History

The history of the community in Maniewicze (currently Manevychi, Ukraine) was the shortest of all the Jewish communities in Volhynia. The town itself only developed after 1892, when a new railway station was opened on the Kovel (Ukr. Ко́вель) – Sarny (Ukr. Сáрни) line. The convenient connection promoted the development of the wood industry, especially sawmills. Many Jews arrived to the area to work in the production plants, while others found employment as sellers of finished products.

In 1921, 462 Jews lived in the town, constituting 56.8% of its population. They were mainly Hasidim – followers of various dynasties, such as Stolin-Karlin, Berezne, and Stepan; accordingly, three different synagogues were erected in the town. However, Zionism was starting to gain more and more popularity, with the most active organisations being the Hashomer Hatzair and the Betar youth movements. Apart from working in the wood industry, many Jews started to offer services to the incoming throngs of vacationers, as in the interwar period Maniewicze became a known summer resort.

The town was seized by the Soviets in 1939. The Jewish population grew to 1,900 people as a result of the influx of refugees.

As soon as the German troops took over the town, a three-day pogrom was carried out by the Ukrainians. On 26 August 1941, it was followed by a mass murder of 375 Jewish men by German troops. The Germans created a ghetto in the town, but the quarter was soon liquidated – apparently after only three days of its existence, on 5 September 1942. A total of 1,500 people were murdered during the liquidation action. Most of the victims were shot in the forests near the village of Cherevaha. Ca. 200 Jews managed to escape; some joined the partisans.