Country guide · Eastern Europe

Jewish Belarus

Explore the heritage of Belarusian Jewish communities, historic yeshivas, synagogues, Holocaust memorials, Jewish scholarship and Chabad connections.

Travel warning: Level 4 — Do Not Travel

As of October 2026, the U.S. Department of State advises Do Not Travel to Belarus for any reason because of unrest, arbitrary detention and other risks. U.S. Embassy Minsk operations are suspended and consular assistance is extremely limited. Border crossings and transportation may change without notice. This page is intended for heritage research and future planning, not a recommendation to travel now.

Read the current U.S. State Department advisory ↗

Heritage tours, site access, kosher meals and community services are not verified as currently available. Check organizations directly and follow official safety guidance.

History Jewish sites Tours Kosher food Chabad

Jewish history in Belarus

Belarus and the Litvak world

For centuries, towns across present-day Belarus were centers of Ashkenazi Jewish life, Yiddish culture, Torah study and trade. Many communities identified with the wider Litvak cultural sphere.

Volozhin, Mir and Radun

The Volozhin Yeshiva, Mir Yeshiva and Radun tradition associated with the Chofetz Chaim profoundly influenced Jewish scholarship.

Birthplace of Chabad Hasidism

Belarus is central to early Chabad history, including Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Liadi and towns linked to the movement’s founding.

The Holocaust in Belarus

Nazi occupation devastated Jewish communities through ghettos, mass shootings and deportations. The Minsk Ghetto and Maly Trostenets are central remembrance sites.

Jewish community today

Jewish communities, synagogues, schools and heritage organizations remain active in Minsk and several regional cities.

Synagogues, yeshivas & memorial sites

Minsk Ghetto memorials and Yama (the Pit)

Major Holocaust remembrance sites associated with the destruction of Minsk’s Jewish community.

Maly Trostenets memorial complex — Minsk region

Memorial at a major Nazi killing site where Jews from Belarus and elsewhere in Europe were murdered.

Museum of History and Culture of Jews of Belarus — Minsk

Collections and archival materials on Jewish life, language and history; confirm visitor arrangements.

Daumana Street Synagogue — Minsk

Active Jewish community building with prayer halls, kosher kitchens and a mikveh.

Great Choral Synagogue — Grodno (Hrodna)

Historic synagogue with a museum exhibition and a major restoration and heritage story.

Mir Yeshiva and Jewish Quarter — Mir

Historic yeshiva, cemetery, former synagogue buildings and Holocaust memorial sites.

Volozhin Yeshiva and Jewish Cemetery — Valozhyn

Historic center of Torah scholarship and burial site associated with Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin.

Slonim Great Synagogue

Seventeenth-century synagogue building and traces of a once-important Jewish community.

Radun (Radin) and Chofetz Chaim heritage

Yeshiva history and memorial sites linked to Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan.

Brest Jewish heritage

Jewish community history, synagogues and Holocaust memorials in Brest (Brisk).

Bobruisk (Babruysk) Jewish heritage

Former synagogues, cemeteries and living Jewish communal institutions.

Bykhov fortress synagogue ruins

Ruins of a historic fortified synagogue within the Bykhov Castle complex.

Vitebsk Jewish history and Marc Chagall

Jewish cultural history of Vitebsk, birthplace of artist Marc Chagall.

Jewish heritage tours — historical research

Jewish Heritage Research Group — Belarus

Published heritage itineraries through Minsk, Volozhin, Mir, Grodno and other shtetls. Historical tour descriptions are for research only; do not assume departures are operating.

Ancestral Shtetl Research Tours

Genealogy-focused itineraries tracing Jewish family roots, cemeteries, yeshivas and former communities.

Jewish Heritage Europe — tourism and genealogy

Directory of heritage organizations, research tools and tour providers.

Minsk, Mir and Volozhin heritage research route

A possible future itinerary connecting the Minsk Ghetto memorials, Mir yeshiva sites and Volozhin. Not recommended for current travel.

Kosher food & Shabbat resources

Chabad Minsk kosher meals

Chabad Minsk says visitors can request kosher meals at the synagogue; contact them before relying on the service.

Chabad Minsk kosher soup kitchen

The official Chabad directory lists a kosher soup kitchen, which primarily serves the community; not a confirmed restaurant.

Daumana Street Jewish community kitchens

Two kosher kitchens prepare community Shabbat and holiday meals; these are not advertised as walk-in restaurants.

Kosher restaurants in Minsk — confirm directly

The World Jewish Congress notes a kosher restaurant in Minsk but does not provide a verified current name, menu or hours.

Kosher products and supervision

Some Belarusian-produced items have kosher certification, but certification is product-specific and can change. Verify with a trusted supervising authority.

Chabad houses & Jewish communities

Chabad Lubavitch of Minsk

22 Kropotkina Street; synagogue, education, kosher meals and visitor information. Contact ahead of time.

Chabad Lubavitch of Grodno

Official Chabad network listing for the Grodno community; verify contact and access directly.

Chabad Lubavitch of Brest

Official Chabad network listing for Brest/Brisk.

Chabad Lubavitch of Bobruisk

Official Chabad network listing for Babruysk/Bobruisk.

Chabad Lubavitch of Mogilev

Regional Jewish community and Chabad center with educational and cultural programs.

Chabad Lubavitch of Orsha

Official Chabad network listing for Orsha.

Chabad Belarus centers directory

The official Chabad headquarters directory lists six Belarus centers.

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