Bauska file / תיקי קהילה

📰Echo recommended: Echoes from Berlin and a letter from Biysk

These sources review theHistory of the Jewish community in the city of Osaka, from their first settlement in the 17th century to its complete destruction in the Holocaust. The texts presentDemographic and economic dataare detailed, emphasizing the growth of the Jewish population and its centrality in local trade and craft life. Alongside this, the documents describeA rich spiritual worldIncluding synagogues, charitable and educational institutions, and prominent rabbis such as Rabbi Kook who worked in the city. The sources also document theThe political and national strugglesof the community, including extensive Zionist activity and various youth movements. The last chapters are devoted to describingThe Nazi occupation and mass murderof the Jews of the city and surrounding area in 1941. In summary, the collection constitutesComprehensive historical documentation which combines archival documents, statistical data, and reviews of religious and social life in this community.

Based on the attached sources, the following is a comprehensive and detailed historical overview of the history of the Jewish community inIn Osaka(Bauska; and in Jewish sources:BoisskIt should be noted that although you requested an overview of Estonian Jewry, the sources deal exclusively with the community.In OsakaLocated in the ropeZamgla(formerly Courland) in the southLatvia(-C16-4f, C16-11f).

Geographical background and the founding of the settlement

The cityIn OsakaFounded in the mid-15th century byThe Livonian Orderas a fortress against invasions from Lithuania (-C16-4f, C16-11f). In 1511 the settlement received city rights (-C16-4f). Between 1561–1795 the city was under the protection ofPolandAs part ofDuchy of Courland, and in 1796 it was annexed toRussia(-C16-4f).

Jewish presence inIn OsakaIt began as early as the 17th century, when Jews arrived from the nearby area inLithuania(-C16-4f, C16-1f). However, a Jewish settlement inCourlandLegally permitted only at the end of the 18th century (C-16-5f). Initially, Jewish residence was restricted to the suburbsSloboda(Sloboda) across the river, and to enter the city itself they required special permission (-C16-4f, C16-1f). In this suburb the Jews establishedsynagogueandcemetery, and foundedSherva KadishaIn 1780 (C-16-5f, -C16-4f).

There is a contradiction in the sources regarding the date of the organization of the community: one source states that the community began to organize from its institutions in 1820 (C-16-5f, -C16-4f), while a note in another text states that the community was founded in the mid-19th century (C16-11f).

Demography and economic development

The Jewish community inIn OsakaHas experienced significant demographic fluctuations over the years:

• 1835:2,669 Jews lived in the city and its surroundings (-C16-3f, -C16-4f).
• 1850:The number of Jews decreased to 2,266 (-C16-3f, -C16-4f). This decrease was due to the departure of 692 Jews in favor of agricultural settlement in the district.Kherson(1840) and from a plaguecholerawhich attacked the city in 1848 (-C16-4f, C16-1f).
• 1881:The Jewish population peaked at 3,631 people, constituting about 60% of all city residents (-C16-3f, -C16-4f).
• 1897:There were 2,745 Jews registered in the city, constituting 42% of the population (-C16-3f, C16-11f).
• 1935:Only 778 Jews lived in the city out of a total population of 4,904 (-C16-3f, -C16-4f).

Economically, the city's Jews were engaged in trade, especially inLinen trade(-C16-4f). Others made a living as craftsmen (peddlers, carters), workshop owners and liberal professions such as doctors and dentists (-C16-4f, C16-1f). In 1921, aJewish Cooperative BankWith the assistance of the organizationJoint(-C16-4f, C16-1f).

Spiritual leadership and religious institutions

In OsakaConsidered one of the three holy communities inLatviaAnd it produced many Torah scholars from within it (-C16-4f). Among the prominent figures who served in it:

• Rabbi Mordechai Rubiner:Founder of a dynasty of rabbis and educators who served in the city for about 150 years (C-16-5f, -C16-4f).
• Rabbi Mordechai Eliashberg:He served as head of the Av Beit Din between 1862 and 1890 (C-16-5f). He worked hard to revive Jewish national identity (-C16-4f).
• Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hacohen Kook:Served as rabbi ofBoisskBetween the years 1895–1903 (C-16-5f, -C16-4f). During his tenure, he worked to spread the Torah and founded the "The glory of young men"For Torah study for young men (C-16-5f). Later he served as Chief Rabbi of the Land of Israel (-C16-4f).
• Rabbi Dober Rabiner:Mentioned as having served in the rabbinate inIn OsakaAnd he wrote the book "The Greatness of Mordechai" (C-16-5f).

Community institutions included theThe Great Seminary,The Great Synagogue, a house of prayer for the Hasidim, a Lithuanian minyan, andBeit MidrashIn the suburbsSloboda(-C16-4f, C16-1f). Also, community registers were maintained by "A legendary company"And"Psalm Society"written in Yiddish and Hebrew (-C16-4f).

Education, welfare and Zionist activity

Initially, the children studied in twoRooms, inTalmud Torahand in general studies at a Russian school (-C16-4f). In 1920 a Jewish elementary school was opened (where the languages ​​of instruction were Yiddish and Hebrew) andHebrew kindergarten(-C16-4f).

The city's welfare and charity institutions were numerous and varied, including:Acts of kindness,Visiting the sick,Linat Tzedek,Great charity, andDressing naked(-C16-4f, C16-1f).

Zionist activity in the city was extensive:

• In 1884, the "Association" was founded.score"By"Rabbi Eliashberg, which operated a library and organized cultural events (-C16-4f).
• Youth movements such asHashomer Hatzair-Netzach,HerzliyaandBeitarThere were activities on site, as well as the organization ofBond(-C16-4f).
• Between the years 1903–1905, the young people of the community establishedSelf-defense unitOne of its members,Israel Friedman, was accused of manufacturing weapons for the defenders and sentenced to death by the authorities (-C16-4f, C16-1f).
• Dr. Lazar Nislovic, a lawyer and citizen, was elected as a delegate toSimilar to the thirdIn Russia (1907–1912) and fought for Jewish rights (-C16-4f, C16-1f).

World War I and the interwar period

In 1915, during World War I, the Russian authorities deported the Jews ofCourlanddeep into Russia without a valid reason (-C16-4f, C16-1f). After the war, about 600 Jews returned to the place and renewed community life (-C16-4f). In 1919, with the return of theBolsheviks, the city's Jews were ordered to perform forced labor by Latvian soldiers (-C16-4f). During the 1920s, anti-Semitic articles began to appear in the local press (-C16-4f).

Information coming from an official document (a "shekel" bill of the Zionist Organization) indicates ongoing Zionist activity, as seen in a bill from 1930 in the name of Mrs. Hannah, daughter of Shmuel Boisak (C16-10f).

Holocaust period

After an agreementRibbentrop-Molotovand annexationLatviaIn the summer of 1940, Jewish businesses were nationalized and community institutions were dissolved (-C16-4f). Ten Jewish families (property owners) were sent to concentration camps (-C16-4f).

With the outbreak of war between Germany and the Soviet Union (June 22, 1941), Jews tried to escape with the retreating Soviet forces. About 40 young people were murdered on the border, and only about ten managed to escape and join theRed Army(Most of them were killed in battle) (-C16-4f). German units captured the city on June 26, 1941 (-C16-4f).

The murderous acts began shortly thereafter:

• On August 3, 1941, 50 Jews were shot in a nearby forest (-C16-4f).
• A week later, 153 more Jews were murdered (-C16-4f).
• In total, according to an estimate in one source, approximately 800 Jews were murdered in Bauska, including Jews from the surrounding area (C16-11f).

The printed original states that a memorial was erected after the war to commemorate the victims (C16-11f). A handwritten note on an archival document states that the information is taken from the AJDC archives and deals with Latvia between the years 1920–1923 (C16-11f).

List of sources

• C16-1f: A concise review printed in Hebrew on the history of Bauska, the community institutions and the fate of the community in the Holocaust.
• C16-2f: Statistical, geographical and administrative data on the cities of Osaka and Ventspils from an official publication in Latvian from 1936.
• C16-6f: Title page and table of contents of a volume of studies (symposium) dealing with the study of the Holocaust in Latvia.
• C16-7f: Entries from a Russian-language encyclopedia on the history of the Osaka community and prominent Jewish figures.
• C16-8-1f: A clipping from the newspaper "HaMelitz" from 1871, which includes an article about the situation of the Jewish community in Bauska.
• C16-8-2f: A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1871, including reports and news from the community in Osaka.
• C16-8-3f: A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1871, containing a reference to community life in Bauska.
• C16-8-4f: A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1878, containing news and reports from the city of Osaka.
• C16-8-5f: A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1879 dealing with community affairs in Osaka.
• C16-8-6f: A clipping from the newspaper "HaMelitz" from 1883, which includes an article about the Jewish community in Bauska.
• C16-8-7f: A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1884, containing a description of the situation of the community in Bauska.
• C16-8-8f: A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1892, which includes various news from the city of Osaka.
• C16-8-9f: Another page from the newspaper "HaMelitz" from 1892, dealing with reports from Bauska.
• C16-9f: Tables of statistical data in German on population censuses of Jews in the Courland provinces in the 19th century.
• C16-10f: Photocopy of a receipt for a "shekel" payment to the Zionist Organization from 1957.
• C16-11f: A collection of documents from historical archives that include demographic data and surveys on Bauska and Goldingen.
• C16-12f: Photocopies of pages of "Revision Lists" from the years 1834 and 1839/1850 from the Riga Archives.
• C16-3f
• C16-4f

C16-1f

C16-2f

C16-6f

C16-7f

C16-8-1f

C16-8-2f

C16-8-3f

C16-8-4f

C16-8-5f

C16-8-6f

C16-8-7f

C16-8-8f

C16-8-9f

C16-9f

C16-10f

C16-11f

C16-12f

-C16-3f

-C16-4f

C-16-5f

**End of Sources Section**

**Return to Communities Table**