According to reports reaching the National Conference on Soviet Jewry all that remains of the historic Minsk cemetery is “one part of one tombstone.” the rest has been completely desecrated and destroyed by the Soviet authorities. A recent visitor said that the Soviet officials had bulldozed the entire cemetery to make way for a dance floor Trenches cut across the vast area and a soccer field has already been erected in one section of the cemetery.
“We literally walked on the bones of the dead, which surfaced when excavation work began.” the visitor confided. “A Minsk activist told us that the destruction began the day after the Six Day War when an iron fence which had surrounded the cemetery was dismantled and sold to a cooperative farm.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
