In many places in Galicia and Bukovina, the Jewish cemeteries are the only material remnants of the Jewish community. Some of the cemeteries and tombstones date back to the 16th century.
Cemeteries and burial ceremonies had an important place in the religious life and cultural experience of the Jews of Eastern Europe, and great effort was therefore expended on commemorating the departed through the unique language of tombstone art. Many of these tombstones have significant artistic value, and give us a unique window into the inner life of many generations of Jews, their beliefs and the opinions and the world views of the surrounding cultures.