Rezekne file (1) / תיק קהילה

📄 History of the Jewish community in Razkanah (Rzeczyce)

These sources document the History of the Jewish community in Razkanah (Ržiža) in Latvia, focusing on cultural, religious and social life from the 19th century onwards. The documents include Comprehensive historical reviews, press clippings in Hebrew and Yiddish, and reports on Early Zionist activity and attempts at settlement in the Land of Israel. Alongside descriptions of educational institutions, synagogues and key rabbinical figures, the sources reveal the Economic and social difficulties Jews faced them under changing governments. A significant portion of the texts is dedicated to the memory of the community and its tragic fate during the The Holocaust, including testimonies of the murder of thousands of Jews and limited rescue stories. Overall, the collection constitutes Documentary mosaic Combining modern historical research with real-time primary sources.

The following is a comprehensive and detailed overview of the history of the Jewish community inRazkane (Rezekne; also known asRežica or Rositten), based solely on the attached archival sources.

Historical background and the beginning of the community

The city Razkane Located in the central-eastern part of Latvia, in the district To Italy (Latgale), and it was founded in 1285 (C113-6f, C113-1f). The local government in the city went through many upheavals: in 1561 it was under the rule of Poland-Lithuania, and in 1772, with the first division of Poland, the province became part of the empireRussian (C113-6f, C113-1f). The Jewish community inRazkane It was founded in the last quarter of the 18th century, when a study group for secondary schools began operating in the city in 1786 (C113-6f). During this period, sources indicate that the Jewish population in the city numbered about 500 people, who constituted about 75% of all residents (C113-6f). In 1815, there were 1,072 Jews in the city, who constituted 90% of the population, and in 1847 there were 542 Jews in the community (C113-6f).

Religious, rabbinical and educational institutions

The life of the Jewish community was vibrant and included synagogues, seminaries, and various charitable institutions (C113-6f). The largest synagogue was the "Gummiator" (Gumiatur), built of bricks around 1882 (C113-6f). Alongside it operated institutions such as a soup kitchen, an organization to help the sick, and a nursing home (C113-6f). The city's rabbis played a central role in community life: Yona Mann He served as the city's rabbi until 1858, after which he served Yitzhak Zionist Between the years 1861–1900 (C113-6f). At the beginning of the 20th century, two rabbis served concurrently: Rabbi Doshovitz (known as "TheChedrinker"), which served the poor classes, andRabbi Chaim Lubotsky (the"Cavalincar"), which served the more affluent classes (C113-6f, C113-1f). The education system included traditional rooms, and in 1922 a government Jewish high school was established (C113-1f). A handwritten footnote on a printed document indicates that perhaps the word "Mantaple" refers to an important businessman in the community (C113-6f).

National Awakening and the "Ein Zeitim" Affair

Zionist activity inRazkane Began to develop in the late 19th century (C113-6f). In 1891 a branch of "Zion lovers"Initiated by Rabbi Chaim Yosef Yaffe, who preached aliyah to the Land of Israel (C113-6f). A notable event in the history of the community was the attempt to establish the "Moshava"Ein Zeitim" Near Safed (C113-6f). An organization called "Seekers of Zion"From Minsk and the "Alef" organization purchased land in Israel, and two members of the Jewish community inRazkane, who had purchased land at their own expense, were sent to manage the settlement (C113-6f, C113-10f). Despite their efforts, the venture was unsuccessful due to financial difficulties, lack of agricultural experience, and opposition from the Turkish authorities, and the lands were eventually transferred to Baron Rothschild (C113-6f, C113-10f). Handwritten notes in the margins of the printed source raise doubts about the identity of the writer of the association's documents, stating that a certain person "issued the document" but not explicitly stating who wrote it (C113-10f).

The community between the two world wars

On the eve of World War I, the Jewish population reached a peak of 11,000 (C113-6f). During the war, in the summer of 1915, many of the community fled toRussia, and Jewish refugees fromCourland And fromLithuania began to arrive in the city (C113-6f, C113-1f). After the war and the establishment Independent LatviaThe community enjoyed cultural autonomy (C113-6f, C113-1f). In 1922, the Jewish population numbered 5,500, some of whom were returning refugees fromRussia (C113-6f). During this period, many Jewish political parties were active in the city, including theBond, Zion Youth, andThe Eastern (C113-6f, C113-1f). World Health Organization "Aza" (Oz) operated clinics, dental clinics, and summer camps for the community's children (C113-6f, C113-21f). In 1935, they lived inRazkane 3,342 Jews, who constituted 25.4% of the total population (C113-6f, C113-1f). A handwritten note attached to the archive indicates that in 1930 a request for credit was submitted for the teacher Zalman Hanutin From the Jewish Gymnasium (C113-25f).

The Holocaust and Destruction Period

The German army occupied the Razkane On July 3, 1941 (C113-6f, C113-1f). Immediately after the occupation, persecution of Jews by the Nazis and local collaborators began (C113-6f). On July 4, orders were issued requiring all Jewish men aged 18–60 to report to the market square, from where about 1,400 were taken to prison (C113-6f, C113-12f). Mass murders were carried out in the Jewish cemetery and at the shooting range in the nearby mountains (C113-6f, C113-12f). According to the testimony of Israeli life, he and his nephew Jacob They were among the few survivors of the massacre, after hiding in the attic of a Polish woman named Jan and Matusevich For three years (C113-11-23f, C113-12f). The community was almost completely eliminated, and according to German estimates, about 3,219 Jews were murdered in and around the city (C113-6f). Diary of Shayna Gram, which describes the last days before the murder, ends on August 8, 1941, the day she was murdered with her family (C113-12f).

Community restoration and commemoration

After the city was liberated on July 27, 1944, a few Jews who had survived the war returned to the city.Russia (C113-6f). The new community was much smaller, numbering only a few hundred people in the 1950s (C113-6f). A memorial was erected in memory of the victims in the Jewish cemetery with an inscription in Hebrew (C113-6f). In the 1990s, aRazkane A museum dedicated to the writer and literary scholar Yuri Tynyanov, who was a native of the city (C113-11-23f). In 1997, the community chairman noted, Yitzhak Tietz, because about 150 Jews live in the city, many of them elderly people who need medical and financial assistance (C113-21f).

Terms and definitions

• Gumiatur: Nickname for the large and central synagogue inRazkane, built of bricks.
• Chadrinker: A nickname for a poor rabbi, who serves the weaker classes (named after a place or status).
• Kablinker: A nickname for a wealthy rabbi, who serves the more established classes.
• Oze: A Jewish health organization that worked to promote preventive medicine and medical assistance to the community.
• Zion lovers: A national Jewish movement that worked for Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel at the end of the 19th century.

List of sources

To view the document, click on its number.

• C113-1f – A comprehensive and printed historical overview of the history of the Jews of Rezkna from its beginnings until after the Holocaust
• C113-2F – Cover and chapters from a statistical publication from 1936 that includes a demographic and economic description of the city
• C113-3f – A plain, white page with no printed or written content that appears in the sources
• C113-4f – A blank, plain page that is part of the sequence of documents in the file
• C113-5f – A blank page and an additional section without textual information in the archival sources
• C113-6f – A detailed academic article in English by Esther Rechtschaffner on the history of the Rezkana community
• C113-7f – Title pages and calendars from the almanac of the Jewish community in Razkaneh for the years 1939-1940
• C113-8f – A handwritten program in Latvian for a cultural event for Jewish students in the city
• C113-9f – Handwritten program in Yiddish and Hebrew for a cultural evening and concert for Jewish students
• C113-10f – A chapter from a book dealing with the Zionist settlement attempts of the Jews of Razqana in the Ein Zeitim colony
• C113-11-1f – An article in "HaMelitz" from 1880 that includes a list of donors and details about the community's leadership
• C113-11-2f – Clipping from the newspaper "HaMelitz" from 1885 with information about the appointments of rabbis and charitable institutions
• C113-11-3f – A journalistic report in "HaMelitz" from 1886 about internal events in the community and letters to the editor
• C113-11-4f – An article in "HaMelitz" from 1886 dealing with correspondence between members of the community and its leadership
• C113-11-5f – A clipping from the newspaper "HaMelitz" from 1888, which includes a review of the educational and religious institutions in the city.
• C113-11-6f – A newspaper report from 1891 about the beginning of organized Zionist activity in Razkaneh
• C113-11-7f – A review in "HaMelitz" from 1889 on the leadership of the community and its relations with the authorities
• C113-11-8f – A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1890 dealing with cemetery matters and charitable activities
• C113-11-9f – Information about daily life in Razqana as published in the "Daily Activities" section of "HaMelitz" from 1892
• C113-11-10f – A clipping from the newspaper "HaMelitz" from 1892, dealing with the activities of the "Lovers of Zion" movement in the Razkana community
• C113-11-11f – A journalistic report in "HaMelitz" from 1892 about events in the community and the activities of educational and religious institutions
• C113-11-12f – Letters to the editor and news about the daily life and leadership of the community in Razqana published in "HaMelitz"
• C113-11-13f – News from the "Daily Actions" section in "HaMelitz" from 1892, including references to the Rezkana community
• C113-11-14f – Letter to the editor of the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1892, including local reports and telegrams from the city
• C113-11-15f – A journalistic review in "HaMelitz" on the situation of the Jews in Razkaneh and events at the local cemetery
• C113-11-16f – A report in "HaMelitz" from 1893 about a visit by important figures to the city and the activities of the "Lovers of Zion" association
• C113-11-17f – A clipping from the "HaMelitz" newspaper from 1894, which includes a local chronicle and news about religious life
• C113-11-18f – Telegrams and press reports from 1894 dealing with political and community events
• C113-11-19f – Journalist correspondence in "HaMelitz" from 1894 detailing the lifestyle of the community
• C113-11-20f – A review in "HaMelitz" from 1897 on Zionist activity and national awakening in the city
• C113-11-21f – News about community life and journalistic telegrams from 1897 in the issue of "HaMelitz"
• C113-11-22f – A Yiddish newspaper clipping from 1941 dealing with the cultural activities of the Parents' Committee in Razkana
• C113-11-23f – An article by David Grain from 1995 describing the destruction of the Razkenah community in the Holocaust and stories of survivors
• C113-11-24f – Follow-up article and reader comments in the newspaper "Vesti" following the publication of the history of the community
• C113-11-25f – A report in the newspaper "Razkanenskaya Vesti" on the renewal of community life and the activities of educational institutions in the 1990s
• C113-11-26f – An article by Eva Yerushalmi dealing with preserving community memory through family photo albums
• C113-12f – The testimony of Chaim and Yaakov Israelit on the murder of the Jews of Razkana and its surroundings during the Holocaust
• C113-13f – Summary of an email from a 2004 genealogical research group about the Razkenah Descendants Organization in New York
• C113-14f – Handwritten tables and lists including names of residents and demographic details from the archives
• C113-15f – Letter of recommendation in Russian from 1925 for a female candidate for a teaching position at the Jewish school
• C113-16f – Handwritten Yiddish letter from 1925 dealing with educational and community matters
• C113-17f – A postcard and letter in Yiddish from 1925 sent to the director of the Jewish Gymnasium, Zalman Hanutin
• C113-18f – A postcard and letter in Yiddish from 1927 addressed to Zalman Hanutin on educational issues
• C113-19f – A plain, white page with no written content that appears in the archive file
• C113-20f – Official documents from 1919 indicating the appointment of a representative to the Jewish Student Congress in Moscow
• C113-21f – A letter from Yitzhak Taitz from 1997 describing the economic and medical situation of the community
• C113-22f – Information booklet in English about the Museum of Culture and History of the Latgale Province of Barzaccana
• C113-23f – A plain, white page with no printed content from the archive files
• C113-24f – Pages from a business and telephone directory that includes lists of professionals and institutions in Razqana
• C113-25f – Credit application document from 1930 for teacher Zalman Hanutin from the Jewish Gymnasium

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