Sabile file / תיק קהילה

🕍 The Synagogue in Saviglia: Preservation and Renewal in Latvia

The sources present a comprehensive historical and documentary overview of the town. Sabila (Zabeln) in Latvia, with a deep focus on my life The Jewish community The documents combine Statistical data, archival photographs and architectural drawings that illustrate the development of the town and its economic and social structure throughout the 20th century. Special emphasis is placed on Holocaust period, which includes evidence of the murder of hundreds of Jews in nearby forests and the destruction of religious and cultural life under the Nazi occupation. In addition, the sources deal with the fate of Synagogue building, which served as a sports hall after the war and later became the focus of preservation and restoration efforts as a cultural center. Through the letters and articles, the memory of the survivors and the effort to perpetuate the glorious past of the community that ceased to exist are reflected.

History of the city Sabila (Sabile) and the Jewish settlement there

The city Sabila (In Jewish sources: Shebilla or Chavillen; in German: Zabeln) is located in the region Courland (Kurzeme) in western Latvia, on the banks of the riverAbba (Abava) (C97-3f, C97-4f). The earliest information about the settlement dates back to the 13th century, when it was established around a camp of Teutonic Order (C97-4f). It is not known when Jews first settled in the area, but records from theSherva Kadisha The local Jewish community has existed since 1809 (C97-3f, C97-4f). During the 19th century, the Jewish population grew rapidly, and in 1881 it numbered 873, which constituted about 62% of the city's total population (C97-3f, C97-4f). In 1910, the number of Jews decreased to 700 (C97-4f).

Religious life and spiritual leadership

In the community Sabila A series of prominent rabbis have served over the years. The community's first rabbi, beginning in 1840, was Rabbi Menachem Mendel Itzigson (C97-3f). He was followed by Rabbi Mordechai-Ari Smogloub, Rabbi Chaim Leib Silverman andRabbi Zvi Valka (C97-3f). The Rabbi of the community Rabbi Benjamin Jonathan Cohen He used to give Talmud lessons to adults twice a week and taught Torah on Shabbat (C97-4f). The last rabbi of the community was Rabbi Yitzhak Segal, who perished in the Holocaust with members of his community (C97-4f). Two were built in the city Synagogues, and in 1897 it opened meeting, but it closed shortly afterwards due to financial difficulties (C97-4f, C97-3f). The archive contains architectural plans from 1936 for the construction of a bathhouse (mikveh) for the Jewish community on the street. Stereo (Strautu) Number 6 (C97-6f).

Economy, Society, and Education Between the Two World Wars

Jewish majority Sabila They were engaged in trade and crafts. They owned grocery and textile stores, timber and cattle dealers, and craftsmen such as tailors, shoemakers, and tinsmiths (C97-4f). In 1935, 37 of the 71 businesses in the city were Jewish-owned (C97-4f). Relations with the local population were generally good, and following the 1905 revolution, the community formed a self-defense group for fear of riots (C97-4f). In the field of education, Jewish children attended the general school, while boys received their education atroom and the girls in private lessons (C97-4f). After World War I, a Jewish school began operating in the city, supported by the municipality, and taught in Yiddish and Hebrew in the afternoons in the building of the Latvian school (C97-4f). Politically, there was little organized Zionist activity, except for a branch of the youth movement Beitar (C97-4f).

World War I and the reconstruction after it

In 1915, during World War I, the Russian authorities expelled all Jews. Courland Formerly Russia (C97-3f, C97-4f). Many of them did not return to the city after the war, and in 1920 the community numbered only 224 Jews (C97-4f). In that year a community committee was elected with the help of the organization of theJoint (JDC), which helped restore community life, establish a loan fund, and provide free medical care and medicine to the needy (C97-3f, C97-4f). A handwritten note on a document indicates that the town is located on the banks of the RiverAbba (Abava) 25 km fromStanda (Stende) (C97-7f).

The Holocaust and Occupation Period

after Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact The Red Army entered Latvia in the summer of 1940 (C97-1f). Under Soviet rule, private businesses were nationalized and Jewish public life began to gradually cease (C97-1f, C97-4f). In June 1941, a number of "wealthy" Jewish families were deported to Siberia (C97-1f, C97-4f). With the invasion of Nazi Germany on June 22, 1941, a few Jews managed to escape (C97-1f). The city was occupied on July 1, 1941, and shortly thereafter the Nazis converted the synagogue into a public bathhouse and burned the Torah scrolls (C97-1f, C97-4f). The Jews were gathered in one house and from there they were taken to a forest about 5 km from the city, near waterfalls, where they were murdered (C97-1f, C97-3f). The sources indicate that local Latvian fascists murdered several Jews and robbed their property even before the Germans arrived (C97-4f).

End of the war and commemoration

The city was liberated by the Red Army in the spring of 1945 (C97-1f, C97-4f). There are different versions regarding the number of bodies found in the mass grave: according to one version, 770 dead were found, and according to another, 372 (C97-1f, C97-4f). The municipality erected a monument to the victims at the murder site (C97-1f, C97-4f). The synagogue building was used over the years as a sports hall (C97-1f, C97-5-2f). In 2000, it was announced that a group of enthusiasts were trying to restore the building and turn it into a concert and exhibition hall, with the support of the "Emek Abba" Foundation and the Swiss government (C97-5-1f, C97-5-2f). The information in the sources indicates that in the 1960s, there were no more Jews living inSabila (C97-1f, C97-4f).

List of terms and explanations

• Courland (Kurland/Kurzeme): A historical district in western Latvia where Jews enjoyed a unique legal and economic status relative to the rest of Imperial Russia.
• Teutonic Order: A German military-religious order of Christian knights that ruled the Baltic region in the Middle Ages.
• Sherva Kadisha: A Jewish communal body responsible for the care of the dead and their burial according to Halacha.
• The joint (JDC): A Jewish-American aid organization designed to help Jews in need around the world.
• Beitar: A Revisionist Zionist youth movement founded in Latvia by Ze'ev Jabotinsky.
• Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact: A non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed in 1939 and included a secret protocol for the division of Eastern Europe.

List of sources

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• C97-1f – A review of the Holocaust period in Sabila, data on the murder of Jews, the fate of the synagogue and the establishment of a memorial monument.
• C97-2f – Statistical and general description of the city of Seville including demography, residential buildings, local administration and economy (1936).
• C97-3f – Demographic data of the Jews of Seville between the years 1881–1943 and a detailed history of the community and its rabbis.
• C97-4f – A comprehensive historical summary from the "Beit Hatfutsot" archives on the settlement of Jews, educational institutions, the economy, and the Holocaust in Sabila.
• C97-5-1f – An article in Latvian from 2000 about the plan to restore the synagogue building in Sevliva and transform it into a concert and exhibition hall.
• C97-5-2f – An article in Russian that includes memories of life in the city of Seville and a call for assistance in the reconstruction of the Jewish synagogue.
• C97-6f – Architectural drawings and plans from 1936 for the construction of a bathhouse (mikveh) on Strautou Street for the Jewish community.
• C97-7f – Protocol of testimonies and interviews with survivors about community life, relationships with neighbors, and details of the murder events in the forests.
• C97-9f – A brief overview in Russian about Courland Jewry accompanied by a photograph of the facade of the synagogue building in Sabil.

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