ZHMERINKA

ZHMERINCA I:     US Commission No. UA01170102 Alternate name: Shmerinka (Yiddish) and Zmerinka (Ukraine). Zhmerinca is located in Vinnitskaya at 49º2 28º6, 32 km from Vinnitsa. Present town population is 25,001-100,000 with 101-1,000 Jews. Town officials: Zhmerinka Town Executive Council Chairman Lydvich Vladimir Mikhalovich [Phone: (04332) 21306]. Vinnitska Oblast Jewish Community, Gybenko Bella Aronova [Phone: (0432) 351666]. Regional: Fuks M.L. of Vinnitska Oblast Council [Phone: (0432) 327540]. Caretaker lives near the cemetery. Others: Sklyar Leonid Semenovich. The earliest known Jewish community was second half 19th century. 1939 Jewish population (census) was 4380. Effecting the Jewish Community were 1881 Pogrom, 20-21/10/1905 Pogrom with no deaths, 1918-1920 Petlurovski and Denikinski Pogroms and 1941 Romanian occupation zone with 1942 Ghetto. The Jewish cemetery was established in 1884 century with last known Hasidic burial 1994. No other towns or villages used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated suburban flat land has no sign or marker. Reached by turning directly off a private road, access is open to all. A broken fence with no gate surrounds the cemetery. 501 to 5000 stones, most in original location with 25%-50% toppled or broken, date from 18th century. Locations of any removed stones are unknown. The cemetery has no special sections. Some tombstones have portraits on stones and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Municipality owns property used for Jewish cemetery only. Properties adjacent are agricultural. The cemetery boundaries are larger now than 1939. Frequently, local residents visit. The cemetery was vandalized occasionally in the last ten years. Local Jewish resident patched broken stones, cleaned stones and cleared vegetation. Occasionally, individuals clean or clear. Within the limits of the cemetery are no structures. Vegetation overgrowth is a seasonal problem, preventing access. Water drainage at the cemetery is a seasonal problem. Slight threat: vegetation. Fuks M.L. of Vinnitsa [Phone: 358296] visited site on 7/12/94. No interviews were conducted. Fuks completed survey in 1994. Documentation: Population of towns in Podol Region. A. Krylov.1905; History of Towns and Villages in Ukraine. Vinnitska. Kiev. URE. 1969; Short Jewish Encyclopaedia. Jerusalem. 1976; Jewish Encyclopaedia in 16 vols. Brokgayz-Efron; Encyclopaedia Judaica in 17 vols. Jerusalem. ZHMERINKA II:     US Commission No. UA01170101 The 1884 cemetery is located at Moskolenko St. Buried in the cemetery is Frankfurt's rabbis, scinces [sic] with last known Hasidic burial 1994. No other towns or villages used this unlandmarked cemetery. The isolated suburban hillside and between fields and woods is reached by turning directly off a public road. Access is open to all. A broken masonry wall with on-locking gate surrounds the cemetery. 501 to 5000 stones, all in original location with less than 25% toppled or broken, date from 1884 to 20th century. Locations of any removed stones are unknown. The cemetery has special sections for men, women and children. Some tombstones have traces of painting on their surfaces, iron decorations or lettering, other metallic elements, portraits on stones and/or metal fences around graves. The cemetery contains no known mass graves. Municipality owns property used for Jewish cemetery only. Properties adjacent are agricultural and residential. The cemetery boundaries are larger now than 1939. Frequently, Jewish or non-Jewish private visitors visit. The cemetery was vandalized during World War II and occasionally in the last ten years. Jewish individuals within country and abroad did re-erection of stones, patched broken stones, cleaning of stones, cleared vegetation and fixed gate 1945-1948. Jewish survivors, contributions from visitors, and municipality pay the regular caretaker. Within the limits of the cemetery are other structures. Vegetation overgrowth is a constant problem, damaging stones. (not a problem). [sic] Oks Vladimir Moiseevich of 270065,Oddesa, Varnenskaya St. 17D, apt. 52 [Phone: (0482) 665950] visited site and completed survey on 6/26/94. Interviewed waw local resident. Documentation: Populations of Towns in the Podol Region. A.Krylov. 1905; National Minorities in Ukraine. Register. Kharkiv. 1925. Other documentation was inaccessible.