Yurovichi

Jews began living in Yurovichi at the end of the 18th century. Under Soviet rule, within the framework of their overall anti-religious campaign, the authorities closed the "musar" [ethics-stressing] yeshivah that was located in Yurovichi. In 1922 a Yiddish school was opened there. In 1930 the village had about 900 Jews, who comprised 34 percent of the total population. At that time many local Jews earned their livelihood from leather-processing. In the wake of collectivization 50 Jewish families in Yurovichi became members of a kolkhoz. Yurovichi was occupied by the Germans on August 22, 1941. In October 1941 the Jews of Yurovichi were concentrated on one street of the village and were killed if they tried to leave. 5-6 families were forced to live in each house. Most of the Jews of Yurovichi were murdered by Germans and their Belarusian accomplices between November 19 and the beginning of December 1941. The village was liberated by the Red Army in July 1944.