The Jewish settlement in Rafalovka had existed since before the times of the tyrant Bogdan Chmielnicki, in the mid-1600s. The town was named after the Polish landowner, whose family name was Rafval, one of the many families of the Polish aristocracy. Before the destruction of the town in WWII, a recorded history of the Jewish kehilla (community) of Rafalovka existed, documenting the lives of many generations in the centuries before the Second World War.

In the words of the book editors:

The book expresses our grief, sorrow and cry over the loss of our beloved ones. It is a Kaddish that was never said over the graves of our dear ones.

This Yizkor Book serves as a memorial to all the victims of the Shoah from Rafalovka and the neighboring communities.