Bodies in the Ground: Holocaust Mass Graves in Eastern Europe as Jewish Presence

The majority of the Jews of Belarus were murdered in the Holocaust, but the mass graves in and around nearly every town and village serve as reminders of a strong pre-war Jewish presence. This chapter provides an in-depth exploration of the role and function of these gravesites for the construction of Holocaust memory, especially the ‘mnemonic care’ afforded to human remains after genocide. Honouring the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and caring for the sites of burial has been a central part of rebuilding the Jewish community which began immediately after the end of the war. The ongoing care for dead Jewish bodies marks Belarus as a central site of Jewish life and counters state politics that continue to marginalize Jewish history and culture.