Kukeziv

Lviv district, Lviv region

Karaites cemetery in Kukeziv, 2019

Lviv region - list of settlements and location of objects

Kukeziv, 2023

Sources:
- Russian Jewish encyclopedia
- Jewish encyclopedia of Brockhaus & Efron
- Kukizуw. Słownik geograficzny Krуlestwa Polskiego. - Warszawa: Druk «Wieku», 1883. t. IV, s. 854
- Natan Shor. History of the Karaites
- Encyclopaedia Hebraica, volume 29, page 495-496

Photo:
- Jewish Cemeteries Initiative. Kukeziv Jewish Cemetery

Kukeziv (ukr. Кукезів), a village in Lviv region. In the 16-18 centuries - a township Kukizuv as part of the Commonwealth. In the 19th - early 20th centuries - in the province of Galicia in Austria-Hungary. In 1919–39 - as part of Poland, in 1939–91 - the Ukrainian SSR.

In 1688 Karaites settled in Kukeziv, who arrived from Tarkai and received a letter from Jan III Sobieskiy in 1692.

In the settlement lived a well-known family of Karaite scholars Kukizov, named after the settlement. Among them was Mordechai ben Nissan Kukizov who wrote the book "David Mordechai" in Hebrew (printed in Hamburg in 1714 with a Latin translation).
The book discusses the rift between the Karaites and the Rabbinic Jews. The book was written in response to a request by Jacob Trigland from the University of Leiden, who approached him on behalf of Protestants, who regarded Karaite Judaism as a purer version of Judaism that was not "distorted" by the Talmud.

Another book he wrote was "Bush Malchut" (published in 1698), in which he described the history of the Karaite Jews and the principles of their religion. This book came as a response to a request by Swedish scholars who received a request from Karl 12, King of Sweden. An edition of this book was printed in 1866 by Adolf Neubauer.

He also authored a Hebrew grammar book and his poems were included in the Karai Siddur. His grandson, David ben Mordechai Kokizov, befriended Nachman Kruchmel in his youth, moved in 1822 from Kukeziv to Yevpatoriya in the Crimean peninsula, founded a Karai printing house there and reprinted the book "Adrat Eliyahu" by Eliyahu Beshiitzi as well as the "Determining New Chiefs and periods as is the custom of the Karaites." His main book, "Zemach David" (completed in 1848), deals with various laws and was printed in 1897 in St. Petersburg.

After 1831, the Karaites moved to Galich.

In the 19th - beginning of the 20th century in Kukeziv there was a Jewish population. The Jewish community was subordinate to the Lviv kahal.
In 1880, approx. 100 Jews lived in Kukeziv (17% of total population).
According to the 1931 census, 43 Jews lived here (6% of total population).

In the summer of 1941, the township occupied by troops of the Wehrmacht. In 1942, the Jews were deported to the ghetto to New Yarychiv and shot in January 1943.