Strizhavka

Jews apparently lived in Strizhavka from the first half of the 18th century. In 1897 the town's 795 Jews comprised 36.1 percent of the total population. Most Strizhavka Jews were small-scale merchants or artisans. The Jews of Strizhavka suffered greatly during the revolutionary years and civil war in Russia. 8 Jews were murdered and Jewish houses were looted in a pogrom in the town in June 1918. Many Jews left Strizhavka about this time. Jews, especially younger ones, left Strizhavka in the early Soviet period in search of educational and vocational opportunities. In 1926 413 Jews lived in Strizhavka, constituting 15.9 percent of the total population. In the 1920s and 1930s there was a Yiddish school in the town. The Germans occupied Strizhavka on July 19, 1941. Starting in December 1941 Jewish skilled workers from Strizhavka were used for the construction of Hitler's "Werewolf" headquarters, with Strizhavka itself becoming the center of the "Werewolf" compound. About 200 Jews of the town were shot to death in January 1942. Strizhavka was liberated by the Red Army on March 19, 1944.