Judaism in Ukraine: History, Anti-Semitism, and the Contemporary Landscape
- Matthew Parish
- May 10
- 8 min read
Judaism in Ukraine has a long and complex history, shaped by centuries of settlement, cultural flourishing, persecution and resilience. As home to one of Europe's largest pre-World War II Jewish populations, Ukraine's Jewish community has played a significant role in shaping both the religious and cultural identity of the region. However this legacy has also been marred by episodes of brutal anti-Semitism, both under tsarist and Soviet regimes, as well as during moments of nationalist fervour and political instability. Since Ukraine's independence in 1991 the position of Jews in Ukrainian society has evolved markedly, with the country today witnessing both a Jewish president and renewed efforts to preserve Jewish heritage, even amidst the strains of war and internal displacement.
Historical Foundations and Pre-Soviet Persecution
Jewish communities have existed in the lands of modern-day Ukraine since at least the 10th century, flourishing in trade, scholarship, and religious life. By the 18th and 19th centuries, Ukraine was a centre of Jewish life within the Russian Empire, particularly within the Pale of Settlement (a western region of the Russian Empire that existed from 1791 to 1915), a zone where Jews were legally permitted to live.
Despite their deep roots, Jews in Ukraine faced repeated violence, discrimination, and exclusion during the Russian Empire. Pogroms were a recurrent feature, notably the wave of pogroms in 1881–1884 and again in 1903–1906. These acts of violence were often condoned or encouraged by tsarist authorities. Further devastation occurred during the Russian Civil War (1917–1921), when various factions—including Ukrainian nationalists, the White Army, and anarchists—massacred tens of thousands of Jews.
The Soviet Era: Repression and Assimilation
The Soviet regime officially outlawed anti-Semitism and claimed to foster a society free from ethnic prejudice. In practice, however, Jewish religious life was repressed under Stalinist policies. Synagogues were shuttered, Hebrew education was banned, and Jewish intellectuals were purged during campaigns against so-called "rootless cosmopolitans".
Although some Jews occupied prominent positions within Soviet bureaucracy, open expressions of Jewish identity were discouraged or penalised. Anti-Semitism, while no longer manifesting in pogroms, took the form of institutionalised discrimination—limited access to higher education, glass ceilings in public life, and the curtailment of religious freedoms. The legacy of these policies left deep scars, contributing to a culture of silence and assimilation.
Independence and the Revival of Jewish Life
With the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukrainian Jews faced both opportunities and challenges. On one hand, Ukraine’s independence allowed for a revival of Jewish religious, cultural and educational institutions. Synagogues reopened, Jewish schools were founded, and numerous organisations emerged to document the community’s history and promote cultural exchange. Kyiv, Dnipro, and Odesa once again became centres of Jewish activity.
Simultaneously, the 1990s were marked by political instability and economic hardship, which prompted many Jews to emigrate, primarily to Israel, the United States and Germany. Anti-Semitic rhetoric did not disappear entirely, with certain nationalist factions occasionally invoking age-old tropes, but these were largely confined to the political fringes.
Importantly, independent Ukraine has made significant efforts to commemorate the Holocaust and educate the public about Jewish history. The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Centre in Kyiv, for instance, aims to memorialise the site where over 33,000 Jews were murdered by the Nazis in 1941. Ukrainian school curricula now include Holocaust education, and government officials have regularly condemned anti-Semitism.
Contemporary Ukraine: Identity, Power, and Perceptions
Today Jewish Ukrainians are visible in nearly every sphere of public and private life. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, elected in 2019 with an overwhelming majority, is Jewish and openly speaks about his heritage. Other Jewish individuals have held prominent roles in government, business, academia, and the arts.
This visibility has not led to a rise in anti-Semitism on a systemic level. Numerous reports by Jewish watchdog organisations, including the Anti-Defamation League and the European Jewish Congress, have found that Ukraine's rates of anti-Semitic incidents are relatively low compared to other European countries. Anti-Semitic political parties have failed to gain traction, and anti-Jewish violence remains rare.
Nonetheless, challenges persist. Russian propaganda has frequently attempted to portray Ukraine as a hotbed of fascism and anti-Semitism, citing the historical veneration of controversial nationalist figures. These narratives are often aimed at justifying Russian aggression or sowing division within Ukrainian society. While far-right groups do exist in Ukraine, they are politically marginal and have been widely condemned by the broader public.
Another dynamic factor is the displacement caused by Russia's ongoing invasion. Among the millions of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees are Jewish Ukrainians whose synagogues, cultural centres or homes have been destroyed in the course of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Jewish organisations both within Ukraine and abroad have mobilised humanitarian aid, resettlement assistance and efforts to maintain community life during wartime.
Conclusion: A Resilient and Evolving Community
Judaism in Ukraine today stands as a testament to survival, adaptation and revival. After centuries of persecution and repression, Ukrainian Jews have achieved a level of visibility and integration that would have seemed unimaginable a generation ago. While vigilance against anti-Semitism remains necessary, contemporary Ukraine has demonstrated a commitment to pluralism and remembrance.
In a time of existential crisis for the Ukrainian state, the broad acceptance of Jewish public figures and the protection of Jewish cultural institutions underscore a deeper civic identity taking root—one that prizes unity, democratic values, and historical reckoning over ethnic division. This, perhaps, is one of the most hopeful legacies emerging from a nation long scarred by exclusion but now striving for inclusion.
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Books (History & Society)
The Jews of Ukraine: The History and Legacy of the Jewish Community in Ukraine – Charles River Editors
A concise overview tracing Jewish history in Ukraine from early settlement to modern challenges.
Between Shades of Gray and Light: The Holocaust in Ukraine – Ray Brandon & Wendy Lower (eds.)
A collection of essays exploring the unique aspects of the Holocaust in Ukrainian territories.
Pogroms: The Origins of European Genocide – John D. Klier
A critical analysis of pogroms in the Russian Empire, including Ukraine, and their role in shaping modern anti-Semitism.
Stalin’s War Against the Jews – Louis Rapoport
Explores Soviet anti-Semitism, especially the post-WWII period and campaigns against “rootless cosmopolitans”.
Ukrainian Nationalism in the Age of Extremes: An Intellectual Biography of Dmytro Dontsov – Trevor Erlacher
Offers a detailed analysis of Ukrainian nationalism, including its complicated relationship with ethnic minorities.
Memoirs & Testimonies
A Jewish Life Under the Tsars: The Autobiography of Chaim Aronson, 1825–1888 – Chaim Aronson
A rare first-person account from a Jewish inventor living in the Russian Empire, with reflections relevant to Ukraine.
Babyn Yar: A Document in the Form of a Novel – Anatoly Kuznetsov
A harrowing, semi-documentary novel about the Nazi massacre of Jews in Kyiv, smuggled out of the USSR and published in the West.
From the Edge: A Memoir – David A. Harris
Includes reflections on contemporary Jewish life in Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, by a Jewish advocacy leader.
Contemporary Analysis & Reports
Anti-Defamation League (ADL):
ADL’s Reports on Ukraine provide up-to-date assessments of anti-Semitism and Jewish security in Ukraine.
Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center Publications
https://babynyar.org – Educational resources, survivor testimonies and research publications on Jewish history in Ukraine.
European Jewish Congress Reports
Regular updates on Jewish life, anti-Semitism statistics, and communal resilience in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.
Ukrainian Jewish Literature
Tevye the Dairyman and the Railroad Stories – Sholem Aleichem
Perhaps the most famous Jewish-Ukrainian writer, Aleichem drew inspiration from shtetl life (living in small Jewish towns and villages) in central Ukraine. These stories inspired Fiddler on the Roof.
The Zelmenyaners: A Family Saga – Moyshe Kulbak
A modernist Yiddish novel chronicling the decline of a Jewish extended family under Soviet rule, capturing both humor and tragedy.
A Journey Through the Ukrainian-Jewish Encounter: From Antiquity to 1914 – UJE (Ukrainian Jewish Encounter)
A rich bilingual resource (print and online) examining cultural, literary, and historical interconnections.
My Mother’s Sabbath Days – Chaim Grade
Though a Lithuanian Jew, Grade’s reflections on pre-war Eastern European Jewish life echo in Ukraine’s cultural context as well.
Film and Documentary
Babyn Yar. Context (2021) – Directed by Sergei Loznitsa
A chilling documentary using archival footage to reconstruct the events surrounding the Babyn Yar massacre in Kyiv.
Mr Jones (2019) – Directed by Agnieszka Holland
While not exclusively about Jews, this film contextualises the Holodomor famine and the environment of Soviet repression that also affected Jewish communities.
Numbered (2012) – Directed by Dana Doron & Uriel Sinai
A powerful exploration of Holocaust survivors, many from Ukraine, through their concentration camp tattoos.
Sholem Aleichem: Laughing in the Darkness (2011) – Directed by Joseph Dorman
A documentary about the Yiddish author’s life and literary legacy rooted in Ukrainian Jewish experience.
Holocaust Education Resources
Yad Vashem’s Ukraine-Related Archives
Offers survivor testimonies, educational materials, and archival documents about the Holocaust in Ukrainian territories.
USC Shoah Foundation Visual History Archive
Thousands of testimonies from Ukrainian Jewish Holocaust survivors, searchable by region and theme.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM)
Special collections and exhibitions on Ukrainian Jews, Holocaust by bullets, and Einsatzgruppen (Nazi storm trooper) massacres.
Major Holocaust Memorials and Sites of Memory
Babyn Yar (Kyiv)
Site of the 1941 massacre where over 33,000 Jews were murdered by Nazi forces in two days.
Today the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Centre is under construction, but the site includes several monuments, including a Menorah-shaped memorial and installations by Ukrainian and international artists.
Website: https://babynyar.org
Drohobych and Sambir Memorials (Lviv Oblast)
Sites of large-scale Nazi exterminations, now marked by modest memorials, often supported by local and international Jewish heritage foundations.
Holocaust Memorial in Lviv (Yanivsky Cemetery and the Golden Rose Synagogue ruins)
Lviv’s Jewish community was among the largest in Europe before the Holocaust. Current memorials include commemorative plaques, a Jewish cemetery and remnants of once-vibrant religious life.
Dnipro Holocaust Memorial Center “Tkuma”
A leading research and education center on the Holocaust and Jewish history in Ukraine.
Website: https://tkuma.dp.ua/en
Dobritsky Yar Memorial Park
A ravine outside Kharkiv that was the site of Nazi massacres of Jews between October and December 1941.
The memorial was damaged in the early period of the second Russian invasion of Ukraine by Russian shelling, and the museum is closed due to proximity to the front line, but a visit is still feasible by taxi or private car.
Website: https://www.dobrytskyyar.org
Dobrystky Yar, Kharkiv
Historic Jewish Quarters and Cultural Sites
Brody (Lviv Oblast)
Birthplace of Jewish philosopher Martin Buber, with remnants of a grand synagogue and Jewish cemetery. Once a major center of Jewish learning and Hasidism.
Odesa
A historically cosmopolitan city with a vibrant Jewish community. Visit the Jewish Museum of Odesa and the still-active Odesa Synagogue.
Uman (Cherkasy Oblast)
Site of the grave of Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement and a well-known writer, drawing thousands of Hasidic pilgrims annually. Uman is an enduring center of Hasidic spirituality.
Kyiv Podil District
Features historic synagogues (like the Brodsky Synagogue) and sites related to Jewish merchants and intellectuals. The area reflects centuries of Jewish civic and religious life.
Virtual Tours and Digital Archives
The Center for Jewish Art (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Digital reconstructions and photographs of synagogues, tombstones, and Jewish art across Ukraine.
Website: https://cja.huji.ac.il
Centropa Ukraine Project
A multimedia history project that includes interviews, digital tours, and educational resources focusing on 20th-century Jewish life in Ukraine.
Website: https://www.centropa.org
A map showing some of the principal Jewish commemoration sites across free Ukraine
For more information about these sites, feel free to contact the Lviv Herald at lvivherald@gmail.com.
