In the year 1739, two hundred and seventy years ago the Jewish Community of Zemun was founded. Its history has been both stirring and eventful. According to records dating from the end of WWI the initial membership of some fifteen families eventually grew to approximately 1200 souls. Upon the formation of the Kingdom of Serbs , Croats and Slovenians almost half of its membership left the Community to resettle in Zagreb and Vienna and some other cities too. During the period between the two World Wars the membership numbered roughly 600 people. Practically the same number of Jews lived within the town community at the onset of the occupation of Yugoslavia . During the occupation period 574 members lost their lives in the ensuing Holocaust. Today the Community has 116 members. Of all the members only a few are war survivors or their descendants. A large number of members are Jews who have moved to Zemun from other parts of Yugoslavia .
In 1939 an exhibition entitled “A Study of Jewish life in Zemun as Recorded in Photographs during the past 50 years” was organized. At the time of the exhibition the organizers of the event had no knowledge that the same year was the bicentennial anniversary of the founding of the Jewish Community in Zemun. The present 270 year anniversary of the existence of the Jewish Community in Zemun is doubtlessly worthy of mention. Within the past period the Community has been commendably active and has acquired a creditable position within the Federation of Jewish Communities in Serbia .