Socialist Zionist- United Party's file / תיק, סוציאליסטי ציוני – מפלגת האחדות

These sources include documents from the archive of the Lavon Institute, documenting the activity of the Zionist-Socialist Party in Latvia between 1926 and 1932. The materials present flyers and broadsides in Yiddish and Latvian calling on the Jewish working public to join the struggle against capitalism, fascism, and antisemitism. The texts emphasize international solidarity on the occasion of May Day and the aspiration to establish a just working society in the Land of Israel. The sources reveal the political tension in which Latvian Jewry lived, between persecution by the Soviet regime and the strengthening of local reaction. In addition, the documents call for support of the democratic institutions of the community and the enterprise of pioneering as a solution to the economic and national distress.

Political and Party Organization

The central political force emerging from the sources is the Zionistish-Socialistishe Partei in Letland (the Zionist-Socialist Party in Latvia), whose center operated in Riga (O41-3f). The party defined itself as part of the international socialist movement and as the representative of the interests of the Jewish worker (O41-3f). In the elections to the Saeima (the Latvian parliament), the party cooperated with the Social Democratic Party and appeared under list no. 3 (O41-3f). The sources describe a sharp political struggle against the Aguda movement (Agudat Israel), described as a "servant of reaction," and against the Bund, which is accused of opposing national revival and the Land of Israel (O41-1f, O41-3f). In Latgale, the electoral struggle focused on the attempt to secure the mandate of Professor M. Lazerson against the candidate Shimon Wittenberg of the Aguda (O41-1f). Archival documents present order records and photographs of files from the Labor Archive at the Pinhas Lavon Institute for the Study of the Labor Movement, which were ordered on 10.10.91 (O41-1f, O41-2f, O41-3f). The information in the handwritten tables in file 11-1 from 1928 is unclear and includes lists of numbers and technical data (O41-2f).

Aliyah, Training, and the Land of Israel

The Zionist-Socialist movement in Latvia expressed unequivocal support for Arbetndiken Eretz-Yisrael (Working Land of Israel) and for the organization of the Histadrut (O41-3f). The Land of Israel was perceived as the solution to the "double pressure" exerted on the Jewish worker, as a worker and as a Jew (O41-3f). The party called for support for the pioneers and the HeHalutz movement and for raising funds for KPAI (the Workers’ Fund for the Land of Israel) (O41-3f). The sources note the importance of creating productive foundations for Jewish life in the Land of Israel, based on free labor (O41-3f). In manifestos from April 1930 and 1931, the demand for free immigration and for struggle against the Arab effendis and British imperialism, which were delaying the national building project, is emphasized (O41-3f).

Economic Difficulties and Social Legislation

The sources point to a deep economic crisis that worsened in the early 1930s, leading to mass unemployment among the Jewish population (O41-1f, O41-3f). The party fought to preserve the 8-hour working day and opposed wage cuts (O41-3f). Sharp criticism was directed at the Latvian government for its use of Paragraph 81 (Section 81) of the constitution, which enabled it to pass laws in favor of wealthy landowners without parliamentary approval (O41-1f, O41-3f). In addition, opposition was expressed to raising customs tariffs on basic consumer goods, which imposed a heavy burden on the weaker strata (O41-3f). The government is also accused of harming the sick funds and the labor rights of residents who were not citizens (O41-1f, O41-3f).

Organization in Local Communities

At the local level, the party emphasized the importance of the Jewish community as a democratic institution serving as a foundation for national autonomy (O41-3f). In Liepāja, a call was published ahead of the elections to the community council held on 28 December (O41-3f). The party aspired to turn the community into a secular and progressive institution engaged in self-help and the productivization of the masses, and not only in philanthropy (O41-3f). Special emphasis was placed on assistance to pioneers as well as to emigrants staying in quarantine stations on their way to the Land of Israel (O41-3f).

International Political Struggle and Criticism of the Soviet Union

The May 1st manifestos over the years (1926–1933) reflect a persistent struggle against fascism, militarism, and chauvinism (O41-1f, O41-3f). Alongside the struggle against the far right, there is sharp criticism of the Red Terror and the communist dictatorship in Soviet Russia (O41-1f, O41-3f). The party protested the persecution of socialists, Zionists, and pioneers sent to isolators (isolated detention facilities) in the Urals, Turkestan, and Siberia (O41-1f, O41-3f). The sources explicitly note the harm caused by the Yevsektsiya to Jewish life and Zionist activists in the Soviet Union (O41-3f).

List of Terms

• Saeima: The parliament of the Latvian Republic.
• Aguda: The designation for the "Agudat Israel" movement, which operated as a conservative religious political force.
• Bund: The Jewish socialist workers’ party, which opposed Zionism and the Hebrew language.
• Paragraph 81: A clause in the Latvian constitution that allowed the government to enact emergency regulations without the parliament’s immediate approval.
• KPAI: The Workers’ Fund for the Land of Israel, a fund intended to support the economic enterprises of workers in the Land of Israel.
• Yevsektsiya: The Jewish section of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, which acted against religion and Jewish nationalism.
• Pioneering: A movement of training and immigration of young Jews in preparation for working settlement in the Land of Israel.
• Customs tariffs: Tariff rates imposed on imported goods.
• Quarantine stations: Quarantine stations or transit camps where emigrants stayed for health or administrative reasons.
• Effendis: A term for Arab landowners and notables in the Land of Israel, perceived as a reactionary force.

List of Sources

• O41-1f : May 1st manifestos (1931-1933), election materials from the Latgale region, and information on the activity of the Zionist-Socialist Party.
• O41-2f : Archival registration documents of the Lavon Institute, including photography orders and handwritten data tables from 1928.
• O41-3f : A comprehensive collection of manifestos for the years 1926-1932, calls for the elections in the Liepāja community, and information on the connection with Working Land of Israel.

O41-1f

O41-2f

O41-3f

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