Smiltene file / תיק קהילה

📜 The History of the Jewish Community of Smiltena: Prosperity and Destruction

These sources document the history of the Jewish community in the town. Smiltena in Latvia, from the beginning of Jewish settlement there at the end of the 19th century until its destruction in the Holocaust. The documents include Statistical data On demography and trade, lists of Educational and cultural institutions Hebrews, and details about local religious and social life. Some of the sources review the The development of the town Under the rule of independent Latvia, with an emphasis on the integration of Jews into the city council and the economic system. In addition, the information describes the The Nazi occupation In 1941, the massacres committed against the Jewish residents and the complete annihilation of the community. This collection combines Historical reviews Formalities with handwritten testimonies and protocols that commemorate the lost way of life.

History of the Smiltene Community

The city Smiltena (In German: Smile) is located in the district Valka (Valka) in the region Vidzeme (Vidzeme, formerly Lappland), Latvia (C82-1f, C82-4f). The city began as a 14th-century fortress, and between 1920 and 1940 it was part of independent Latvia (C82-1f, C82-4f).

First settlement and community life

Jews began to settle in Smiltena in the late 19th and early 20th centuries (C82-1f, C82-4f). The sources indicate that the first settlers came from nearby villages and communities inLithuania (C82-1f, C82-4f). Initially, the Jews made their living as peddlers and craftsmen in the surrounding villages, but over time most of them became merchants (C82-1f, C82-4f). The community established a synagogue and employed slaughterer (C82-1f, C82-4f).

In 1920, with the establishment of Latvian independence, the community consisted of 278 Jews, who constituted about 12% of the city's total residents (C82-1f, C82-4f). In the same year, a community committee was elected, and with the support of theJoint A fund was established "Acts of Kindness" (C82-1f, C82-4f). In addition, a Jewish school with 5 classes and a kindergarten was established, which was the only one in the Lappland region and the language of instruction was Yiddish (C82-1f, C82-4f).

Political and Zionist activity

Relations between the Jewish community and the rest of the city were generally good (C82-1f, C82-4f). In the summer of 1919, young Jews joined the Latvian struggle for independence (C82-1f, C82-4f). In 1928, a representative from the community was elected to serve on the city council (C82-1f, C82-4f).

In the Zionist sphere, a branch of the Zionist Youth Association was established "Resurrection", which opened a library and organized Hebrew lessons (C82-1f, C82-4f). In 1921, at the initiative of the Hebrew teacher Yerachmiel Belkin, a branch of the movement was established "The Pioneer" (C82-1f, C82-4f). A handwritten document from the archive, titled "Minutes of the Branch Committee – Belkin", dated 14.5.1921, describes a meeting attended by 9 attendees, in which they discussed the organization of the branch and receiving financial support from the "Hechaluts" center in Riga (C82-6f).
According to the sources, Yerachmiel Belkin was the man who later served in the position Knesset officer in Jerusalem (C82-3f). Belkin was a central figure in the life of the community in Smiltena, where he served asHebrew teacher And in 1921 he initiated and established the branch of the "The Pioneer" in the city (C82-1f, C82-6f). The source notes that he was probably the only one of a group of local pioneers who actually carried out his intention and immigrated to Eretz Israel (C82-3f).

The community in the 1930s

During the 1930s, changes occurred in the economic situation of the community. With the establishment of cooperatives of Latvian farmers, Jewish merchants encountered tough competition, and some families moved toRiga (C82-1f, C82-4f). In 1935, only ten Jewish-owned businesses remained in the city (C82-1f). According to the 1935 census, there were 221 Jews Out of a total population of 3,754 (C82-3f, C82-4f).

In the late 1930s, a rabbi served in the community, and one source mentions his name. Rabbi Dov-Yitzhak (Danan) (C82-3f, C82-4f). The information regarding the functioning of the community at that time indicates that after a period in which the community committee ceased to function, theGabbay To manage public affairs (C82-1f, C82-4f).

Holocaust period

Following an agreement Ribbentrop-Molotov Signed in 1939, Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union in the summer of 1940 (C82-1f, C82-3f, C82-4f). The Soviet regime nationalized Jewish shops and businesses, and Jewish community institutions and organizations were closed down (C82-3f, C82-4f). With the outbreak of war between Germany and the Soviet Union in June 1941, a "Workers' Guard" was established for civil defense, in which Jews were also recruited (C82-3f, C82-4f). On July 4, 1941, the Soviets began evacuating their people, and only a few Jews took the opportunity to escape deep into the Soviet Union (C82-1f, C82-3f, C82-4f).

The German army occupied Smiltena between 5 and 7 July 1941 (C82-1f, C82-4f). Immediately after the occupation, local Latvian police began to make arrests among the Jewish population (C82-1f, C82-4f). There is some ambiguity in the sources regarding the date of the mass murder: some sources state that on 8 July 1941, the entire community, approximately 200 people, was murdered by the Germans and their Latvian assistants (C82-1f, C82-4f). However, another source states that the murder was committed on15th of Av 5751 (August 1941), and that the Jews were transported in trucks to the Estonian border, where they were murdered (C82-3f). According to this source, the Latvian policemen who participated in the massacre robbed the property of the murdered (C82-3f). Only one Jew managed to escape the massacre (C82-4f). On the day of the liberation of Smiltena, September 24, 1944, no Jews were found there (C82-1f, C82-4f).

Terms and explanations

• Vidzeme: One of the four historical regions of Latvia, formerly called "Lipland" (C82-1f).
• Joint: and the United Relief Committee of American Jews (C82-1f).
• Acts of kindness: Interest-free loan fund for the needy (C82-4f).
• Gabbay: The person in charge of managing the affairs of the synagogue and the community (C82-4f).
• Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact: Non-aggression pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union from 1939 (C82-1f).

List of sources

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• C82-1f – A historical overview printed in Hebrew on the history of the Smiltena community, covering the beginning of settlement, the economic situation, Zionist activity, and the destruction of the community in the Holocaust.
• C82-2f – Photocopies of pages from a statistical number in Latvian from 1936, including geographical information, demographic data, lists of officials, educational institutions, and a detailed map of the city.
• C82-3f – A document that includes a demographic table of the Jews of Smiltena, a historical overview in Hebrew of the life of the community and youth organizations, and a detailed description of the events of the Holocaust in the city.
• C82-4f – Printed information sheets in English that review the history of the Jews of Smiltena from the 19th century, the community's institutions, Zionist activity, and a description of the Nazi occupation and extermination of the Jews.
• C82-5f – Photocopy of a handwritten document in Yiddish from 1921 containing minutes of a committee meeting, apparently regarding local Zionist or community activity in Smiltena.
• C82-6f – Photocopy of a handwritten document in Hebrew detailing the protocol for the establishment of the "Hechaluts" branch in Smiltena, headed by Yerachmiel Belkin in 1921, and its early organizational activities.

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