A Jewish community settled in Lechința in the 1850s. The local community, which was predominantly made up of ethnic Germans, was against Jewish settlement in the town. Despite this, the Jewish community continued to grow and a synagogue was established in the 1880s.

In the early twentieth century, Lechința’s rabbi, Shimon Lichtenstein, achieved fame throughout Transylvania as a scholar. The community flourished, increasing to 10% of the population in 1920.

In 1940, rule of Lechința and other parts of northern Transylvania transferred from Romania to Hungary. The new regime led to an increase in antisemitism throughout the region. In March 1944, Germany invaded Hungary. In May, the entire Jewish population of Lechința was transferred to a ghetto in nearby Bistrița.

On June 2 and June 6, 1944, the Bistrița ghetto was liquidated. Its residents were deported to Auschwitz concentration camp. It is unknown how many returned to Lechința after the war.