Memories of Holocaust in Latvia/Russia's file / תיק – זיכרונות השואה בלטביה/רוסיה

These documents present A profound and moving personal testimony of a Holocaust survivor from northern Transnistria, focusing on the dramatic events that took place in the city Dubosari and its surroundings. The text describes in detail the The occupation of the region by the Nazis, daily life under the reign of terror and The scenes of massacre and persecution the crackdowns against the local Jewish community. Through her memoirs, the author reconstructs the The desperate escape attempts, the constant struggle for survival and the moments of bereavement and loss of her family members. The testimonies include descriptions of Meetings with partisans, forced labor, and a life in hiding in constant fear of discovery. This is a valuable historical document that sheds light on The fate of Jewry in Serbia and the strength of the human spirit in the darkest times. The series of pages, handwritten and printed, constitute A living memory hand To the victims and survivors who experienced the horrors of war.

The life story of Rachel Friedman (Yoaffey-Zlatkin), as revealed by the sources, is a powerful testament to survival, heroism, and coping with two of the most predatory regimes of the 20th century: the Nazi regime and the Stalinist regime.

Her early life and the first Soviet occupation

Rachel was born in 1921 in the city Devinsk (Daugavpils) in Latvia (H65-1s, H65-3s). In her youth she received a Jewish-national education and was an active member of the Jewish nationalist movement. "The Young Guard", where its Zionist identity was shaped (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s). With the Soviets entering Latvia in the summer of 1940, Hebrew educational institutions were closed and arrests of those considered "enemies of the class" began, including merchants and members of youth movements (H65-1s, H65-3s).

The Nazi Occupation and Life in the Dvinsk Ghetto

With the German invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, Dvinsk was bombed and many tried to escape eastward (H65-1s, H65-3s). Rachel describes the Germans entering the city and the beginning of organized persecution of the Jews (H65-1s, H65-3s). Her family was forced to move to the ghetto, where conditions of hunger and overcrowding prevailed (H65-1s, H65-2s). During the "Aktions" (murder operations) carried out by the Nazis, thousands of Jews were murdered, including Rachel's father and brother, Shaul (H65-1s). Later she was also murdered aqueduct (H65-1s, H65-2s). Rachel herself was saved from death several times thanks to resourcefulness and chance (H65-1s, H65-2s).

Escape and fighting as a partisan

Rachel managed to escape the ghetto and found refuge with local farmers, hiding her Jewish identity (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s). She later joined the units Partisans which operated in the forests of Belarus (H65-1s, H65-3s). It served under the command of a commander named Gravinonk and worked in field hospitals and in the kitchens of the fighting units (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s). She describes the difficult life in the forest, the actions against the Germans, and the sense of revenge (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s).

Soviet detention and life in the Gulag

After the liberation of the area by the Red Army, instead of gaining freedom, Rachel was arrested by theMGB (Soviet Secret Police) (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s). She was accused of treason and connections with the Germans, accusations leveled against many who survived the Nazi occupation (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s). She was sentenced to 10 years in prison and sent to forced labor camps (Gulag) in remote areas such as Kazakhstan (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s). In the camps she suffered from hunger, cold, and hard labor, but continued to maintain her humanity and identity (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s).

Rehabilitation and Aliyah to Israel

After Stalin's death in 1953, Rachel was released from the camp (H65-1s, H65-3s). She marriedBoris Zlatkin, also a Holocaust survivor and former prisoner (H65-1s, H65-3s). The two lived for several years in Kazakhstan and then returned to Latvia (H65-1s, H65-3s). Despite the difficulties and fear of the authorities, they did not give up on their dream of immigrating to Israel (H65-1s, H65-3s). In 1970, after a long struggle to obtain exit permits, Rachel and Boris succeeded in immigrating to Israel and settling there (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s).

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Key figures

Victims and survivors:

• Rachel Friedman (witness): The heroine of the story, a Holocaust survivor, partisan and Gulag prisoner (H65-1s, H65-2s, H65-3s).
• Rachel's parents: Murdered by the Nazis in Devinsk (H65-1s, H65-2s).
• borrowed: Rachel's brother, murdered by the Nazis (H65-1s).
• Boris Zlatkin: Rachel's husband, a Holocaust survivor who went through the Soviet labor camps (H65-1s, H65-3s).
• Jews of Devinsk: Thousands of them were murdered in the ghetto and at the murder sites near the city (H65-1s, H65-3s).

Nazis and war criminals:

• German occupation forces: Those responsible for establishing the ghetto and destroying the Jewish community in Devinsk (H65-1s, H65-3s).
• SS and Gestapo personnel: They conducted the "Aktions" and the repression operations in the ghetto (H65-1s, H65-2s).

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Expansion of important sources

• H65-1s: This is the most detailed source, containing dozens of pages of testimony detailing daily life in the Dvinsk ghetto. It includes shocking descriptions of the perpetrators of the murders, Rachel's escape routes, and her integration into the partisan units. The source highlights the sharp transition between survival against the Nazis and persecution by the Soviets.
• H65-3s: This source provides a clearer narrative structure of Rachel's life story. It covers the Zionist period of her youth, the great rift of the war, and the years of post-war struggle within the Soviet Union until achieving her ultimate goal – immigration to Israel.

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List of sources

• H65-1f : A comprehensive collection of testimonies that includes descriptions of the ghetto, the escape, the life of the partisans, and Soviet imprisonment.
• H65-2f : Additional testimonies focusing on the period of hiding with peasants and the MGB interrogations.
• H65-3f : A narrative summary of Rachel Friedman's life story, from the destruction of the community to her immigration to Israel.

 

H65-1f

H65-2f

H65-3f

 

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