Researchers Document Over 30 Synagogues in Ukraine's Podolia Region

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem's Center for Jewish Art and the United Jewish Community of Ukraine concluded a special research expedition in the historic Podolia region of Ukraine in late August 2026. During their fieldwork, the team visited and documented the structural condition and architectural preservation of more than 30 synagogues. In some instances, they also recorded surviving interior design elements.

The collected data will be used to compile a comprehensive book titled "Synagogues of Ukraine: Podolia," to be published by the Center for Jewish Art. This new publication follows the researchers' 2017 work, "Synagogues of Ukraine: Volhynia," which documented 39 preserved and 302 lost synagogues across 23 cities and towns in two volumes spanning 848 pages with 1,220 photographs, drawings, and maps.

The findings from the Podolia expedition will also be integrated into the Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art and Material Culture. This digital archive is the largest systematic database in its field, currently holding over 632,000 images of more than 57,000 items, including synagogue structures, ritual objects, manuscripts, and artworks.

Vitaly Komzin, director of the United Jewish Community of Ukraine, expressed gratitude for the collaboration with the Hebrew University. He stated, "We are grateful to the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for the cooperation and hope that the future book will be of interest to the descendants of immigrants from Podolia, many of whom live in Israel and the United States."