Jasienica Rosielna | Subcarpathian Voivodeship

Jasienica Rosielna is a village that lies 62 kilometers west-southwest of Przemysl. It is located in the administrative district of Rzeszow in Podkarpackie Province. Jews had been living in the village as early as it was granted town rights, in 1765. In 1785 there were 115 Jews in Jasienica, increasing to 1,118 in 1900. At the beginning of the XIX century the Jewish population was decreasing and by 1939 520 Jews inhabited the village. However, at the time, Jasienica was still called a “Jewish village”. The village was famous for its dairy products and eggs, and the Jews were mostly traders and shop owners but they also worked in service industry performing jobs such as tailors and pharmacists. There was a synagogue and a rabbi in the village before the war. On the eve of the war about 500 Jews lived in the village.

Jasienica Rosielna was occupied by German soldiers around September 10^th 1939. The Jewish Council (Judenrat) was set up by the Germans in the spring of 1940. By this time, most of the Jews from Jasienica had already been deprived of any way to earn money. All of the Jewish-owned stores were closed. Many of the Jews from Jasienica were conscripted for forced labor around the village. On the 24^th of June 1942, 550 Jews from the surrounding villages such as Kombornia, Domaradz, Golcowa, Blizne and Orzechowka were resettled to Jasienica and the number of Jews rose to 1,100. A few days after, on the 27^th of June the ghetto was set up. Shortly after, on the 12^th of August 1942 the ghetto was liquidated. The Jews, mainly children, women and elders, were brought in carts and a truck to the Jewish cemetery where a large mass grave had been dug earlier in the morning. A wooden plank was laid across the pit. The shooting started before midday and lasted for several hours. The victims had to undress and get on the plank. 645 children, women and elders were shot that day in Jasienica Rosielna. Other Jews, mainly young girls and teenagers were taken to the Iwonicz train station, but their further fate remains unknown.