A conversation in the shtetl Jewish men sitting outside shop chatting, Krasilov, Ukraine, c. 1916–17. (more) shtetl Jewish community Also known as: שטעטל, shtetel, shtetlekh, shtetls Written by Jordana Rosenfeld Jordana Rosenfeld is a copy editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. Jordana Rosenfeld Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated June 5, 2026 •History shtetl, Yiddish term referring to small towns in eastern Europe before World War II that had significant Yiddish-speaking Jewish populations. There were many kinds of shtetls, depending on their geographic and political context, but all were characterized by having a concentrated and close-knit Jewish settlement. Shtetls existed across areas that are now the countries of Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, Slovakia, Moldova, Romania, and southern Latvia. These unique settlements functioned as significant Jewish population centers...

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