Jews began settling in Yekaterinoslav, now Dnipro, in the late 18th century, soon after the city was founded. However, their situation remained precarious. The authorities imposed various restrictions, prohibiting them from settling in the center and engaging in certain types of activities. But despite the administrative barriers, by the mid-19th century a strong Jewish community had formed in the city.
Trade became the basis of the well-being of Yekaterinoslav Jews. The city was located on the most important trade routes connecting the south of the Russian Empire with its center, which allowed Jewish merchants to establish an extensive network of supplies of grain, livestock, fabrics and other goods. Many of them became famous patrons of the arts, supporting schools, synagogues and charitable organizations.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Yekaterinoslav became one of the key centers of Jewish life. The city had several synagogues, yeshivos, schools, and cultural organizations that contributed to the preservation of national identity. One of the most important events in the life of the community was the construction of the Great Choral Synagogue in 1868, which became not only a religious but also a cultural center.
Education played an important role in the lives of Yekaterinoslav Jews. Private schools appeared here, where they taught in Yiddish and Hebrew, as well as colleges with instruction in Russian. The city was known for its scientists, teachers and writers, who made a significant contribution to the development of Jewish thought.
After the 1917 revolution, the Jewish community faced a series of upheavals. The civil war brought waves of anti-Jewish pogroms by various military formations. However, despite the chaos and violence, Jews continued to integrate into the new Soviet reality.
The Soviet regime destroyed the traditional institutions of Jewish life, closing synagogues and schools, suppressing any national autonomy. However, this did not mean the complete disappearance of Jewish culture. In Dnepropetrovsk (as Yekaterinoslav was called in July 1926), Jewish theaters, newspapers, and writers who created works in Yiddish were active.
The worst blow to the community came in World War II. In 1941, after the Nazis occupied the city, thousands of Jews were shot in Dievka and other suburbs. The Holocaust virtually destroyed centuries of Jewish life in Dnipro.
Despite the tragic events, the Jewish community managed to revive. Already in the post-war years, many Jews who survived the war returned to the city. During the Soviet era, national identity was suppressed, but after the collapse of the USSR, a real revival of the community began.
Today, Dnipro is one of the main centers of Jewish life in Ukraine. There are many Jewish organizations, schools, and cultural centers in the city. The symbol of this revival was the construction of the Menorah in 2012, the world's largest Jewish center, which includes a museum, educational institutions, a synagogue, and a hotel.