LEOVA (ro) / LEOVO (ru) / LEOVA (yid)
Leova is first mentioned in the late 16 century. Jews are believed to settle here before 1812. In 1847, the Jewish community of Leova listed 77 families. In 1897, Jews constituted 2.773 of 4.877. By that period, Leova had a synagogue, cheders, talmud-torah. In 1919, a Hebrew school was founded. In 1930, 2.324 Jews of 6.539. In 1940-41 and 1949 the Soviet authorities oppressed more than 200 people from Leova, half of them Jews. In 1941 some Jews from Leova tried to run from the invading Romanian-German troops but were caught on the way or in Odessa. After the war a few Jews survived, in 1945 they reopened the synagogue.
Today Leova is a nice town at the border-river Prut. Here we can visit a very special Jewish cemetery and a rededicated synagogue.
© Jewish Heritage Moldova (Maghid NGO) Research, Education, Guiding