- February 12, 2025
- 11:58 pm
- Ukraine
During many years of work in Lviv and four other cities in Western Ukraine, volunteers have documented more than 200 fragments of Jewish tombstones. This project has helped restore the memory of people whose names could have been lost forever. The database contains transcriptions and translations from Hebrew, Polish and German into Ukrainian and English, making it available to researchers and descendants around the world.
This was reported by the management of the “Rohatyn Jewish Heritage” (Rohatyn Jewish Heritage) on February 12, 2025.
The tombstones were discovered in Lviv, Rohatyn, Dobromyl, Sokal and Zbarazh. Most of them were used as building materials during the Nazi occupation. In 2018, volunteers began to return fragments of slabs from the road in the southwest of Lviv and other places, conducting thorough documentation.
How the database works
The database is a unique tool for historians, genealogists and researchers.
Here it is – https://jewishstonesua.org/
It contains:
- Transcriptions of epitaphs from more than 200 tombstones
- 130 full names of the deceased
- 100 surnames
- 100 names of parents
- 20 tiles on which only symbols or parts of text remain
| Parameter | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Documented stones | 200 |
| Inscriptions with names | 130 |
| Tombstones with dates | 100 |
| Slabs without text | 20 |
Access to the database is free and open to everyone. Searches can be made in English, Ukrainian and Hebrew. For the convenience of users, a special reference book has been developed that helps to understand the structure and principles of the database.
Which cities are included in the project
- Lviv is the center of documentation and research. The largest number of tombstone fragments were found here.
- Rohatyn is known for its archaeological finds related to Jewish heritage.
- Dobromyl is a city with a rich Jewish history, whose tombstones became part of the project.
- Sokal preserves many artifacts of Jewish cultural heritage.
- Zbarazh is one of the key points of the search.
The role of Oleksandr Nazar and communities
The project was led by Oleksandr Nazar, head of the Sholem Aleichem Jewish Culture Society in Lviv. He and dozens of volunteers worked to restore the tombstones, transport them, and create a database.
“This project is a restoration of memory, an act of historical justice, and an opportunity for descendants to restore their genealogies,” Nazar noted.
Why is this important for Israel and Ukraine
The creation of the database is an important step in strengthening the ties between the Jewish and Ukrainian communities. The cooperation of volunteers, researchers and activists allows us to preserve our common cultural heritage and pass it on to future generations.
This is also an example of successful interaction between two peoples in the search for historical truth. It is important that access to the database is free, and its content will be integrated into the international JewishGen JOWBR database.
Next steps and plans
The data from this database continues to be supplemented and verified. The project team is already planning to expand it and add new records from neighboring regions. In the near future, all transcriptions will be fully synchronized with international databases.
The project demonstrates that the return of historical memory is possible only through cooperation and support from active community members. Read more about such initiatives at NAnews — Israel News, where we talk about the most significant events for Jewish communities in Ukraine and Israel.
Here it is – https://jewishstonesua.org/
