Czortkow was a town in the Galicia District of Poland which today is part of the Ukraine. According to the census of January 1, 1939, there were about 5,000 Jews out of a total population of about 19,000. After the start of the war, the town was occupied by the Soviets, which brought an end to Jewish communal life. The Germans took control of the town on June 6, 1941, and immediately, the indiscriminate murder of Jews began. A Judenrat was established to provide a regular supply of forced labor. The ghetto was established in April, 1942. In August, 1942, mass deportations to Belzec commenced. On June 23, 1943, the ghetto was liquidated. It is estimated that only about 100 Jews survived the war.
Below are thumbnails of the front and back of a postcard sent by Yetti Melzer in Skala-Podolska (uber Czortkow) to RELICO (see Aid and Rescue). The card is postmarked March 25, 1942, and bears a Judenrat Czortkow cachet as well as Skala uber Czortkow hand cancel. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Postcard" in the left frame to return.
Spector, The Encyclopedia of Jewish Life Before and During the Holocaust (2001), P. 289-90