The first records concerning Jews living in Kamionka Strumiłowa appeared in 1456. At the end of the 16th century, namely in 1589, when King Zygmunt III confirmed the settlement between the townsmen and the Jews, they were given the possibility of settlement without any restrictions (including house purchase) and trading rights. The local Jews at that time sold mainly cattle, grain, salt, fish and building materials. They also worked in the distillery. In 1627, Archbishop of Lviv Jan Próchnicki allowed the Jews to build a synagogue.

In 1662, after The Swedish Invasion, 16 Jewish houses were recorded in Kamionka Strumiłowa, and in 1766 - 29 in the market square and 57 in the other parts of the town.

In 1880, Kamionka Strumiłowa was inhabited by 2,820 Jews who constituted about 46 percent of all inhabitants (6,107). The devastating fire of 1913 and the devastation done during World War I contributed to the emigration of many Jewish inhabitants of the town and brought an end to the prosperity of the Jews of Kamionka. Their population decreased from 3,549 to 2,685 constituting about 41 percent of all inhabitants (6,518) in 1921.

According to the census of 1931, there were 3,283 Jews in Kamionka Strumiłowa, while in 1939, soon before the outbreak of World War II, this number rose to 3,964. It is estimated that in June 1941 there were about 3500 members of the Jewish community in the town.

During the interwar period, Zionists were an active group in Kamionka Strumiłowa. In 1939, the Soviets entered the town and at the end of June 1941 the German occupation began. A day later, 200 Jews were murdered. Also at the end of June, local Ukrainians, perhaps encouraged by the German authorities, committed a pogrom that lasted for 3 days and took about 150 lives. After this event, posters appeared in the town informing that it was not the Germans who killed the Jews.

On 1 August 1941, Kamionka Strumiłowa, like the enitre Eastern Galicia, came under German civil administration and was incorporated into Kreis Lemberg-Land. Anti-Jewish actions in Kamionka Strumiłowa were organised by a Gestapo unit, which had its post in Sokal and was subordinate to the Gestapo in Lviv. A German gendarmerie post and a Ukrainian police unit were established in the town - both organisms actively participated in such anti-Jewish actions.

In July 1941, the German military administration ordered a Jewish Council (Judenrat) be established in the town. It was headed by Maks Friedhofer, a competent and respected member of the local community. Only a few weeks later, he was murdered in Lviv by the Gestapo. He was replaced by Meier Kleiner, who was criticised for his greed. In accordance with German orders, he organised the collection of Jewish property and took advantage of it. Jews were ordered to wear white armbands with a Star of David on their shoulders.

On 10 November 1941, a Gestapo unit from Sokal carried out the first extermination operation in Kamionka Strumiłowa - about 500 Jews, representatives of the intelligentsia, were shot in the nearby forest. In the winter many others died of starvation and various diseases.

In June 1942, Jews from the surrounding villages of the Lviv district, such as Żełdec, Dalnicz, Kłodno Wielkie and Pieczychwosty, were resettled to Kamionka Strumiłowa. At that time there were about 3,163 registered Jews in the town (in April 1942 there were 3,189 Jews).

On 15 September 1942, a second extermination operation took place, as a result of which around 1,500 Jews were sent to the extermination centre in Bełżec, and around 300 were murdered on the spot.

The third liquidation action began on 21 September 1942 and, at that time, around 600 people from Kamionka Strumiłowa and around 2,000 from Radziechów, Chołojów and Busk were killed in Zabuże. They were probably to be deported to the extermination centre in Belzec, but no train could be provided.

After the third extermination action, an open ghetto was established in the city on 30 September 1942. It existed for less than one month. On 28 October 1942, it was liquidated and 1,023 Jews were deported to the extermination centre in Bełżec. After this action, 100 more people were killed while hiding in the ghetto area. Only 15 Jews were left to clean the area left by the liquidation of the ghetto, but they were also murdered after their task was completed.

Before 10 July 1943, the labour camp operating in the vicinity of Kamionka Strumiłowa was also liquidated.

Only about 20 Jews managed to survive the German occupation. Most of them hid with Polish families.

Bibliography:

• The Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos 1933–1945, vol. II A, eds. Goeffrey P. Megargee, pp. 789–790, 817.
• The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust, vol. 1, eds. S. Spector, G. Wigoder, New York 2001, p. 593.
• Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich, vol. 3, eds. F. Sulimierski, W. Walewski, B. Chlebowski, Warszawa 1882, pp. 783–784.