Story Summary:
The Moscisker Young Lions Society was established by immigrants hailing from Mostiska (Mostyka), Ukraine. Initial Jewish presence in Mostiska dates to the 16th century. In September of 1939, the Red Army occupied Mostiska. The German forces entered Mostiska on June 23rd, 1941. In the Summer of 1942, a ghetto was established. Mostiska's major "aktion" was carried out from October 12th-13th, resulting in about 2000 people being transported to Belzec extermination camp. About 1000 people survived the deportation, however, they shortly were relocated to the Jaworow ghetto where they met the same fate at Moscisker's Jews. Today, a monument stands in Mostiska's Jewish cemetery remembering the Jews of Mostika and Rudnyky. Their memories live on. ~Blog by Olivia Scanlon
Moscisker Young Lions
The Moscisker Young Lions Society was established by immigrants hailing from Mostiska (Mostyka), Ukraine.
Initial Jewish presence in Mostiska dates to the 16th century. The community was destroyed during the Chmielnicki massacres, and was re-established during the 18th century. By 1880, there were over 2100 Jews in Mostiska. This number increased to over 2500 by 1900.
In September of 1939, the Red Army occupied Mostiska. The German forces entered Mostiska on June 23rd, 1941, and shortly after, established a Gendarmerie post and a Ukrainian police force. In July of the same year, a Judenrat was formed, headed by Julek Katz. The police force assisted the Judenrat with meeting the financial demands of the German forces. In May 1942, many were rounded up. Some were sent to the Janowiska Street camp in Lwow, while others were sent to the Jaktorow camp to perform forced labor. In the Summer of 1942, a ghetto was established. Mostiska’s major “aktion” was carried out from October 12th-13th, resulting in about 2000 people being transported to Belzec extermination camp. About 1000 people survived the deportation. In December 1942, those who survived were relocated into the Jaworow ghetto, which was liquidated in April 1943.
In 2011, Shelly Winters, and her husband Stephen Winters spent months learning the history of Mostiska, and afterwards, erected a monument in the Jewish cemetery of Mostyka, commemorating the lives of Mostiska’s Jews and Rudnyky’s Jews who perished in the Holocaust. Shelly Winters is a descendent of a Mostiska Holocaust survivor.
https://jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mostiska
https://jewishstandard.timesofisrael.com/remembering-the-jews-of-mostyska/
https://cja.huji.ac.il/hmm/browser.php?mode=set&id=47400
https://muse.jhu.edu/document/2782
~Blog by Olvia Scanlon
