Sources on Jewish Communities in this section:

Картузъ Береза  Kartuze Bereza, Byaroza [Bel], Bereza [Rus], Bereza Kartuska [Pol, until 1945], Kartoz-Brezah [Yid],

Bereze, Brezah, Biaroza, Bjaroza, Bereza Kartuskaya, Biaroza Kartuzskaia, Byaroza-Kartuzskaya, Kartusskaya Bereza, Kartuz Bereze,

Kartuz Bereza  

JewishGen Locality Page

Brockhaus-Efron Jewish Encyclopedia  Bereza or Kartuzskaya Bereza is a town in the Grodno province, which was part of the Brest

Voivodeship before the transition to Russia. Jews have lived here since the end of the 17th century. The owner of the town is the the

Grand Hetman of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Litovsky, Leon Sapieha, who allowed in 1680 the building of a house of worship and free

conduct of worship, wanting to attract Jews to B. In addition, he allowed Jews to build houses, decorate them at their own discretion and enjoy

the rights granted to Jews in his other possessions. The liberties granted to Jews must also be respected by the hetman's descendants. 

The hetman’s son added on the original act after his father’s signature the words: “I retain my father’s sheet for the Jews of Berezka, 

Kazimir Leon Sapieha." The Jewish population of the town consisted, according to official data of 1766, of 242 people.

Now (1910) B. (Kartuz-Bereza) is a locality in Pruzhansky district, Grodno province; in 1847 Bereza Jewish community consisted of 261 men,

254 women; in 1897 - total inhabitants were 6,226, of whom 2,623 were Jews. Also, Orthodox 2,600, and Roman Catholic - 800.