Memorial book, Jezierzany and Surroundings (Ozeryany, Ukraine)

Jezierzany and Surroundings

This memorial book, a translation of the original Hebrew and Yiddish version published in 1959, preserves the history and legacy of the Jewish community of Jezierzany, now called Ozeryany. Previously part of the Polish region of Eastern Galicia, then the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and then Poland again between the two world wars, the town is currently located in Ukraine, southeast of Lviv in Ternopil Oblast.

For generations and despite many hardships over its long history, Jezierzany was home to a vibrant Jewish population whose religious, cultural and communal life shaped the character of the town. They built synagogues and study houses, founded schools and libraries, formed charitable, cultural and political organizations, and nurtured deep ties to Jewish tradition, learning and values. By the turn of the twentieth century, the Jewish community was also engaged with the political, social and educational movements of its time. Many young people were drawn to emerging Zionist ideas, expressing hopes for self-determination in Palestine.

Firsthand accounts and essays written by former residents bring to life the daily rhythms, values and voices of this once-thriving Jewish community. These testimonies bear witness to the years of upheaval, repression and terror that followed the arrival of the Soviets in 1939 and culminated in the destruction of Jezierzany's Jewish population through mass murder, deportation and annihilation at the hands of the Nazis and their collaborators.

Today, no Jewish community remains in the town but its story endures in these pages. This Yizkor Book honors the Jews of Jezierzany by preserving their names, their lives, and their legacy for future generations.