Gomel

Gomel (also called as Homel) is located in the southeastern part of Belarus, on the bank of the River Sozh, close to the Ukrainian border. Gomel is the second largest city in Belarus and it is the administrative center of Homiel Voblast. The town was probably founded in the first half of the 12th century.

In the 19th century Jewish residents comprised more than 50% of the town's population and Gomel had twenty-four synagogues. During the World War II Jewish population still constituted more than one-third of the Gomel’s population and most of them were deported and executed in concentration camps.

Gomel, Belarus (Photo: GNU)