Until the Second World War, there was a thriving, vibrant Jewish community in Novogrodek. The Jews were primarily tradespeople, shopkeepers and craftsmen. The town had a Jewish atmosphere and, as Jack Kagan remembers:

Most of the Jews lived in the centre of town, and most of the shops belonged to them. Some earned a reasonable living, but many were very poor.

The main language for the Jews was Yiddish. Education was valued, and children attended either the local Polish-speaking schools or one of the many Jewish schools. Generally relations were good between the Jewish population and their non-Jewish neighbours in the town, who were mostly Poles and Belarussians.

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