(7) Liepaja file / תיק קהילה

The collection of sources presents a broad picture of my life. The Jewish community in Liepaja (Livao), Latvia, throughout the twentieth century and focuses on preserving its heritage. The documents include Historical reviews about the prosperity of the community before the Holocaust, alongside harsh testimonies about Antisemitic persecution and the struggles of "refusals" to emigrate under Soviet rule. Many correspondences reveal efforts by survivors and descendants to locate Property lists and genealogical information to reconstruct their families' past. In addition, the sources document commemorative initiatives, such as organizing anniversary conferences and publishing a commemorative book dedicated to the city. The materials seem to serve as a bridge between The destruction in the Holocaust and the desire to restore lost rights and maintain community memory. In general, the collection combines Genealogical research technical and personal stories of migration, struggle and survival.

History of the Jewish Community inLatvia, and especially in the city Liepaja (Libau), are characterized by significant demographic and economic transformations under the rule of the Russian Empire, the period of Latvian independence, until its almost complete destruction in the Holocaust and the struggles of the survivors to immigrate to Israel at the end of Soviet rule.

The beginning of the community and demographic development

Jews were not allowed to reside in the Baltic Sea ports, including Liepaja, until the 18th century; in 1797 only 19 Jewish residents were recorded (C129-11f). Under Imperial Russian rule, the city was excluded fromThe seat area, and only merchants from the first guild, artisans, and Jews who lived inCourland Before 1881 they were allowed to live there (C129-12f). In 1840, 13 families (78 people) left the area to join an agricultural settlement in the district. Kherson (C129-3f). The Jewish population grew from 1,348 in 1835 to 6,651 in 1881, a growth supported by the completion of the railroad. Libau-Romanian which connected the port to the industrial centers of Ukraine (C129-11f). By 1897, the number of Jews had increased to 9,454, constituting about 14% of the total population (C129-12f).

Economy, culture and political life

Jewish Liepaja They specialized in exporting grain and timber, and owned about a quarter of the city's industrial plants (C129-3f). Culturally, the influence of theGerman culture was dominant among the older residents ofCourland, alongside Jews who had emigrated from other parts of Russia (C129-11f). During the period of democratic rule in Latvia (1918–1934), the community was very active socially and politically; prominent among the leaders were N. Katzenelson And the Hebrew writer J. L. Cantor, who served asRabbi on behalf of (Rabbi Kazziony) between the years 1890–1904 (C129-12f). His successor, Aaron Nurok, served as the community's rabbi until 1937 and was even a member of the Latvian parliament (C129-11f). The city had Hebrew and Yiddish schools, charitable institutions, and diverse community organizations (C129-3f).

Holocaust period

With the German invasion of the Soviet Union, it was occupied Liepaja On June 29, 1941, anti-Jewish operations and mass arrests immediately began (C129-11f). On July 24, 1941, 3,000 Jews, mostly men, were taken to the lighthouse indiligent (Schkeden) and were executed (C129-12f). On December 15 and 16, 1941, another 3,500 Jews were murdered (C129-3f). In June 1942, a ghetto In which 816 Jews were imprisoned, it was liquidated on October 8, 1943, the eve of Yom Kippur, when the survivors were deported to concentration camps (C129-11f, C129-12f). Only a few dozen of the city's Jews survived the war; the city was liberated by the Red Army on May 9, 1945, but most of the survivors chose not to return and emigrated to Israel and other countries (C129-3f).

The struggle to leave Soviet Latvia

Personal documents in the archive, based on manuscripts, describe the enormous difficulties of Jews who sought to immigrate to Israel in the 1970s and 1980s. Yosif Shimonovich Leibovich He describes in his handwritten memoirs how, after submitting his application for aliyah, he was summoned for an interview atGorkom (Municipal Party Committee), was fired from his job because of his "nationalism" and suffered slander in the local press under the headline "Caution – Zionism" (C129-10f). His family suffered harassment, death threats, and abusive phone calls (C129-10f). Leah McKinson Describes in manuscript how those seeking to leave were placed on a "blacklist" and denied basic rights, as the establishment tried to dissuade them from their decision through humiliating public committees (C129-9f).

Property Restitution and Memory Preservation

After Latvia regained independence, efforts began to recover property that had been nationalized or abandoned. Official documents show engagements with companies such as "Soldan International Trade" to handle inheritance rights and property restitution inRiga AndJurmala (C129-14f, C129-15f). At the same time, survivor committees were established, such as the Committee of Survivors of Lipaia in Israel, headed by Maj. Gen. (Res.) Aaron YarivGenealogical research projects, such as that of Paul Barkai, compiled lists of business and property owners from 1900–1940 to assist descendants in tracing their roots (C129-32f).

Information based on vendor or footnotes: The archival lists contain question marks regarding the fate of certain individuals; for example, regarding Sarah Friedberg It says "may be", and for other names it is noted that "something is unknown (but there is still hope)" (C129-17f). Handwritten information on the back of documents indicates ongoing genealogical investigations in which certain details remain vague (C129-17f).

Terms and explanations

• Pale of Settlement: The geographical area in the Russian Empire where Jews were allowed to reside (C129-11f).
• Courland: A historical region in western Latvia where Jews sometimes enjoyed privileged rights compared to the rest of Russia (C129-11f).
• Rabbi officiating (Kazziony Ravvin): A rabbi appointed by the Russian authorities to represent the community before the government and manage population records (C129-12f).
• OVIR: The Department for Visa Registration in the Soviet Union, to which Jews were required to apply to receive an exit permit (C129-10f, C129-9f).
• Gorkom: The Municipal Committee of the Communist Party (C129-10f).
• Liepaja/Libau: The different names of the city in Latvian and German (C129-3f).

List of sources

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