This is the translation of the Memorial (Yizkor) Book of Jewish community of Telekhan, Belarus.

Telekhany was founded toward the end of the fifteenth century, during the period when the Tatar Hordes occupied the area. The name, from the Tatar language, means “Tomb of Khan.” Much of the territory belonged to a benevolent owner, Count Michael Kazimierz Oginsky, who, believing that the Jews would increase his revenue through their business activity, was more than happy to have a Jewish settlement on his estates. The Jews became the merchants in town and a good relationship developed between them and the local peasants, and Telekhany grew.

In World War I the town was alternately occupied by German and Russian forces. In 1915, Russian soldiers burned the entire town to the ground when it retreated. All property and wealth that had taken years to build was lost.

With the start of World War II Hitler's sadistic forces immediately started to bully, rob, shoot and dispossess the large number of Telekhany Jews. In August of 1941, almost the entire Jewish population of 2000 was annihilated by the Nazis, thus ending the centuries long Jewish community. A stone monument memorializing this horrible tragedy stands at the outskirts of Telekhany.

This book provides the reader with the rich history of the town, its institutions and people, and the story of its destruction. With the publication of this book, the memory of Jewish community of Jasło will continue to live for all the descendants of the town.

Telekhan is located in Belarus at 52°31' North Latitude and 25°51' East Longitude and 119 mi SW of Minsk

Alternate names for the town are: Telekhany [Russian], Telchan [Yiddish], Telechany [Polish], Cielachany [Belarus], Telechon, Telekani, Telekhan, Telechan, Tselyakhani, Celjachany