Daugavpils file (2) / תיק קהילה

📜A Call to Workers: The Health Fund Elections in Vilnius

These sources document theCommunity, educational, and political lifeof the Jews of Latvia, and in particular in the city of Daugavpils, during the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The collection includesHistorical reviewsOn the development of educational institutions, from traditional Torah schools and Talmuds to modern Hebrew and vocational schools. Alongside these, appearOfficial documents and invitationsCultural events, student art exhibitions, and lectures by key figures such as David Bergelson. Additional materials shed light onPolitical activity, such as election posters of the "Bund" movement and lists of community donors. Also included in the texts areBiographical portraitsof influential figures, such as agricultural pioneer Hayutha Bussell. Overall, the sources paint a rich picture ofA multifaceted Jewish identity which combines tradition, national aspirations and social struggles in the Tagliatelle region.

This review is based on the attached archival sources, which focus mostly on the Jewish community inDaugavpils(Dvinsk) and in the districtTo Italyin the Baltic region, with reference to sources dealing with the history of the Latvian and Estonian communities (C32-12f, C32-1f).

Early settlement and traditional education

Jewish settlement in Daugavpils district began to appear significantly in the 18th century (C32-12f). According to the census of 1784, 3,573 Jews lived in the district, of whom 2,200 lived in the city itself (C32-12f). The city plan from that period indicates the existence of an educational institution called"Jewish school", identified asHaider(C32-12f).

TheHaiderIt was the main educational institution for boys, where they studied Torah, prayers and laws (C32-12f). The studies usually took place in the schoolhouse or in the synagogue, sometimes in poor conditions (C32-12f). In 1872, the Daugavpils Institute was opened.Talmud TorahThe first, intended for poor and orphaned children (C32-12f). This institution provided its students with free clothing and food and was largely financed by public funds.Kurovka tax(C32-12f). The local industrialistJ. GurevichHe built a special building for the "Talmud Torah" in the city (C32-12f).

Modernization processes and professional education

In the second half of the 19th century, a trend of development of secular and professional Jewish education began. On September 4, 1885, regulations were approved"The Jewish School of Crafts"in Dynborg (Daugavpils) (C32-1f). The purpose of the institution was to provide Jewish children with primary education along with training in crafts such as carpentry and framing (C32-1f). According to the printed regulations, the school had a management (board) that included figures such asMeir Pavlovich Friedland(C32-1f).

Another central figure in modern education wasBertha Ginsburg(Matebyevna), who opened a private school for girls in 1895 that later becamePro-gymnasium(C32-12f). In 1901, the first modern khaydar was opened under the name"Hebrew", which had 81 students and an emphasis on the Hebrew language (C32-12f).

Ideological struggles and languages ​​of instruction

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a heated debate in the community about the language of instruction in schools. TheBondFought for theYiddish, which it saw as the language of the masses, while Zionists and supporters of tradition advocatedHebrew(C32-12f). In 1908 there wasCzernowitz Conferencewhich declared Yiddish to be the national language of the Jewish people, a decision that sparked fierce controversy with supporters of Hebrew (C32-12f).

During the Latvian Democratic Republic (from 1919), minorities enjoyed cultural autonomy that allowed the establishment of state schools in Yiddish and Hebrew (C32-12f). Competing educational organizations were established:Tsisha(Tsisho), who was identified with the "Bund" and Yiddish, and an organization"The Teacher"Who supported Hebrew education (C32-12f).

Cultural life, society and politics

The community established various cultural institutions, includingH.N. Bialik Club(C32-6f, C32-7f, C32-9f). The club offeredEvening coursesDiverse courses that included language studies (Hebrew, Yiddish, Latvian and Russian), Jewish literature, history and economics (C32-92, C32-93). Among the lecturers in these courses wereZ. Avin,A. KasatskyandM. Blach(C32-92).

There was also a "Jewish Dramatic Collective" in Daugavpils that staged plays and held cultural events (C32-13-2f, C32-13-3f). The prom program of the "Second Hebrew Elementary School" presents biblical and historical plays such as"The Widow's Son"and **"Sons of Jacob"** (C32-94). Other social events included naktems, such as the one held in honor of the writerDavid Bergelsonand dealt with the problems of "Jewish colonization" (C32-7).

In the political arena, alongside the "Bund", Zionist movements were active. One source mentions an invitation to an event on behalf of the organization"Trumpeldor"(C32-10f). Another source (a Yiddish leaflet) calls on Jewish workers to vote for the "Bund" in the city council elections (C32-95).

Archival and personal findings

Sources include personal items that shed light on everyday life:

• Student diary ("Rekord"): A diary written partly in Hebrew and partly in Latvian and Russian, containing holiday records, a timetable and academic assignments (C32-3f). The diary includes the names of teachers such asMr. P. Page,Mr. P. FriedmanandMrs. P. Trachtenberg(C32-54).
• Financial documents: Admission from 1920 for the student's studiesAvin and NiaminIn the gymnasium (C32-11f) and handwritten lists of names including sums of money (C32-2f, C32-34).
• Orders: Printed invitations to events, some in Yiddish and some in Latvian, for institutions such as the "Central Jewish Library" (C32-10f).

A note about uncertainty: The sources indicate that it is difficult to determine exact dates for the opening of some Jewish schools in Tsarist Russia, and information about them is sometimes based on indirect sources (C32-12f).

Terms and concepts from the sources

• Haider: Traditional religious school for boys (C32-12f).
• Talmud Torah: A community educational institution intended primarily for poor and orphaned children (C32-12f).
• Korobka tax: An internal tax imposed by the community on kosher meat and used to finance religious and welfare institutions (C32-12f).
• Tsisho: The central Jewish school organization that advocated education in Yiddish (C32-12f).
• Pro-gymnasium: Early stage of a gymnasium, a secondary educational institution (C32-12f).
• Dinaburg: Former name of the city of Daugavpils (C32-1f).

List of sources

• C32-1f: Cover of a reference book for Jewish education from 1901 and printed regulations of the "Jewish School for Crafts" in Düneburg from 1885.
• C32-2f: Handwritten lists of names and amounts of money, probably membership fees or donations to educational institutions, from the years 1924-1926.
• C32-3f: A "Record" student diary that includes a Hebrew-Russian diary, a holiday calendar, a timetable, and teacher and student lists.
• C32-4f: Detailed Semitic lists in the handwriting of Jews, under the title "The Historical Archives of Estonian Jewry".
• C32-5f: An announcement in Hebrew and Yiddish about the move of the Second Hebrew Elementary School in Daugavpils to a new building and the opening of a Hebrew kindergarten.
• C32-6f: A poster in Latvian detailing the evening course program in language, literature and economics at the H.N. Bialik Club.
• C32-7f: A poster in Yiddish detailing the curriculum and evening courses at the H.N. Bialik Club in Daugavpils.
• C32-8f: A printed program for the prom of the Second Hebrew Elementary School, including biblical plays, songs and dances.
• C32-9f: A political proclamation in Yiddish calling on Jewish workers to vote for the "Bund" list in the Daugavpils City Council elections.
• C32-10f: Collection of invitations and announcements for cultural and educational events in Daugavpils, including a craft exhibition, a Trumpeldor ball, and a banquet in honor of David Bergelson.
• C32-11f: Receipt for payment of tuition for the gymnasium from 1920 and invitation to a meeting of the Jewish community committee in Daugavpils from 1927.
• C32-12f: A comprehensive historical article by Zalman Yakov reviewing the history of Jewish educational institutions in Daugavpils from the 18th century to the Soviet period.
• C32-13-1f: Literary article "Doctors in the Town" and a list of publications and books received at the Zionist Archives.
• C32-13-2f: A Yiddish newspaper clipping with pictures reporting on "Erev Shalom Aleichem" and the activities of the Jewish Dramatic Collective in Daugavpils.
• C32-13-3f: A Yiddish newspaper clipping from 1956 that reviews the history of the Jewish dramatic collective in Daugavpils and its participants over the years.
• C32-13-4f: An article in Hebrew about the life and work of Chaya Hamara in the Land of Israel, the Kinneret settlement and Degania.

C32-1f

C32-2f

C32-3f

C32-4f

C32-4-1f

C32-5f

C32-6f

C32-7f

C32-8f

C32-9f

C32-10f

C32-11f

C32-12f

C32-13-1f

C32-13-2f

C32-13-3f

C32-13-4f

**End of Sources Section**

**Return to Communities Table**