International Conference of Survivor's file / תיק – כנס בינלאומי של ניצולים

These sources document the World Conference of Holocaust Survivors Held in Israel in June 1981, with special focus on communities Immigrants from Latvia, Lithuania and EstoniaThe documents include: Event programs, computerized registration forms, and press reports detailing memorial rallies, social gatherings, and official ceremonies attended by senior public figures. Along with the documentation of the convention, the sources review the The extensive activities of immigrant associations in preserving cultural heritage, managing historical archives, and providing community support to their members. Historical reviews appearing in the texts highlight the The importance of Jewish autonomy in the Baltic States before the war and the crucial contribution of immigrants to state building. These archival materials serve as living testimony to the efforts of Commemorating the dead And the survivors' strong desire to strengthen the bond between generations.

The sources provide a broad picture of the life of the Jewish communities in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania, their fate in the Holocaust, and the commemoration activities and the world meeting held in Israel in 1981.

Review of the sources and key events

A central focus in the sources is The World Meeting of Jewish Holocaust Survivors Conference held in June 1981 (H30-1f, H30-5f). This event included opening ceremonies at the Jewish Community Center in Jerusalem, visits to Yad Vashem, rallies at the Hall of Culture and Yad Eliyahu in Tel Aviv, and tours of kibbutzim established by Baltic immigrants (H30-1f, H30-6f, H30-8f). The meeting was intended to commemorate the world of Baltic Jewry that was destroyed in the Holocaust and to discuss current issues such as the fight against the new anti-Semitism (H30-1f, H30-5f).

In parallel with the global meeting, a World Conference of Lithuanian Emigrants which included a festive assembly, memorial ceremonies at the Nachalat Yitzhak cemetery, and discussions on the community's past and future (H30-7f, H30-45). The sources also include handwritten drafts and printed summaries that review the history, politics, and culture of Latvian and Estonian Jewry (H30-3f, H30-4f). They reviewed the various parties that operated in the community, such as Agudat Israel, the Mizrahi, the Bund, and the Zionist movements (H30-3-3f, H30-15).

An extensive chapter is devoted toYouth and Pioneer Movements (such as Netzach, Gordonia, Hashomer Hatzair and Betar), which were a driving force for immigration and settlement in the Land of Israel (H30-3-5f, H30-16). Thanks to these movements, central kibbutzim were established such as Afikim, Ein Gev and Kfar Blum (H30-3-7f, H30-17). The sources also detail the cultural richness of the community, including a Yiddish press, a Jewish theater, educational institutions (such as the "Hebrew" gymnasium) and extensive sports activities within the framework of "Maccabi" and "Hapoel" (H30-3-9f, H30-3-11f, H30-18, H30-19).

The Association of Latvian and Estonian Emigrants in Israel is described as an active body engaged in commemoration, managing a historical archive, granting scholarships and assistance to the needy, and maintaining contact with relatives in the Soviet Union (H30-2f, H30-39).

Central places

• Baltic States: Latvia (Riga), Estonia (Tallinn) and Lithuania (Kubana), which served as vibrant centers of Jewish life before the war (H30-3-1f, H30-8-5f).
• Memorial and murder sites: Rumbola, Ponnar and the Ninth Fort, where tens of thousands of the region's Jews were massacred (H30-52).
• Israel: Jerusalem (Binyanei Hauma, Yad Vashem), Tel Aviv (Heichal Hatarbut, Yad Eliyahu, Nahalat Yitzhak) and various kibbutzim (Afikim, Kfar Blum, Ein Gev, Shefayim) (H30-1f, H30-2f, H30-6f, H30-7f).

Key figures

Jewish victims, survivors, and public figures:

• Yitzhak Navon: The President of the State, who gave his patronage to the events and spoke at the main rallies (H30-5f, H30-7f, H30-45).
• Arie Dolchin: Chairman of the Board of the Jewish Agency (H30-5f, H30-7f, H30-48).
• Simon Weil: President of the European Parliament and Honorary Chair of the Conference (H30-1f, H30-6f, H30-42).
• Stefan Greik: President of the World Federation of Jewish Fighters (H30-1f, H30-6f, H30-42).
• Jacob Losos: Chairman of the Association of Baltic Jews in Britain (H30-5f, H30-7f, H30-46).
• Mordechai Dovin and Mordechai Nurok: Prominent political leaders of Latvian Jewry (H30-3-3f, H30-15).
• Mendel Buba and Moshe Amir-Bliach: Members of the association's board who contributed greatly to the archive and commemoration (H30-2f, H30-7, H30-3-11f).
• Dr. Dov Levin: Historian and academic advisor to the Archives Section (H30-2f, H30-7).
• Nechama Lifshitz: A famous singer who performed in the conferences' artistic program (H30-45, H30-48).
• Shlomo Lahat (Cheech): Mayor of Tel Aviv-Jaffa (H30-45, H30-48).
• Elie Wiesel: Honorary Chairman of the Conference (H30-1f).
• B.D. Taubin, B. Zeitlin and A. Ribusch: Survivors whose manuscripts and memories form an important part of the archive (H30-7, H30-40).

List of sources

• H30-1f : Information sheet and program for the World Meeting of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, June 1981.
• H30-2f : Activity report of the Association of Latvian and Estonian Immigrants in Israel and review of the archive.
• H30-3-1f : A historical review of the nature of Latvian and Estonian Jewry.
• H30-3-3f : Detail of the political map and Jewish leadership in Latvia.
• H30-3-5f : A review of the youth and pioneer movements among the Jews of the Baltic States.
• H30-3-7f : Information about the contribution of Latvian and Estonian immigrants to settlement and kibbutzim in Israel.
• H30-3-9f : A review of the social life, education and culture of Latvian Jewry.
• H30-3-11f : List of key figures from Latvian Jewry in the fields of sports, economics and art.
• H30-3f : A printed, summarized document on the history of Latvian Jewry, politics, pioneering, and culture.
• H30-4f : Handwritten drafts and historical notes on Latvian and Estonian Jewry.
• H30-5f : Letter to members and review of the union's activities in preparation for the 1981 world meeting.
• H30-6f : Invitation and program for a festive reception for the guests of the World Meeting from the Diaspora.
• H30-7f : Program of the World Conference of Lithuanian Immigrants in Tel Aviv, June 1981.
• H30-8-5f : Newspaper clipping detailing Jewish history and autonomy in the Baltic states.
• H30-8f : Announcements and invitations to the festive rallies as part of the global meeting of Lithuanian and Latvian immigrants.
• H30-9-01f : A newspaper article (Russian and Hebrew) covering the moments of the global meeting and the memories that arose from it.
• H30-9-03f : Newspaper clipping including an election ad and information about pensioner rights.
• H30-9f : A full newspaper page that includes articles about the Holocaust survivors' meeting and the events of the period.

– H30-1f

– H30-2f

– H30-3f

– H30-3-1f

– H30-3-3f

– H30-3-5f

– H30-3-7f

– H30-3-9f

– H30-3-11f

– H30-4f

– H30-5f

– H30-6f

– H30-7f

– H30-8f

– H30-8-5f

– H30-9f

– H30-9-01f

– H30-9-03f

** end of International Conference of Survivor files **

**Press to go back to Holocaust Table**