Motal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Motal
Моталь / Мотоль
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 Motal
Location in Belarus
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| Country | Belarus |
| Region | Brest Region |
| District | Ivanava District |
| Elevation | 280.4 m (919.9 ft) |
| Population
(2014)
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| • Total | 3,772 |
| Time zone | UTC+3 (MSK) |
| Postal code |
225822
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| Area code(s) | +375 1652 |
Motal, also known as Motol, is a small town in Belarus. It's located in the Ivanava District of the Brest Region. You can find it about 30 kilometers west of Pinsk, right by the Yaselda River. Motal is sometimes called an "agrotown" because farming is a big part of life there.
Contents
A Look at Motal's Past
Motal has a long and interesting history. It was first set up as a special "royal city" in 1554. This happened during the time of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Bona Sforza, who was a queen, helped to establish the town.
Motal Through the Years
For many years, Motal was part of the Pinsk royal lands. Later, in the late 1700s, it became part of the Pińsk area. This area was within the Brest Litovsk Voivodeship.
After some big changes in Poland, Motal became part of the Russian Empire. It was in the Kobrinsky Uyezd of Grodno Governorate until 1917. That's when the Russian Empire ended.
Between World War I and World War II, Motal was part of Poland. It was in the Drohiczyn area of the Polish Polesie Voivodeship. This region, Polesia, was a large area of land.
The Jewish Community in Motal
Motal was once a Shtetl, which means it had a large Jewish community. In 1937, Motal had 4,297 people living there. About 1,354 of these people were Jewish.
During World War II, a terrible event happened in Motal. Many Jewish people from the town were killed. This happened in what was known as the Motal Ghetto. A book called The Destruction of Motele was published in 1956. It shares memories and stories about these sad events.
Later, in 1903, a Jewish synagogue was started in Chicago, USA. It was named Anshe Motele Congregation, after Motal. This was done by 14 immigrants who came from Motal.
Motal's Economy
The biggest company in Motal is called Agromotol. It likely plays a key role in the town's economy, especially with farming.
Learning and Education
Motal cares about education for its young people. The town has two secondary schools. These schools help students learn and grow. There is also an art school where kids can explore their creative talents.
Famous People from Motal
Many interesting people have come from Motal. Here are a few:
- Chaim Weizmann: He became the very first President of Israel.
- Saul Lieberman: A respected rabbi and a great scholar of the Talmud.
- Leonard Chess and Phil Chess: These brothers founded Chess Records, a famous record company.
- Étienne Wasserzug: A French biologist who studied living things.
- David Bartov: An Israeli judge.
- Serguei Palto: A Russian physicist who studies how the world works.
Motal in Books
Motal has even been featured in literature. One book is called The Slaughterman’s Daughter. It was written by Yaniv Iczkovits.
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