Auce file / תיק קהילה

✡️Commemorating the Victims of the Holocaust in Otza: Inauguration of the First Memorial Site

These sources document the history and destruction of the Jewish community in the Latvian town.Oce(Auce). The texts review theCommunity lifeFrom the late 19th century, through its economic boom and the establishment of religious and educational institutions, to the 1935 census. A significant portion of the material focuses onIn the events of the HolocaustIn 1941, detailing the persecution, confiscation of property, and massacre of Jews by German forces and local collaborators. Historical research and survivor testimonies shed light onThe identity of the killersand the circumstances of the mass murder in the nearby forest. Finally, the sources describe theCommemorating the victimsBy erecting a memorial plaque at the site of the murder decades later.

Based on the attached sources, the following is a comprehensive historical overview of the Jewish community.Outza(Auce; in Yiddish:AccelerateorAitza; in German:Autz), located in the areaZamgla(Zemgale), districtYalgaba(Jelgava) againLatvia(C1-1f, C1-12f, C1-3f). It should be emphasized that the sources deal with the community in Latvia and not in Estonia (C1-12f).

The beginnings of the community and its development until World War I

The town was founded in1890Near the mansion calledAltauch(Altauz) (C1-1f, C1-12f). The first Jews arrived at the site upon its founding from neighboring Lithuania and various regions inCourland(C1-11f, C1-12f). Initially, the community rented a building for prayer and employed a butcher (C1-12f). In1893Invited to the Rabbi's TownAbraham Abba of Kaliakal, who served as rabbi, judge, and teacher of justice (C1-11f, C1-12f). Officially, the community was subordinate to theTocumen(Tukums) (C1-3f, C1-12f).

In the year1898A Hevra Kadisha was founded, and the following year,1899In , a Beit Midrash was built with the permission of the authorities (C1-3f, C1-12f).1901A bathhouse and a purification mikveh were built (C1-1f, C1-12f).1905The community was separated from the Tocumen community and allowed to appoint its own rabbi (C1-12f). In the same year, following the events of theRevolution of 1905, many Jewish homes were destroyed and many left the town (C1-1f, C1-12f).

Among the prominent figures in the community was the rabbi and historianLevi Ovichinsky(Levi Ovchinski), who wrote books on the history of the Jews of Courland (C1-1f, C1-12f). His photograph originally appears as dating from the period before World War I (C1-5f).

DuringWorld War I, in1915, the Jews of Courland, including the Jews of Otze, were deported deep into Russia, as they were considered unreliable citizens (C1-1f, C1-12f).

The period of independent Latvia (1920–1940)

After the war, most of the Jews returned to the town (C1-11f, C1-12f). With the assistance of the **JDC**, community life was renewed, a synagogue was built, and a new bathhouse was established on the site of the one that had been destroyed (C1-1f, C1-12f).

demography:According to census data (C1-3f):

• In the year1920The community was138Jews (9% of the population).
• In the year1925The community was157Jews (6% of the population).
• In the year1930The community was151Jews (5% of the population).
• In the year1935The community was147Jews out of a general population of 3,320 people (about 4.4%) (C1-3f, C1-12f, C1-7f).

Economy and Society:Most Jews made their living from trade, mainly in building materials, textiles, and furniture (C1-12f, C1-1f). Among the prominent businesses in 1935 were the furniture store ofL. Abramovich(L. Abramovics) and the grocery stores ofYitzhak Feiner(Izaks Fainers) andShlomo Razomani(Sloma Razumnijs) (C1-14f). Two Jewish doctors worked in the town:M. Schliemanns(M. Salimans) andHosea Resniks(Hozias Rezniks), and one dentist namedPaulina Balodis(Pauline Balodis) (C1-13f).

One of the important industrial plants was owned byYankel Klein, which owned woolen mills, a flour mill, and a brick kiln (C1-11f). The generator installed in one of his factories provided electricity for the entire town (C1-11f, C1-12f). In1929The community established a lending and savings fund (C1-12f).

Education and Culture:Initially, the children studied in a "room", but during the period of Latvian independence they attended state elementary schools in German or Latvian (C1-1f, C1-12f). The community had extensive Zionist activity within the framework of the "Herzliya" youth movement, and donations were made toKeren Kayemet LeIsrael** (C1-11f, C1-12f). Approximately 15 members of the community immigrated to Eretz Israel after agricultural training (C1-1f, C1-12f).

In the year1923Antisemitic incidents were documented in the town, and in1934With the rise of dictatorship in Latvia, Latvian nationalists began to act against the Jews (C1-12f).

Holocaust period

With signatureRibbentrop-Molotov PactIn 1939 and the entry of the Red Army into Latvia in the summer1940, Jewish businesses were nationalized and community institutions were liquidated (C1-12f). On June 14, 1941, some Jews were deported (C1-7f).

The German occupation and murder:The German army captured the town at the end of June.1941(C1-1f). Immediately after the occupation, local "self-defense" units (Aizsargi) were established under the leadership of figures such asEdgars Krasts(Edgars Krasts) andA. Tsaouna(E. Caune) (C1-7f). On July 5 and 61941A registration of Jewish property began, and Jews were ordered to wear a yellow badge and huddle in temporary concentration places such as barns or the old school building (C1-7f).

on-July 11, 1941Jews of Otze were murdered (C1-7f, C1-10f). According to one source, about 100 Jews were taken to the forestPutno(Putnu), where they were forced to dig a hole and shot to death by local forces under German supervision (C1-10f, C1-14f, C1-7f). Another source states that the number of those murdered was99or103(C1-7f). Among the murdered was the esteemed doctorDr. Michael Schliemanns, his wife and 14-year-old daughter, who were murdered in a nearby forest after trying to hide (C1-7f).

Information from manuscripts and notes:

• In the documentC1-9fA handwritten note appears fromShimon Crystal, indicating thatEve Crystal(née Eisenstadt) was born in the city in1910.
• In the documentC1-11fA handwritten note appears stating that the information is based on testimonies collected in1964.
• In the Yad Vashem lists that appear inC1-13fThe names of victims from the families are listed:Gavronsky(Gavronsky),Fingerhut(Fingerhut),Rotterdam(Rotterdam),Piszczy(Pisetzky),Michalovich(Michalovich) andCohen.

Commemoration

In the year2003A memorial plaque was inaugurated at the site of the murder in the Putno Forest, as part of a projectThe Baltic Mass Graves Project(C1-10f, C1-14f). The ceremony was attended by the Latvian Minister of IntegrationNils Mojniks(Nils Muiznieks), LordJenner(Lord Janner) andSol Bokingoltz(Sol Bukingolts) (C1-10f).

List of sources

• C1-1f: A historical summary in Hebrew of the Jewish community in Outza, including demographic, economic, and cultural details.
• C1-2f: Statistical data, economic description and map of the town of Outsa from an official Latvian publication from 1936.
• C1-3f: A Hebrew overview of the history of the community, including population data and information on Zionist activity and anti-Semitism.
• C1-4f: Information pages in English that review the history of the Jews of Otje from the time of its founding until its liberation in 1944.
• C1-5f: Pages of a book in Hebrew showing the picture of Rabbi Levi Ovichinsky and information about the community during the occupation.
• C1-7f: An academic article in Russian that extensively analyzes the process of extermination of the Jews of Otze and includes lists of those murdered.
• C1-9f: A handwritten letter from Shimon Kristal detailing personal and genealogical information about his family members from the town of Outza.
• C1-10f: An article in Russian from the newspaper "Telegraph" about the dedication ceremony of a monument to the memory of the Holocaust victims in Outza in 2003.
• C1-11f: A page from the "Community Register" that includes information based on testimonies regarding the life of the community, its economy, and its destruction.
• C1-12f: A historical overview in English that includes information about the founding of the community and its fate during the world wars and the Holocaust.
• C1-13f: A printed list of names from Yad Vashem's database of Holocaust victims for the Jews of the town of Outza.
• C1-14f: News in Latvian about the inauguration of a memorial plaque at the murder site in the Putno Forest as part of the Baltic Mass Graves Project.

C1-1f

C-1-6f

C-1-8f

C1-2f

C1-3f

C1-4f

C1-5f

C1-7f

C1-9f

C1-10f

C1-11f

C1-12f

C1-13f

C1-14f

**End of Sources Section**

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