Pohrebysche (Ukrainian) | Pogrebishchenskiy |
| Pogrebischtsche | Pogrebisce |
| Pohrebysce | Pohrebysche |
| Pochrebishtche | Погребище |
| יידיש) פרהאבישטא) | Prhobisht |
| פראהבישט | פוהרבישצ'ה |
|
Place |
Distance, Miles |
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|
8 miles S |
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Borshchagovka |
12 miles E |
|
|
|
16 miles N |
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|
Belilovka |
17 miles NW |
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Samgorodok |
19 miles W |
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19 miles ESE |
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Lipovets |
20 miles SSW |
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Zhivotovka |
21 miles SE |
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Vakhnovka |
22 miles WSW |
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Skvira |
25 miles NE |
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Kazatin |
25 miles NW |
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Ilintsya |
25 miles S |
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|
28 miles NNE |
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|
Volodarka |
29 miles E | ||
|
Bila Tserkva |
43 miles ENE |
Brief History of the Jewish community in Pogrebishche
The first reference to a Jewish community in Pogrebishche can be found in a rabbinic responsa written by Rabbi Benyamin Aharon Solonik, also known as the "Masat Binyanim," who lived from 1530-1620. The responsa dates to 1603 and can be seen here. It tells of a man from Pogrebishche who was unwilling to divorce his wife but eventually gave her a get after being locked up by the beit din (court).
On the webpage of the Universal Scientists International Charity Fund there is a paper entitled "Sacral Meanng of Ukrainian Region Along the River Rus." It is a rough translation from Russian, but explains that Pogrebishche was some sort of sacred burial site. In particular, they note that Pogrebishcha dates back at least to the 12th century and that the name can mean either "big cellar" or "the place of burial." The paper suggests that the tribe of Dan migrated to this area from Israel, and points to the name of several rivers in the area: the Don, the Dnieper, the Desna, the Dvina, and the Danube, as proof.
A History of Jewish Crafts and Guilds by Mark Wischnitzer lists two artistic items that were in the Pogrebishche synagogue.
Excerpts relating to Pogrebishche fromThe Regal Way: The Life and Times of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, a comprehensive study of the Ruzhiner Rebbe who was born in Pogrebishche, by David Assaf and translated by David Louvish.
The book Wooden Synagogues by Maria Piechotka (Arkady, 1959) contains much information about the iconic synagogue found in Pogrebische gathered from multiple other sources in various languages, and compiled in English.
In the collection of stories Even Sha'ot by the famous Israeli author Chaim Hazaz, there is a story that mentions Pogrebishche on p.113. Hazaz himself was born in the Ukraine and studied in Kiev. In the story, the character Zimel Stavitzker debates whether to sell some heirlooms: three goblets for kiddush and a talit that belonged to his grandfather. He claims that his grandfather was the Av Beit Din in Pogrebishche and that he wrote approbations for several books, including a book called Sofer V"Shokel.
Abyss of Despair (Yeven Metzulah) - Excerpts from the famous 17th Century chronicle depicting Jewish life in Russia and Poland during the Chmielnicki Massacres of 1648-1649 that Relate to Pogrebishche
Megilat Afa excerpt on Pogrebishche
Elokim Ba'u Goyim B'Nachalatcha - a Slicha prayer written by Shabbatai HaKohen to be said on the 20th of Sivan, a fast day set up to commemorate the Chmielnicki Massacres. The Slicha mentions Pogrebishche
Download the slicha in Hebrew here
Codex Judaica entry relating to the 1736 killing of 14 Jews in Pogrebishche. The attack on Pogrebishche was led by Matvii Hryva.
YIVO report on the 1919 pogroms in Ukraine
B.O. Lipshitz's testimony to the Committee of Jewish Delegations on the pogroms of 1919
Excerpts from Elias Heifetz's Slaughter of the Jews In The Ukraine In 1919 that relate to Pogrebishche
The Encylopedia of Jewish Life Before and During The Holocaust, edited by Shmuel Spector, gives fact-filled summaries of life in thousands of shtetls before the Holocaust and a description of what the Nazis did in each. Click here to read the entry on Pogrebishche.
Soviet Jewry on the Eve of the Holocaust by Mordechai Altshuler gives population numbers for Soviet shtetls before the Holocaust. Click here to read the entry on Pogrebishche.
We are looking to collect any pictures, stories or interviews that pertain to Pogrebishche.
A Story of Rav Avraham Zack contributed by Harold Ginsparg, his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandson
The history of the Tulchinsky family's flight from Pogrebishche donated by Norm Leckie. This also contains interesting source ideas for anyone looking to research their family history in Canada.
Click on the picture to see images of Pogrebishche taken by Ethan Rofman.
Image from Yad Vashem Valley of Communities
Painting of Pogrebishche done by Napoleon Orda from 1872. Source: Gallery of Sketches by Napoleon Orda
The book "Shtetl Finder" by Chester G. Cohen (Heritage Books, 1989) lists a number of notable Jews from Pogrebishche:
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Updated by JS 02 September, 2008 Copyright © 2007 Joshua Skarf |
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