13 Oct A Visit to the One Last Jew in Brusilov, by Charlotte Adelman
Bust of the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko in the town of Brusilov. Photo from: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Брусилов_(Житомирская_область).
Trying to Make Sense
In this article that appeared in Pioneer Press, Charlotte Adelman describes her visit to Brusilov, the Ukrainian town where her father was born.
An ordinary town (officially an urban-type settlement, in reality a large village). Brusilov had a population of 14,000 in the 19th century. 2,800 of it were Jewish. In 1994, the numbers are 5,000 and 1, respectively.
A wonderfully written article that everyone should read. (To expand image, right-click then choose “view actual size.”)
Article “A Visit to the one last Jew in Brusilov” by Charlotte Adelman published in Pioneer Press of August 25, 1994.
An ordinary Soviet story. Pogroms, Revolution, WWII, Nazi relying on the locals to identify Jews, one little Jewish girl is saved by a local family. She and the officials that accompany the visitors find it funny that neighbors helped make the town Judenfrei. Well, almost Judenfrei. Were the parents of these officials among the helpers?
Not a word about this in the Wikipedia Ukrainian, Russian, or English articles about Brusilov. An obligatory memorial to the victims of the Nazi massacre has been installed. As obligatory as a bust of poet Shevchenko. The Jewish cemetery is simply an empty lot – not a headstone in sight.
Michael Luther
Posted at 17:58h, 23 NovemberMy grandfather was from Brusilov.
He saw a pogrom. The Rabbi was
Hanged. My grandfather escaped as a child.
Someday I will visit.
Bena
Posted at 18:32h, 23 NovemberThanks for your comment. Yes, you should make the trip to Brusilov and perhaps to other towns nearby. Not a single Jew remained in Brusilov by now. In Berdichev and Zhitomir there are (relatively) vibrant Jewish communities; the leaders will be happy to give you tours. Everywhere many residents are descendants of those who perpetrated the pogroms and/or denounced the Jews to the Nazi and/or collaborated. But you’ll breathe the air your grandfather and other family breathe and walk the streets they walked, and visit what used to be the Jewish cemetery.
Liz Chapman
Posted at 12:29h, 18 FebruaryMy husbands family came from this town before WW1 to Chicago and then Los Angeles. Are there any records remaining of who lived in the town?
Bena
Posted at 19:07h, 18 FebruaryHi Liz,
I don’t know anything about Brusilov beyond my friend’s story in the post. Unfortunately, there are no Jews in the town any longer. You’ve probably tried Jewishgen.org already. Other than that, there are the scanned records by Alex Krakovsky – if you find Brusilov on the list, I’ll be happy to browse the names for you. And the Kiev archive may have something. I do have a researcher to recommend who is located in Kiev and charges reasonably. He was very helpful.
Good luck,
Bena.