A lot of energy was given to the community, Lebn, and continue working successfully at the center, Ester, such as spouses Bella and Ruvim Bomshtein. Former chairman of the trustee council, Alexandr Levitan, exercised a great deal of care for the people. Unfortunately, he died. The director of the center, “Ester,” tries to involve young people who, as he hopes, will continue the noble cause of revival of Jewish life in Konotop. One of them is Yuriy Golubkov, the head of religious programs, who is studying ancient Jewish religion and wants to bring it to others; and Margareta Stoyanova successfully manages patronage services.

Especially, we want to stress the new programs in the center, “Ester.” The programs are: “Warm house” under the guidance of Mark Levita and “Day center” headed by Acia Levit. Acia Levit, even before the opening of the community center, granted her house for the needs of Konotop's Jews. Her house is very old, one hundred years, and it is situated on Shevchenko Street, where, the parcels had been distributed. In this house the guests, who visited the town, were accommodated and the board of the “Lebn” community met and conducted Shabbat services. After six years from the time of the creation of the community “Lebn,” the Jews of Konotop have established the house-community center, “Ester,” where it is always warm and quiet for those who come to visit. Jewish life never stops over here.

There were...us, and there are...us. At the beginning of XIX [19th] century there were living several Jews in Konotop. In 1847, 521 people lived in Konotop. In Konotop's Uyezd,36 in 1861, had been living 1206 Jews, 566 men and 640 women. According to the census in 1897 among the 18,770 population in Konotop, there were 4425 Jews (25.3%). After the end of the Second World War, more than 2500; 1989, about 900; 1992, 750; 1995, 550; and 1999, about 300. In Konotop I Saw Love [Translation from Hebrew by Khaya Ori, Israel,] Konotop met me by sunny streets and nothing beckoned about what would happen after several minutes.

36 District.