History and Lists of the Jewish Community of Viljandi in Estonia

These sources document the history of the Jewish community in the city of Viljandi in Estonia, from its beginnings in the 19th century until after the Holocaust. The documents include statistical data on the size of the population, nominal lists of families and their residential addresses, and a survey of community institutions such as the synagogue, the cemetery, and the Jewish club. The texts describe cultural and educational life, the transition from studies in Russian to German and Estonian, and the economic structure of the community. In addition, the sources detail the fate of the Jews under Soviet and Nazi occupation, including deportation to Siberia and the murder of those who remained by local forces. In conclusion, the material serves as historical testimony to a small but active community that flourished between the two world wars and was almost completely erased.

The Jewish community of Viljandi (in German: Fellin – Fellin), located in central Estonia on the shore of Lake Viljandi, is a fascinating example of a small Jewish community that developed in the shadow of changing rule (E5-3f, E5-4f). The beginnings of the community date to the 1860s, when discharged soldiers from the army of Tsar Nicholas I (known as "Cantonists") began to settle in the city (E5-3f, E5-4f). In 1865, additional Jewish families from the surrounding villages joined them, and the community began to take shape around a synagogue established in a rented building and a cemetery dedicated to its needs (E5-3f, E5-4f).

In its early years, most Jews lived crowded together in what was called the "Jewish streets", and earned their living mainly as peddlers and craftsmen (E5-3f, E5-4f). Over the years their economic status improved; in 1881 there were 241 Jews in the city, and by the 1930s Jews already owned 8 businesses and factories, and were integrated into the liberal professions, trade, and industry (E5-3f, E5-4f). The first rabbi of the community was A. Lichtenstein, who was supported by a community committee and a ritual slaughterer who supervised kashrut (E5-1f, E5-3f, E5-4f).

Cultural and educational life in Viljandi was rich relative to the size of the community:

• Education: during the Russian Empire period the children studied in Russian schools, but after Estonia gained independence, many moved to Estonian or German schools (E5-1f, E5-3f, E5-4f). Some of the children were sent to study in "heder" or in a Jewish school in Tallinn (E5-3f, E5-4f).
• Social activity: in 1937 a Jewish club was established that included a library, screenings of films in Yiddish, a drama circle, and courses for learning Hebrew and Yiddish (E5-3f, E5-4f).
• Zionism: the community showed a strong affinity for Zionism, expressed in donations to national funds and participation in elections to the Zionist congresses (E5-1f, E5-3f, E5-4f).

Despite the extensive activity, from the 1920s onward the number of Jews in the city declined, as many families, especially from the more established strata, preferred to move to larger cities such as Tallinn or Tartu (E5-1f, E5-3f, E5-4f). On the eve of World War II, only about 20 Jewish families remained in the city (E5-1f, E5-3f, E5-8).

The end of the community came with the upheavals of the war. In the summer of 1940, with the annexation of Estonia to the Soviet Union, Jewish businesses were nationalized (E5-3f, E5-4f). In June 1941, the wealthy Golkin family was deported to Siberia (E5-3f, E5-4f). With the German invasion in June 1941, many managed to flee deep into Russia, and some even fought in local defense units (E5-3f, E5-4f). The few Jews who remained in the city were murdered in the autumn of 1941 by members of the "Omakaitse" (Omakaitse – an Estonian self-defense force) (E5-3f, E5-4f). After the war, about 10 families returned to the city, but most of them later moved to Tallinn or immigrated to Israel (E5-3f, E5-4f).

Interesting and Important Sources

The sources provide a rare glimpse not only into the dry data, but also into daily life:

• E5-1f: provides a moving personal testimony by Sima Soloveitchik, describing the transition between languages and cultures and the proper relations with the Estonian and German neighbors.
• E5-2f: this document is especially important for genealogical research, since it contains a detailed nominal list of Jewish families in Viljandi and their addresses, such as the families Blumberg, Epstein, and Levin.
• E5-3f: constitutes the historical backbone of the survey, with precise demographic detail and a chronological description of the development of the community from discharged soldiers to its destruction in the Holocaust.

List of Sources

• E5-1f : Interview from 1961 with Sima Soloveitchik about community life in Viljandi, education, and Zionism.
• E5-2f : List of names, addresses, and family members of the Jewish community in Viljandi.
• E5-3f : Comprehensive historical survey in Hebrew on the history of the Jews of Viljandi (Fellin) from the 19th century until after the Holocaust.
• E5-4f : Historical summary in English on the Viljandi community, including details about the community rabbis, economy, and the Holocaust period.

E5-1f

E5-2f

E5-3f

E5-4f

** end of Viljandi files **

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