Daugavpils file (11) / תיק קהילה

🪦Burial records at the Dvinsk cemetery after 1920

This book, written bySarah Feige Paner, presents detailed memories of the life of the Jewish community in the cityDvinskDuring the 19th century. The author vividly describes theThe social structureof the city, focusing on key figures, charitable institutions, and the ideological struggles betweenFollowers to opponentsThe text combines personal stories aboutFamily lifeand education alongside significant historical events, such as great fires and periods of famine and scarcity. Special emphasis is placed on the contrast betweenThe old cityto the new and the gradual transition of the community towardsEducation and ModernityThrough theory, Paner perpetuates the traditional Jewish way of life and the spiritual values ​​that underpinned it.

The sources deal with the history of the Jewish community in the cityDoynsk(Dvinsk, also known in sources asDinaburg), located in Latvia (C122-1f).

Historical overview of the Dovinsk (Dinaburg) community

The structure of the city and central familiesThe cityDoynskDescribed in the printed original as a large and pleasant city, full of Torah, piety, righteousness, and wisdom (C122-1f). The city was built in order and with the right system, with its streets being equal in length and width (C122-1f). Most of the city's houses were built of wood, and a few were walled, among them the houses of the privileged and wealthy families:Friedland House,Katsov House,Gordion House,Robin House,Golusukin House,Levison Houseand more (C122-1f).

One of the central figures in the city wasMeir Rapoli(or Rabbi Meir Rashkes), who was known for his extraordinary kindness, helping the poor and the unfortunate, and was accepted by all strata of the population, including the authorities (C122-1f). The familyFriedlandoccupied a prominent place in the life of the community; the father of the family and his three sons (Meir,Container,LibelandSamuel) were known for their wealth and philanthropy, and established synagogues and charitable institutions (C122-1f).

Religious leadership and internal strugglesAmong the prominent rabbis mentioned in the city wereRabbi Shaul Zelig(who came from Prozhenea), who was received with great honor by all the factions of the city (C122-1f). Also mentioned areRabbi Itzela of PonebezandRabbi Yerucham Lipman(C122-1f).

The sources describe periods of intense disputes betweenHasidimToOpponents(C122-1f). One of the most difficult disputes revolved around the issue of slaughter and kashrut ("destroying"), which led to mutual boycotts and a deep rift in the community (C122-1f).

Historical events and social changes

• The Polish Uprising:The source describes the period of the great Polish uprising against Russia, which caused great suffering for Jews in villages and small towns (C122-1f).
• The Great Fire:A large-scale fire broke out in the city during the summer, consuming more than half of the city, including the rabbi's house (C122-1f).
• Train arrival:ConstructionThe railroadand the subsequent change in the face of the city are described as a seminal event that led to the demolition of old suburbs and the construction of new neighborhoods (C122-1f).
• The Enlightenment Movement:In the 1860s, the ideas of theeducationThe principals of government schools pressured Jewish parents to send their sons toGymnasiums(C122-1f). This event created tension between the younger generation, who wanted to study sciences and languages, and the older generation, who feared the loss of tradition (C122-1f).

Recruiting children into the army (kidnapped)The original contains evidence of the period ofKidnapped– Jewish children who were forcibly taken for long military service (C122-1f). A footnote clarifies that these were children who were given to the army for 25 years, and many of them did not return to their families (C122-1f).

Documentation of deceased persons (handwritten information)The second source includes death and burial records of Jews inCemetery in Dovinsky(C122-2f). According to a handwritten note, the records include burials after 1920 (C122-2f). The lists include many names and dates of death throughout the 20th century, for example:

• Sarah Bat Yosef, died on October 27, 1932 (C122-2f).
• Handwritten records exist from later years: 1957, 1963, 1971, 1984, 1987, 1993, and 1994 (C122-2f).
• In some of the manuscript entries, the information is missing or not clear enough (for example, question marks instead of names or dates) (C122-2f).

Terms and concepts from the sources

The following are terms that appear in sources that are not common in modern Hebrew:

• Dinaburg:The former name of the city of Dovinsk (C122-1f).
• Kidnapped:Jewish children who were kidnapped for prolonged military service in the Tsarist army (C122-1f).
• Opponents:Jews who opposed the Hasidic movement (C122-1f).
• Gymnasium:Government High School (C122-1f).
• The wise men of the city:A term for spiritual and intellectual leadership (C122-1f).
• I have righteousness:Wealthy benefactors who support the city's poor (C122-1f).

List of sources

• C122-1f: A memoir entitled "Memories of My Childhood" by Sarah Feige Paner, which describes in detail the history of the Jewish community in Dovinsk (Dinaburg) in the 19th century, including family life, rabbinical figures and philanthropists, community institutions, struggles between Hasidic and dissenters, the decree of the "kidnapped" and educational processes.
• C122-2f: Death and burial register from the Jewish cemetery in Dovinsk (Latvia), which includes Semitic lists of the deceased, exact dates of death, and grave locations (block, row, and number) from 1920 to the 1990s.

C122-1f

C122-2f

**End of Sources Section**

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