Sokólscy Żydzi (pl/en)

SOKOLKAS JEWS

Basing their findings on the Royal ‘Grodno‘ Charter of the king Augustus II, proclaimed on the 29 December 1698, many historians assume that the first Jewish settlers have had only arrived in Sokolka in the second half of the XVII century as the date of the Charter would seem to indicate.
However, the closer perusal of the contents shows, that the Charter is just a confirmation of the existing situation ie. the Jews had been at that time settled in Sokolka for a considerable period.
At the end of the XVII century, Sokolka and district formed a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The Grand Duke Witold had as early as 1388 granted the Jews the right to the settlement including settlement in the lands of ‘Grodno District of which Sokolka was then a part. Witold’s Charter was very similar to that of Casimir the Great which conferred rights on the Jews in Poland in 1334.
During the reign of Sigismundus I, on the 5 January 1507 at Mielnik, the Jews received a confirmation of the rights granted by the Witold’s Charter and on the 1 March 1514 in Wilno, this was extended to the right to trade.

It is feasible then, to assume that, since Sokolka received the rights to hold the markets between 1586 and 1589, the local trade and commerce must have been relatively well developed. The local Jews settling in Sokolka in increasing numbers particularly after the township obtained the town status in 1609, without doubt played a significant part in this process. Until the confirmation of their rights by the Augustus II their status was regulated by the laws set by Grand Duke Witold for the entire Grand Duchy of Lithuania.
Sokolka’s Jewish community right from its very beginnings came under the authority of Grodno Kahal; authority covering in addition the whole District of Grodno.
In 1765, 522 Jews were recorded in Sokolka, 80 years later this number had increased to 1454. In 1865 Sokolka’s Jewish population numbered 1457 (42.5% of the total), in 1897 – 2824 persons (45%) in 1928 – 3081 persons (47.5%) and in 1936 – 3232 persons (49%). The dramatic growth of the Jewish population in 1939 to approx. 8000 (70.4%) was caused by the arrivals from the ‘General Government‘.
From the beginning of the Jewish settlement in this region in XVII (?) century to XIX century, Jews populated also rural areas, later concentrating in the urban settlements of Sokolka, Dabrowa, Janow, Korycin, Nowy Dwor, Krynki, Kuznica, Sidra and Suchowola. This process was due mainly to the nature of occupations typical for the local Jews, principally involving trades and commerce.
This situation was mirrored in the structure of the property ownership by the main religious groups in the district.
According to the census of 1931 the Roman Catholic Church in Sokolka District included 88149 members and owned rural property of 583.04 ha, the Orthodox Church numbered 13478 adherents and owned rural property of 91.44 ha, while the population of Jewish faith numbered 8528 and owned property (mainly temples and schools) valued at 235810 zlotys. In addition, there existed a unique Jewish farming settlement in form of village Kolonia Izaaka, located in Odelsk Common – today in Belorus.
The cultural and religious life of the Jewish community was concentrated mainly in Sokolka and neighbouring towns. In the period between the two world wars there were five synagogues in Sokolka. There was a prayer house at Krynska Street (at army barracks) another prayer house was located on the road to the cemetery (called before First World War Moskovskoy Pereulok, today Dabrowski Street). The Main Synagogue was situated at today’s Szkolna Street (presently Primary School No 2) in an imposing building with two rows of arched windows, only the eastern wall had no windows. Inside, along an upper level there were galleries for the women, the building also contained the Rabbinical Court and Jewish Community Council. The Main Synagogue was slightly smaller than the Catholic church of St Anthony, but considerably bigger than the Orthodox church of St Alexander Nevsky in the town center.
During the period from 1939 to 1941 the Main Synagogue was converted into a rye and wheat store, and after 1944 used as an indoor market. Later, the temple was demolished and a school erected in its place.
Near the Main Synagogue at Sienna Street, were two prayer houses (Alter and Neye Beth Midrash). There was also a Rabbi’s residence and the ritual baths. The religious schools Tarbut and Talmud Tora were also located there. Sokolka’s Hassidim prayed in the prayer house Karalyn-Stolin Chasodim Sztibl.

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