Jelgava file / תיק קהילה

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These sources present a comprehensive historical and documentary overview of Jewish life in Mitte and the provinces of Courland and Livonia in the Duchy of Courland (present-day Latvia). The collection includes Press clippings in Hebrew and German from the late 19th century, alongside academic studies and information sheets detailing the Community growth, establishment of religious and charitable institutions, and the activities of the burial society "Hevra Kadisha". The documents document the The legal and economic limitations imposed on the Jews throughout the generations, alongside a description of their social resilience and demographic growth under changing local rule. Among the sources can also be found Maps, illustrations of synagogues and biographical lists of prominent rabbis and intellectuals who worked in the region. Overall, the materials serve as vital evidence for the preservation Cultural and religious heritage of Eastern European Jewry in the 18th and 19th centuries.

History of the Jewish community in Latvia, centered on the Mitau (Mitau, today Jelgava), reflect complex processes of settlement, struggle for civil rights, cultural flourishing and final destruction in the Holocaust. The beginning of Jewish settlement in the region Courland (Kurland) dates back to the 16th and 17th centuries, when inMitau itself, permanent settlement began in the early 18th century (C69-17f). During the Duchy of Courland, "secret" Jews were allowed to reside in the city in return for paying special taxes, but were restricted to living on the Jewish Street (Judengasse), which was later called Street Doblan (C69-18f, C69-1f). In 1710 the Jews were allowed to purchase land for a cemetery, and in 1730 theSherva Kadisha (C69-18f, C69-7f).

During the 18th century, there was a lively public debate about "tolerance" (Tolerance) towards the Jews in the Duchy, which was documented in a series of pamphlets and documents from the period (C69-5f). On the one hand, there were voices calling for the Jews to be restricted to petty trade only, and on the other hand, arguments were made in favor of their economic and cultural integration (C69-5f). A key figure during this period was Kalman Borkum (Kalman Burckos), a lobbyist and philanthropist who financed the establishment of the first synagogue in Mitau in 1784 (C69-18f, C69-7f). With the annexation of Courland to the Russian Empire in 1795/1796, the community gained official recognition and began a significant demographic growth due to immigration from the "settlement area" (C69-18f). In 1835, the community in Mitau and its surroundings numbered 4,987, but this number was reduced to 4,189 in 1850 following the cholera epidemic of 1848 and the immigration of hundreds of Jews to agricultural colonies in southern Russia (C69-17f, C69-18f).

The second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century were a period of modernization and institutional consolidation. In 1824 the first private school was opened, and in 1850 a government school for Jews was established (C69-18f). During this period the work of the rabbi was prominent. Shlomo Pocher (Shlomo Pucher), who initiated the establishment of theRenovated room"Modern (C69-18f, C69-1f). The community developed an extensive network of welfare and health institutions, including the hospital of the "Visiting the sick" which was officially founded in 1770 and received modern equipment at the beginning of the 20th century (C69-18f, C69-11f). Also operating in Mitte were Psalm Society, Poalei Tzedek Company and institutions for the relief of the poor and Jewish soldiers (C69-18f). A handwritten note on a medical file specifically mentions the Courland region and the cities of Mitte, Windau and Osek (C69-11f).

The religious and spiritual life of the community was led by renowned rabbis and writers. The rabbi Shmuel ben Elkanah Tamim-Ashkenazi (died 1742), owner of "Shmuel's Place", was one of the most important rabbis in Mitau (C69-17f, C69-9f). Other prominent figures were Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Rabinowitz (died 1910), Rabbi Nachman Idel Margaliot (died 1897), and the great historian Levi Ovchinsky who wrote the "History of the Jews in Courland" (C69-17f, C69-18f, C69-9f). During World War I, in 1915, a 24-hour deportation order was issued for the Jews of Courland to the Russian interior, and only about half of the deportees returned to the city after the war (C69-18f).

During the period of independent Latvia (1920–1940) the community enjoyed cultural autonomy and extensive political activity. Youth movements such as Zion Youth, The Young Guard, Beitar andHerzliya, as well as professional unions and the HistadrutBond (C69-18f, C69-3f). In 1935, the Jews of Mitte numbered 2,039, constituting about 6% of the total population (C69-18f, C69-2f). With the occupation of the city by the Germans on June 29, 1941, the destruction of the community began. Local fascists set fire to the synagogues and Jews who were locked in them were burned alive (C69-18f). On July 4, 1941, an order was issued ordering the Jews to evacuate their homes and concentrate in certain areas (C69-13f). A mass murder was committed at the former military firing range and in a forest about 25 km from the city (C69-18f, C69-13f). According to a 1945 report by a Soviet investigative committee, four mass graves containing approximately 2,500 to 3,000 bodies were found at the firing range (C69-13f). The testimony of Benjamin Fox, who gathered with other Jews in the synagogue that was set on fire, describes how he managed to escape from the scene (C69-12-27f). By mid-September 1941, the entire Jewish community in Mitte had been liquidated (C69-18f).

Terms and explanations

• Kurland: A historical region in western Latvia, which was an independent duchy under Polish protection and later a fiefdom in the Russian Empire (C69-18f).
• Mitau: The German and historical name of the city of Jelgava, which was the capital of the Duchy of Courland (C69-18f, C69-3f).
• Protected Jews: Jews who received special permission to reside in cities under the rule of the dukes in exchange for paying taxes (C69-18f).
• Pale of Settlement: The area in the west of the Russian Empire where Jews were allowed to reside (C69-18f).
• Renovated Room (Heder Metukan): A modern Jewish educational institution that combined religious studies with general studies and languages ​​(C69-18f).
• Hevra Kadisha: A religious association responsible for the burial and care of the dead (C69-18f, C69-7f).
• Visiting the sick (Bikur Cholim): A charitable society dedicated to helping the sick and managing medical institutions (C69-18f, C69-11f).
• Karobka: A special tax on kosher meat that was used to finance the needs of the community and educational institutions (C69-18f, C69-12-1f).

List of sources

• C69-1f – A historical summary in Hebrew of the history of the Yalgabe (Mittau) community, including key figures and institutions.
• C69-2f – Detailed statistical and economic data on Yalgaba from the book "Teroi Arim" (1936).
• C69-3f – A detailed historical overview in Hebrew of the Mitau community, including demographic tables and biographies of rabbis and personalities.
• C69-4f – A historical overview in English of the Jalgabe (Mittau) community, including information on institutions and political activity.
• C69-5f – Excerpts from R. J. Vanderbeer's book from 1853 and statistical data on the population of Courland.
• C69-6f – Contents pages of the journal of the Courland Society for Literature and Art from 1819.
• C69-7f – An article by J. Joffe from 1904 on Jewish chronicles and an analysis of the community register in Mitte.
• C69-8f – Historical documents from 1762 dealing with the Courland region and the Jewish cemetery in Mitte.
• C69-9f – Excerpts from the book "A Generation of Rabbis and Writers" from 1895, which includes biographies of rabbis from Mitau.
• C69-10f – The monthly "The Jewish School" from 1904, which includes statistical data on Jewish educational institutions in the Russian provinces.
• C69-11f – A report on the medical-sanitary organization among the Jewish population in the Courland region, including data on hospitals in Mitte and its surroundings.
• C69-12-1f – Cover of the newspaper "HaMelitz" from 1861 and newspaper clippings from 1860-1861 about the Jews of Mitau.
• C69-12-2f – Report in "HaMelitz" from March 1879 on the community of Mitau and other settlements.
• C69-12-3f – News in "HaMelitz" from April 1880 about community affairs and law in Mitau.
• C69-12-4f – An article in "HaMelitz" from 1883 about a fire in Mitte and community relief efforts.
• C69-12-5f – A clipping from the newspaper "HaMelitz" that includes information about various Jewish communities, including Mitau.
• C69-12-6f – A report in "HaMelitz" from 1883 about the charitable societies and community institutions in Mitte.
• C69-12-7f – An article in "HaMelitz" from January 1884 about rabbinical and educational matters in Mitau.
• C69-12-8f – A report in "HaMelitz" from October 1884 about the Mitau community and the situation in the Courland region.
• C69-12-9f – A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from April 1885, dealing with community affairs in Mitte.
• C69-12-10f – A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from July 1895, dealing with events and personalities in the Mitau community.
• C69-12-11f – News from the newspaper "Hamelitz" from 1886 about Jewish life in Mitte and the Courland region.
• C69-12-12f – A report in "HaMelitz" from 1886 on community affairs, law and charity in Mitau.
• C69-12-13f – An article in "HaMelitz" from February 1887 about community institutions and events in Mitau and nearby communities.
• C69-12-14f – A clipping from the newspaper "HaMelitz" from April 1888, which includes news about the Mitau community and prominent figures in it.
• C69-12-15f – Report in "HaMelitz" from July 1888 on educational matters, schools and the community in Mitte.
• C69-12-16f – News in "HaMelitz" from May 1888 about the situation in Mitau and the community's activities.
• C69-12-17f – A clipping from the newspaper "HaMelitz" from 1889 dealing with the rabbis of Mitau and news from the community.
• C69-12-18f – Press clippings from "HaMelitz" from October 1889 about religious and social life in Mitte and its surroundings.
• C69-12-19f – Report in "HaMelitz" from February 1890 about the Mitau community and its public activities.
• C69-12-20f – An article in "HaMelitz" from January 1892 dealing with hospitals and welfare institutions in Mitte.
• C69-12-21f – A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from March 1892, which includes information about the Mitau community.
• C69-12-22f – A report in "HaMelitz" from 1892 on community and religious affairs in Mitte.
• C69-12-23f – An article in "HaMelitz" from September 1893 about the charitable and educational institutions in Mitte.
• C69-12-24f – News in "HaMelitz" from September 1894 about the Mitau and Osek communities.
• C69-12-25f – A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from December 1894, dealing with the Courland region and Mitte.
• C69-12-26f
• C69-12-27f – Articles from the newspaper "Novosti Nadeli" from the 1990s that include the testimony of Benjamin Fox about the extermination of the Jews of Yalagba in the Holocaust.
• C69-13f – Articles by Victor Goshchin and Bernhard Peres on the murder of Jews in Jalgabe and Latvia during the Holocaust.
• C69-14f – Photograph of the Great Synagogue in Mitau (Yalgava) with an explanatory caption.
• C69-15f – Reports of the Courland Society for Literature and Art from 1900, which include references to the Jewish cemetery.
• C69-16f – An article from 2009 about an exhibition dealing with the lost synagogues of Jalgabe.
• C69-17f – Historical documents including an English overview of the Jews of Mitte, 19th century advertisements, and a map of the city.
• C69-18f – A comprehensive historical overview in English of the history of the Jewish community in Bielgba (Mittau) from its beginnings to the Holocaust.
• C69-19f – Documents relating to the copying of R. J. Vanderbeer's book on the history of the Jews in Leipzig and Courland from 1853.

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