Yevpatoriya (Eupatoria) is a city on the western shore of the Crimean peninsula, Ukraine. A large Jewish community existed there under Tatar rule from the 15th to 18th centuries. As a result of the Russian conquest at the end of the 18th century, many Jews fled to Turkey. During the 19th century the Karaite community in Yevpatoriya became the largest in Russia. and the spiritual center of the Karaites. In 1897 the Jewish community numbered about 3,000, equally divided between Karaites and non-Karaites (together forming 18% of the total population). In 1926, the Jewish population (both Karaite and non-Karaite) numbered about 2,400 (10.6% of the total). After Crimea was occupied by the Germans, at the end of 1941, the non-Karaite Jews in Yevpatoriya were murdered, but the Karaites escaped, not being regarded as Jews. The postcard below depicts the courtyard of a Yevpatoriya synagogue.
Encyclopedia Judaica, CD-Rom Edition, Keter Publishing
Copyright © 2004 Edward Victor