The earliest records mentioning Jewish settlers in Potylicz date back to the end of the 15^th century. In later years, the local community was granted various trade privileges. There was a Jewish beer brewery in the town, founded at the site of the former Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

In 1847, Potylicz was inhabited by 112 Jews, that is about 4% of its total population (2,745). In 1880, this number rose to 303 – around 11% of all the town’s inhabitants (2,870). In 1900, there were 335 Jewish residents, about 10% of the local population (2,929).

The residents of Potylicz were obliged to pay various fees: “In accordance with their law, the townspeople pay 62 zlotys in total for squares and gardens, while the Jews pay 32 zlotys for their houses.”[1.1]

Unfortunately, there are no preserved sources documenting the lot of Potylicz Jews during World War II. It is only known that in September 1942, the Jewish population of the town was displaced to the ghetto in Rawa Ruska – after the second liquidation operation in the district, the Germans used it as an assembly point for Jews from nearby towns (eg. Magierów, Niemirów, Uhnów, Lubycza Królewska). The ghetto was finally liquidated between 7 and 11 December 1942 – 2,000 people were shot on the spot and 2,500 were sent to the Bełżec extermination camp.

Bibliography

• Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, vol. 8, F. Sulimierski, W. Walewski, B. Chlebowski (eds.), Warszawa 1881, pp. 880–881, 883.
• The Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945, vol. II A, Goeffrey P. Megargee (ed.), pp. 819–820.
• The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust, vol. 2, S. Spector, G. Wigoder (eds.), New York 2001, p. 1018.