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 * "Międzybóż" redirects here. For other uses, see Międzybórz (disambiguation)

Medzhybizh (Меджи́біж, Меджибож, translit: Medzhibozh, Polish: Międzybórz, Międzyborz or Międzybóż, מעזשביזש, translit. Mezhbizh) is a historic town in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. It is located in the Letychivsky Raion (district), approximately 28km from the raion center, Letychiv, 60km from the oblast center, Khmelnytskyi, at the juncture of the Southern Buh river and its tributary the Buzhok river. The current estimated population is 1,768.

Medzhybizh is considered the birthplace of Hasidic Judaism.

History
The earliest recorded mention of Medzhybizh can be found in the Hypatian Codex, in which a chronicle from 1146 mentions that a settlement referred to as Mezhybozhe (Old Church Slavonic:Межибожье) was acquired along with 4 other settlements by Sviatoslav Vsevolodovych from Grand Prince Iziaslav II of Kiev. In 1151, when Iziaslav retook control of Kiev from his uncle Yuri the Longhanded, he re-granted this settlement to Yuri's son, Rostyslav. Ruins from this era show extensive fortifications, which were further reinforced during the reign of Danylo of Halych, when the settlement was at the outskirts of the Halych-Volhynian state during the 13th century. The city was among the territory conquered by the Golden Horde in 1241, which was subsequently fought over by the Horde and Danylo's forces, and after some initial successes by Halych-Volhynia, by 1259 the Turco-Mongol forces retained control.

Around 1360, as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania pushed back the western scope of the Mongol Empire, Medzhybizh was incorporated into the newly acquired territory of Podolia. This territory came under the control of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom in 1434, at the completion of the Union of Grodno. Located at the outskirts of the kingdom, the settlement suffered from numerous raids by the Crimean Tatars, notably in 1453, 1506, 1516, 1546, 1558, 1566, and 1615. However, in 1511 work was begun by the Sieniawski magnates to replace the fort's wooden palisades with massive stone fortifications, many of which can still be seen today. A defensive lake was created by damming the Southern Buh river, and a rhomboid castle with four towers was built. These improved fortifications allowed the settlement to repel many of the raids, allowing it to prosper in later centuries.

The settling of Jews in Medzhybizh is first recorded during the 16th century. with the earliest known burial in the Jewish cemetery dated 1555. Various Jews are said to have been granted special privileges by the Polish kings, including a proclamation in 1566 by Sigismund III Vasa that Jews in Medzhybizh were forever released from having to pay taxes. The 1571 census listed 95 Ruthenians, 35 Jews, and 30 Poles in Medzhybizh.

The settlement was granted Magdeburg rights in 1593, and a school was founded in 1621. Medzhybizh became the cultural and mercantile center of Podolia, with resident trade guilds, several breweries and 20 smokehouses. An influx of traders and foreigners brought the population to 12,000 by the middle of the 17th century.

On July 20, 1648, Cossack and Tatar forces under the command of First Polkovnyk (colonel) Maksym Olshansky (aka "Crook-nose", Kryvonis, or Perebyinis) took Medzhybizh during the Khmelnytsky Uprising. A second battle between Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth forces and the Cossacks, this time under the command of Danylo Nechai, occured there in May of 1649. The fortress was eventually burned to the ground in 1651 by a force of 12,000 Cossacks and Ruthenian serfs loyal the the uprising who had set out from Bratslav. As with other sieges during the uprising, local residents assisted in driving out the Magnate powers, although an enormous amount of violence was also directed at the Jewish population, whose service as arendators for the Szlachta (nobility) led to the portrayal of them as oppressors. A Jewish historish lid records that 5,000 Jews in the settlement were slaughtered in 1648. By 1678, only 275 Jews were counted in the region's census. Tatar raiders attacked the city in December of 1666 and July-August of 1676, taking with them both wealth and prisoners. The weakened settlement finally fell to the Ottoman Empire in 1672, as the empire expanded to its greatest extent.

Medzhibozh became part of the Turkish Ejalet of Kamieniecki. In 1682, Medzhibozh was recaptured by the Poles under Jan Sobiesky.

After Medzhibozh was repatriated from the Turks, it went through what many consider its golden age during the 17th and 18th century. Under the Sieniawski family and later the Czartoryski family, the town prospered. Medzhibozh apparently successfully defended itself from several Haidamak attacks. By the mid 1700s, Medzhibozh was the seat of power in Podolia Province. It had a population of 2,500 Jews, which was more than half of the town's population.

Russian Rule
Medzhibozh fell into Russian hands during the second partition of Poland in 1792. The Czartoryski family continued to own the town until Prince Adam Czartoryski was forced into exile in 1831. During Russian rule, the seat of power for Podolia moved from Medzhibozh to Kamenets-Podolski. The economy of Medzhibozh deteriorated as the nearby town of Letichev flourished and the railroad bypassed the town to the south.

In the late 1880s through World War I, Medzhibozh was the center of military activity, housing an important garrison within its castle grounds.

Soviet Rule
After the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, the territory was occupied by German and Hungarian troops until the end of World War I. Medzhibozh was the scene of numerous pogroms during the Ukrainian Civil War of 1919-1922. The town changed hands many times as different militia units from either the Bolsheviks, Ukrainian Nationalists, Poles, or Whites gained temporary control. What little wealth was left was stripped in these pogroms turning the entire area into ruins.

Under Soviet rule starting 1922, the region's economy improved. Electricity, schools, roads and other infrastructure were built. Several kolkhozi (collective farms) were established near Medzhibozh.

In the early 1930s, pressure from the government to collectivize and the needs of private peasants resulted in severe food shortages that resulted in famines throughout Ukraine.

World War II
Medzhibozh fell to Nazi forces during Operation Barbarossa on July 8, 1941 with relatively light resistance. It remained in Nazi hands until it was liberated by Soviet troops on March 24, 1944.

Medzhibozh was astride an important east-west supply road that the Nazis wanted to expand into an autobahn-like highway. This road led directly between the city of Proskurov and routes westward into Germany and the city of Vinnitsa with routes to the eastern front. Vinnitsa was the site of Hitler's headquarters bunker in Soviet territory where he personally directed the war between 1942 and 1943.

A Jewish ghetto was established in Medzhibozh and in Letichev to assist Organisation Todt in providing human labor for the road building project. Because of this special road project, Medzhibozh retained its Jews longer than most of the surrounding communities, where Einsatzgruppen units executed entire populations of Jews shortly after Nazi occupation. However, when the road project was completed in the summer of 1942, the Einsatzgruppen units were called in. Three separate mass shootings of Jews occurred between August 21, 1942 and October 31, 1942 that eliminated all Jews in the ghetto. Soviet authorities reported that 2,558 Jews were murdered in ravines to the west of town.



Jewish History


Medzhibozh was the center of Jewish culture in its region in Ukraine. Many key rabbinic leaders lived here during the 17th through 20th centuries. The earliest important rabbi to make Medzhibozh home was Rabbi Joel Sirkes (1561-1640), a key figure in Judaism at that time. He lived in Medzhibozh from 1604-12.

Perhaps the most important Jewish rabbi was Rabbi Israel ben Eliezar Baal Shem Tov "Besht" (1698-1760). He lived in Medzhibozh from about 1742 to his death in 1760. His grave can be seen today in the Medzhibozh old Jewish cemetery. The Baal Shem Tov is considered one of the key Jewish personalities of the 18th century who has shaped Judaism into what it is today. His work led to the founding the Chasidic movement, established by his disciples, some of whom also lived in Medzhibozh, but most of whom travelled, sometimes from great distances, to visit and learn from him. In Medzhibozh, the Baal Shem Tov was known as a "doktor" and healer to both Jews and non-Jews. He was known to have been given a special tax-free dispensation by the Czartoryski lords and his house shows up on several town censuses.

There were two fundamentally different rabbinic leaders in the town, those who were Chasidic and those who were not. In general, both groups got along, but the Chasidic leaders believed themselves to have a special connection with God and their followers were cult-like in their devotion to their "rebbe". The non-Chasidic leaders tended to follow a scholarly path and were more responsible for the Jewish institutions, such as observance of Kashrut, the social structure of the town, liaison with the town's nobles, and control of the Jewish court.

Chasidic leaders included Rabbi Boruch of Medzhibozh (1757-1811), the Baal Shem Tov's grandson. Rabbi Boruch was notable for his principle of Malkhuyot (kingship)and conducted his court accordingly. He was also known for his "melancholy" and he had a fiery temper. Many of his grandfather's disciples and the great Hasidic leaders of the time, regularly visited Rabbi Boruch, including the Magid of Chernobyl, the Magid of Mezritch, Reb Shneur Zalman of Liadi (founder of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidic movement), and others.

In an attempt to remedy Rabbi Boruch's melancholy, his followers brought in Hershel of Ostropol as a court jester of sorts. Hershel was one of the first documented Jewish comedians and his exploits are legendary within both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. Hershel is also buried in the old Jewish cemetery in Medzhibozh, though his grave is unmarked.

Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav (1772-1810), the Baal Shem Tov's great-grandson was born in Medzhibozh but left at an early age. He became the founder of the Bratslaver Chasidim.

Another Chasidic leader, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshel of Apt (1748-1825) "The Apter Rebbe", made Medzhibozh home from 1813 until his death in 1825. The Apter Rebbe is also buried in the old Jewish cemetery in Medzhibozh, very close to the Baal Shem Tov's grave. The Heshel family became one the foremost Chasidic rabbinic dynasties and various descendents remained in Medzhibozh well into the 20th century. This family took wives several times from the Friedman rabbinic family of the Sadigura Rebbe. The famous American Rabbi and civil rights proponent, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel (1907-1972) is a notable descendant.

The non-Chasidic rabbinic leadership of Medzhibozh was controlled by the Rapoport-Bick dynasty. Rabbi Dov Berish Rapoport (d. 1823) was the first to make Medzhibozh his home. He was the grandson of Rabbi Khaim haCohen Rapoport of Lvov (d. 1771), a notable sage during the mid 18th century. Dov Berish Rapoport's grave can be seen today at the old Jewish cemetery in Medzhibozh. Other rabbis of this dynasty include Rabbi Isaac Bick (1864-1934) who immigrated to America in 1925 and founded a synagogue in Rhode Island. Rabbi Chaim Yekhiel Mikhel Bick (1887-1964) was the last rabbi of any sect to reside in Medzhibozh. He left Medzhibozh for New York in 1925.

Jewish Institutions in Medzhibozh
Medzhibozh was the home to at least two synagogue buildings and probably numerous small minyanim. One synagogue still stands today but is used for other purposes. It is a stone fortress-like building thought to be Rabbi Sirkes' synagogue. The other synagogue, the Baal Shem Tov's old wooden synagogue, was torn down during World War II to use as firewood for the Jewish ghetto.

Medzhibozh also contains two Jewish cemeteries. The old Jewish cemetery contains the grave of the Baal Shem Tov and other famous and notable Jews. It has turned into something of a tourist attaction, a magnet for Chasidic Jews from all over the world. The new Jewish cemetery has graves from the early 1800s through to the 1980s. A Nazi mass killing site outside of town holds the graves of almost 3,000 Jews in 3 different trenches.

Sites to See
Today, Medzhibozh is dominated by a castle and fortifications built during the Polish period. Many of these fortifications are deteriorating, however inside the castle is a museum which describes some of the history of the area. The castle itself consists of four towers and overlooks the main road and the dam.

Just outside the castle, the dam and the lake are still in working order. Adjacent to the dam are two old mill buildings that are no longer used but used to be a valuable concession (arenda) during Tsarist and Polish times.

North of town is the old Jewish cemetery, which has turned into a tourist attraction primarily for Chasidic Jews making a pilgrimage to see the Baal Shem Tov's grave. Legend has it that this cemetery remained protected and well-preserved during World War II because the local Ukrainian population remembered the Baal Shem Tov's healing powers during his lifetime and they were afraid of his powerful magic even beyond the grave. The old Jewish cemetery contains a modern building over the graves of the important Jewish dignitaries. Other gravestones in this cemetery are worth visiting as the artwork on many stones shows a level of cultural achievement matching the rise of importance of the town. The oldest burial in this cemetery dates from 1555.

Toward the central western portion of town is the new Jewish cemetery, which is only in fair condition. Here Jews are buried from the early 1800s through modern times.

Outside of town to the west, and adjacent to the Yuzhny Bug river, is the Nazi mass killing site where approximately 3,000 Jews were buried. A monument marks the site. The three ravines that holds the graves are covered in concrete.

Famous People

 * Rabbi Joel Sirkes (1561-1640), a prominent rabbi of his generation
 * Grand Rebbe Israel ben Eliezar Baal Shem Tov (1698-1760), founder of Chasidism
 * Grand Rebbe Boruch of Medzhibozh (1757-1811), Son of Adel the daughter of the Baal Shem Tov
 * Grand Rebbe Nachman of Breslav (1772-1810), Great Grandson of the Baal Shem Tov and founder of the Bratslaver Chasidim
 * Hershel of Ostropol (early 1800s), Jewish comedy figure
 * Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshel of Apt (1748-1825), the "Apter Rebbe" and founder of the Heshel/Medzhibozh/Zinkover Chasidic rabbinic dynasty
 * Micha Josef Berdyczewski (Micha Bin Goryon) (1865–1921), Hebrew author
 * Joseph Barondess (1867-1928), after living with his wife in Medzhibozh, immigrated to the US in 1888 and became an important labor leader and politician
 * Leonid Afanasyevich Berdichevski (1908-1944), son of Micha Josef Berdyczewski, rose to the rank of Lt. Colonel in the Soviet army during World War II. Was awarded "Hero of the Soviet Union" because of a heroic stand where he was mortally wounded in a tank battle near Yelgava.