IEV
Kyiv Zhuliany (Ihor Sikorsky)
243 km · 151 mi away, straight line
Kevarim and nesios across Europe and Asia — a section of White Glove Kosher Travel.
City guide · Ukraine
מעזשיבוזש
Medzhybizh
A White Glove guide to the journey, the tzaddik, and the practical details that matter most.
Current travel notice: Ukraine remains subject to rapidly changing security conditions and transport disruption. Check official travel advice and local guidance immediately before making any plans.
At the kever
דער בעל שם טוב
Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov
Visitor experience
Practical notes from visitors — access, directions, and the condition of the site.
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Finding the kever
- 1.The ohel is in Medzhybizh's old Jewish cemetery, on Baal Shem Tova Street.
- 2.The cemetery is north of the Medzhybizh Fortress; published local directions describe it as roughly four blocks north of the fortress.
- 3.Once inside the cemetery, look for the ohel over the Baal Shem Tov's kever.
The Baal Shem Tov, known as the Besht and regarded as the founder of Chassidus, lived in Medzhybizh and is buried there.
Seforim
כתר שם טוב · צוואת הריב״ש
יארצייט
ו׳ סיון · שבועות
שנת פטירה
תק״ך / 1760
Shomer & access contact
Baal Shem Tov Shul (official site)
Official website of the Baal Shem Tov synagogue/kever in Medzhybizh; check for current contact and updates.
Ohel / Old Jewish Cemetery (kever access)
The Baal Shem Tov's grave sits inside an enclosed ohel in the old Jewish cemetery at Baal Shem Tov St. 24; the compound is reported accessible 24 hours. No verified phone published online — arrange through the on-site hospitality center. Ukraine wartime advisories apply; confirm access before traveling.
Getting there
The nearest airports, and the drive at the end of each.
LWO
Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International
252 km · 156 mi away, straight line
IAS
Iași International
252 km · 157 mi away, straight line
Searches open with a booking partner, who takes the booking and the payment. Nothing is booked on this site.
At the kever
Who else is buried here.
רבי אברהם יהושע העשיל מאפטא
Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta
The Apter Rov — the Ohev Yisroel
אוהב ישראל
1748–1825. He moved to Medzhybizh in 1813 and asked to be buried near the Baal Shem Tov; his ohel stands a few paces from it. He signed himself Ohev Yisroel, and the sefer carries the name.
רבי זאב װאלף קיצס
Rabbi Ze'ev Wolf Kitzes
Talmid of the Baal Shem Tov
Circa 1685–1788. One of the Baal Shem Tov's closest talmidim in Medzhybizh, and buried beside him.
Practical guide
Everything around the visit.
כשרות עסן
Kosher food
Dining hall at the Heichal Baal Shem Tov
Baal Shem Tov St. 24, Medzhybizh 31530, Ukraine
Food service within the on-site hospitality complex for pilgrims; scales up around Shavuos.
מנינים
Minyanim
Baal Shem Tov Synagogue / ohel
Baal Shem Tov St. 24, Medzhybizh 31530, Ukraine
Prayer at the ohel and restored Baal Shem Tov synagogue; large gatherings especially on Shavuos. Confirm daily minyan availability in advance.
מקוה
Mikvaos
Baal Shem Tov Mikvah (spring-fed)
Hours: Reported open 24 hours
Baal Shem Tov St. 24, Medzhybizh 31530, Ukraine
Modern mikvah built at the spring where the Baal Shem Tov is said to have immersed; part of the kever compound.
אכסניא
Where to stay
Baal Shem Tov Vacation House
Private rental house in central Medzhybizh, 3 bedrooms / 2 bathrooms, sleeps up to 12; walking distance to the kever.
Heichal Baal Shem Tov (on-site hospitality center)
Baal Shem Tov St. 24, Medzhybizh 31530, Ukraine
On-site complex beside the ohel with guest rooms, study hall and dining hall; reported to sleep 200+ pilgrims. Busiest on Shavuos (the Besht's yahrzeit).
Getting around
Jewish heritage tours & transport to Ukraine
Organized Jewish heritage tours and private transport including Medzhybizh (roughly a 4-hour drive from Kyiv).
Flights & hotels
Search and book your own travel, with cash or with points.
Flights, hotels & cars →Nearby
What else is within reach.
18 km · Ukraine
Letychiv — the site of the old Jewish cemetery
45 km · Ukraine
Zinkiv — Ohel of the Zinkover Rebbes
51 km · Ukraine
Yaltushkiv — Ohel of Reb Leib Sarah's
77 km · Ukraine
Polonne — Kever of the Toldos Yaakov Yosef
Questions
What people ask before they go.
Where is the kever of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov?
At Baal Shem Tova St 24, Medzhybizh, Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Ukraine. It is in the Medzhybizh Old Jewish Cemetery. Medzhybizh is also searched as Mezhibuzh.
When is the yahrzeit of Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov?
6 Sivan. He was niftar in 1760.
Which airport is closest to Medzhybizh?
Kyiv Zhuliany (Ihor Sikorsky) (IEV), about 243 km · 151 mi away in a straight line. The other airports within reach are Lviv Danylo Halytskyi International (LWO) and Iași International (IAS). There is no direct flight to the town itself, so the last leg is by road whichever airport you use.
Who else is buried in Medzhybizh?
Alongside Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov, the listing for this beis hachaim records Rabbi Avraham Yehoshua Heshel of Apta, Rabbi Ze'ev Wolf Kitzes.
Is it safe to travel to Medzhybizh?
Ukraine remains subject to rapidly changing security conditions and transport disruption. Check official travel advice and local guidance immediately before making any plans.