Kaplava file / תיק קהילה

📜 History of the Jewish community in Keflavă, Latvia

These sources document the history and demography of the settlement. Kaplava in Latvia, focusing on the local Jewish community. The documents include Statistical data and land ownership records from the 1930s, which indicate a decline in the number of Jewish residents before the war. In addition, the texts review the Political transformations in the region, from the Soviet occupation following the Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact to the German invasion. The sources emphasize the The fate of the Jews in the Holocaust, with some fleeing eastward while the rest were murdered by the Nazis after the occupation of the place in July 1941. This review combines Administrative documentation Official and tragic historical chronicle of the settlement and its surroundings.

The settlement Capalaba (Kaplava) is located in the sub-district Illuxta (Ilukste), which in the region Zamgla (Zemgale) in southeastern Latvia, in the area formerly known as the Courland (Kurland) (C100-1f, C100-4f). Between 1920 and 1940 the settlement was part of independent Latvia (C100-4f). According to the census data appearing in the body of the printed text, in 1930 the rural area of ​​Kapalava was inhabited by 28 Jews, but by 1935 their number had decreased to only 10 people (C100-1f, C100-3f, C100-4f).

In a census conducted in 1935, the results of which were published in the book "Latvijas ciemi" (Latvian Villages) published in Riga in 1936, it was recorded that 155 inhabitants lived in the Kapalava settlement itself, of whom 10 Jews (about 6.45% of the population) (C100-2f, C100-3f). Most of the local residents were Catholic (C100-3f). The sources indicate that several businesses operated in the settlement owned by people with Jewish names or identified with the community: Majas Haimovics and-Cillas Jekabsons Managed retail stores Colonial goods, andAbrams Falkins He ran the local pharmacy at Pasta 17 (C100-2f). At the top of the title page of the book "Latvijas ciemi" there are handwritten inscriptions including the numbers "33", "12" and the letter "L" (C100-2f).

Near Kapalava is the village Fridaina (Priedaine), formerly known as Pristina (Pristina) (C100-2f). The development of this village began about 100 years ago, when local landowners began leasing small plots of land on the banks of the RiverDaugava (C100-2f). In 1935 they lived in Fridayna 9 Jews (about 3.76% of 239 residents) (C100-2f). Among the local business owners were: R. Munics, who operated a store forSiddique (Goods), andDabas Zakss, who was engaged in the sale of firewood (C100-2f).

The Holocaust period in the region was directly influenced by political developments in Europe. Following the signing of Ribbentrop-Molotov Pact In August 1939, between Germany and the Soviet Union, the Red Army established bases in Latvia in the summer of 1940 and Soviet rule was imposed there (C100-1f, C100-4f). With the beginning of the German invasion of the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, and before the place was occupied by the German army in early July 1941, some Jews managed to escape to the east (C100-1f, C100-4f). The sources indicate that those who remained in the place during the occupation Murdered by the Germans (C100-1f, C100-3f, C100-4f).

Terms from the sources

• Zemgale: One of the four historical cordilleras of Latvia, located in the south of the country.
• Kurland: A historical region in western and southern Latvia; formerly an independent duchy and under the rule of the Russian Empire.
• Koloniālpreču (colonial goods): A historical term for stores that sold food and consumer products imported from overseas, such as sugar, coffee, tea, and spices.
• Sweet goods (Siddiqui): A store selling small items, sewing tools, and cheap and varied goods.
• Ilukste: A town and district in southeastern Latvia, near the border with Lithuania and Belarus.

List of sources

To view the document, click on its number

• C100-1f – A Hebrew overview of the settlement of Kaplava, including geographical location, Jewish population data, and a description of the community's history during the Holocaust.
• C100-2f – Demographic information, statistics, and a list of homeowners and businesses in the settlements of Kapalava and Fridāina from the book "Latvian Villages" from 1936.
• C100-3f – A historical summary in Hebrew about the Capalaba community, including data on population changes and a list of official bibliographical sources.
• C100-4f – An information sheet in English from the archives of the Museum of the Jewish People about the history of the settlement of Kaplava, the Jewish population and its fate under the German occupation.

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