Turka is a Ukrainian town situated on the left bank of the river Stryi. Jews first came to Turka in the 1800s. The first synagogue; Jewish cemetery and the Jewish old age home were built in 1730. In 1903; Turka began to flourish when a railway line connected the city with Lwow and with Budapest; and the Austrian government authorized the founding of an official Jewish community. Business expanded; especially the lumber business. Jews owned the sawmills; had licenses to sell liquor. Others worked at various trades - tailoring; shoemaking; barbering; clock making; and lock smithing. Many of the physicians and lawyers in Turka were Jews. Yiddish theatre came to Turka and interest was sparked in cultural events; sports events; and political events. Some Jews were Zionists; some were Hassids; some were socialists; and some were assimilationists. After the Great War; Galicia reverted to Poland; the city had been plundered by the Russian army; many Jews had left; and all Jewish property had been destroyed. There were Ukrainian revolts and Jewish pogroms. Nevertheless; after the War; there were approximately 6;000 inhabitants in Turka; 41% of whom were Jewish. Another 7;000 Jews lived in the surrounding villages. The Jewish population managed to rebuild. Just prior to World War II; 10;000 people lived in Turka; half were Jewish. The catastrophe began when the Germans turned against the Soviet Union in June 1941 and Turka was captured by the Wehrmacht. The Jews of Turka were massacred; or starved to death; or sent to the Sambir ghetto and; hence; to the crematoria. There are no Jews left in Turka today. This book serves as a memorial to the Jewish community of Turka. It should be if interest to researchers and descendants of the town. Turka; Ukraine is located at: 49°09' North Latitude and 23°02' East Longitude Alternate names for the town are: Turka [Polish; Ukrainian]; Turka al nehar Stry [Hebrew]; Turka and Stryjem Nearby Jewish Communities: Melnychne 2 miles S; Nyzhnya Yablun'ka 4 miles SW Borynya 6 miles SSW; Sokoliki; Poland 8 miles WSW Yabluniv 8 miles SSE; Sianky 11 miles SSW; Dźwiniacz Górny; Poland 11 miles W; Tarnawa Niżna; Poland 11 miles W; Limna 11 miles NW; Strelki 13 miles N; Bitlya 13 miles SSW; Uzhok 14 miles SSW; Dovhe 14 miles E; Volosyanka 15 miles SW; Skhidnitsya 15 miles ENE; Podbuzh 16 miles NE; Lutowiska; Poland 17 miles WNW; Tykhyy 18 miles SSW; Smozhe 19 miles SSE; Stavnoye 19 miles WSW; Boryslav 20 miles ENE; Staryy Sambor 20 miles N; Bukovets 20 miles SSW; Lyuta 21 miles SW; Orov 23 miles E; Truskavets 23 miles ENE; Stara Sil' 23 miles N; Skole 23 miles ESE; Verkhneye Sinevidnoye 25 miles E; Drohobych 25 miles ENE; Stebnik 26 miles ENE; Sambir 26 miles NNE; Skelevka 27 miles N; Nyzhni Vorota 27 miles S; Sil' 27 miles WSW; KroÅ›cienko; Poland 27 miles NW; Lavochnoye 28 miles SSE; Khyriv 28 miles NNW; Verkhni Vorota 28 miles S; Chornoholova 28 miles SW; Ustrzyki Dolne; Poland 28 miles NW; UliÄské Krivé; Slovakia 29 miles WSW; UliÄ; Slovakia 30 miles WSW; Husne Wyzne 7 miles SSW; Husne Nizne 7 miles SSW
#663198 in Books 2016-06-20Original language:English 9.02 x .67 x 5.98l; .77 #File Name: 1935604775
Review
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. All you wanted to know and more!By Rusty WatsonIn his prologue; the author states; “Sephardic Jews have become a part of a memory; often with little information about the actual history and heritage of the group.†What happened to these people? Why did they disperse across the continents? What were the historical reasons that coerced this population to practice their rituals in the privacy of their homes or abandon them altogether?The author has meticulously research and gathered all the answers to these questions and definitely falls into the category of “all you wanted to know and more.â€While researching my own family history; I encountered evidence of Sephardic heritage dating back to 1492. My ancestor sailed with Christopher Columbus but I wondered why his name was Spanish. I was amazed at the amount of information I gleaned from reading this title and I highly recommend it to anyone who is searching for well-researched answers to their questions. This book is in-depth and well documented; and even if you do not have Sephardic DNA; it is important to read in order to understand the choices all our ancestors made to have religious freedoms. This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.The Idler1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A summation of the Sephardic Diaspora with emphasis on Southwest U.S.By J TuckerSephardic Jews: History; Religion and People is written with the purpose of providing a window of information and understanding about the people who have carried the light of Sephardic Judaism for centuries and those who are finding hope in it today. (Author's statement of purpose)Part 1; Jews in Spain is a concise summary of the works and lives of Jewish writers and poets primarily in Muslim Spain along with some pertinent historical and cultural facts. The author has drawn upon a broad spectrum of writings on this subject. The last two chapters of Part 1 describe the decline and end to Jewish life in Spain that began with the holocaust of 1391 and the ultimate 1492 Edict of Expulsion.Part II; Sephardic Diaspora delves more into Dr. Hart's area of expertise; cultural anthropology. His discussion of culture and ritual is enlightening. The divergence between the Sephardim that migrated to the Ottoman Empire and North Africa is contrasted with those who evenually settled in northern Europe and those who ultimately came to New Spain (Mexico). One criticism that I would level is that while the author provides a useful summary of the works of historians; he provides little direct reference to their work. Understandably citations can distract a reader; but the lack thereof reduces the academic value of the work; especially since he does use short citations in the last part of the book;Conversos in New Spain.In summary; Dr. Hart does achieve his objective stated at the start of this review. As such; I can highly recommend this book as a first step in understanding the cultural; economic; social and political history of Jews for those (knowingly or thinking they might be) of Sephardic lineage.This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.The Journeys of Brothers
