Oratov

Jews are first mentioned as residing in Oratov in the 18th century. Oratov's Jewish population began to increase after the village became a town. In 1897 Oratov's 529 Jews comprised 22 percent of the total population. The third Prime Minister of Israel, Levi Eshkol (born Shkolnik) was born in Oratov in 1895. The majority of Oratov's Jews left during World War I and the subsequent turbulent years of Russian revolution and civil war, when the Jews suffered from the violence of the various warring parties. Few Jews returned to Oratov when the situation stabilized. In 1939 Oratov's 114 Jews comprised 4.7 percent of its total population. German troops occupied Oratov on July 27, 1941. The local Jews were forced to perform various types of hard labor. In October 1942 about 40 Jews of Oratov were deported to the town of Monastyrishche, the center of a neighboring county, and murdered there. About 30 more local Jews were murdered either at the same time or (according to various testimonies) in early 1943 in a forest near the town. Although the Red Army liberated Oratov on January 4, 1944, the Germans succeeded in retaking the town about a month later. Oratov was permanently liberated by the Red Army on March 11, 1944.