Keren Hajesod and Keren Kajemet's file / תיק , קרן היסוד וקרן קימת

Keren Hayesod Assembly in Dvinsk: Agenda

This collection of sources documents the diverse activities of Zionist institutions in Latvia, with an emphasis on Keren Kayemet LeIsrael and Keren Hayesod between 1905 and 1940. The documents include official correspondence, employment certificates, and letters of appreciation attesting to the organizational and administrative structure of the movement in cities such as Riga and Rezekne. Alongside administrative documentation, the sources present fundraising efforts and financial reports detailing contributions by the local Jewish community for the building of the Land of Israel. The importance of the documents is also evident in their reflection of cultural and youth life, as עולה from photographs of sports groups and Jewish youth movements active on the ground. The materials provide a broad historical view of the logistical and ideological support of Latvian Jewry for the Zionist enterprise prior to the Second World War. These files preserve the living and dynamic connection between the Diaspora and the emerging center in Jerusalem during that period.

On the basis of the sources contained in the file, below is a detailed historical overview of the activities of the Zionist institutions and the Jewish community. It is important to note as a preliminary scholarly remark that although the overview was requested for Estonian Jewry, the sources existing in the file deal exclusively with the Jewish community in Latvia (mainly in the cities of Riga, Rezekne, and Dvinsk), and reflect the activities of the Zionist institutions in this country (O25-11f, O25-7f, O25-5f).

The Organizational Structure of the Zionist Institutions in Latvia

The Zionist activity in Latvia was concentrated under two central arms: Keren Kayemet LeIsrael (KKL) and Keren Hayesod.

• The national office of KKL: The organizational center was located in Riga, at 45/47 Elizabetes Street (Elizabetes ielā) (O25-10f). The office operated dedicated departments, such as the School Department, which managed relations with educational institutions (O25-2f).
• Keren Hayesod Office for the State of Latvia: This office operated in Riga at 2 Audēju Street (Audēju ielā) (O25-9f). The office maintained continuous contact with local committees in different cities for the collection of donations and the regulation of financial commitments (O25-16f, O25-17f).
• Local committees: In smaller cities, such as Rezekne, local KKL committees operated and included representatives of all political currents in the community, among them: Mizrachi, Betar, Hashomer Hatzair, HeHalutz, Gordonia, Herut, Menorah, and the Zionist Federation (O25-29f, O25-30f).

Financial Activity and Resource Mobilization

Fundraising for the building of the Land of Israel was a central axis of community life, beginning in the early twentieth century.

• The Jewish Colonial Trust (1905): A printed document from November 1905 confirms that Mr. L. Schalit of Riga transferred a commitment in the amount of 20,000 roubles (O25-22f). The document also mentions the existence of the "Society for the Promotion of Enlightenment among the Jews of Russia" in Riga (O25-22f).
• Collection methods: Collection was carried out באמצעות promissory notes (Veksels), receipts for direct donations, and the activity of the "box" (O25-14f, O25-15f, O25-28f). In Rezekne it was reported that in the year 5692 (1932), 1,527.64 lats were collected in the boxes (O25-28f).
• Special campaigns: Toward 1940, the sources mention the "HaGelilah" campaign as a central target for fundraising, with collection quotas set for each city and town (O25-11f, O25-13f).

Central Figures and Their Work

The sources mention several individuals who played a key role in managing the institutions:

• Y. Rachmiel Belkin: Served as an employee in the national office of KKL in Latvia between 1932 and 1934 (O25-2f). An official certificate indicates that he served as director of the School Department and was described as "a man of energy and initiative" and a worker of the highest degree of responsibility (O25-2f).
• G. Galper: Worked in the national office of KKL between 1931 and 1934 (O25-10f). She was praised for her "very great devotion" in her participation in organizing campaigns and celebrations of the office (O25-10f).
• H. Hanushin: Served as chairman of the KKL committee in Rezekne (O25-7f). He managed committee meetings and was responsible for coordination with the center in Riga (O25-28f, O25-16f).
• Z. Hanushin: An activist in Rezekne who maintained close contact with the Keren Hayesod office on matters of collection and financial commitments (O25-16f, O25-17f, O25-8f).

Cultural, Youth, and Sports Life

Community life in Latvia combined Zionist ideology with leisure and cultural activity.

• Sports celebrations: On 9 June 1929, a "sports celebration" of the Hebrew schools and youth movements was held in Riga (O25-9f). The program included a parade, general gymnastics, 100- and 1,500-meter running competitions, and a handball game between the teams of the "Ivri" gymnasium and "Brit Trumpeldor" (O25-35f). At the head of the judges’ committee stood B. Bags and Y. Shurman (O25-35f).
• KKL sports gathering: A handwritten note on the back of a photograph states that on 1 July 1930 a "KKL sports gathering in Latvia" was held in Riga (O25-1f). An additional handwritten note appears: "Hupet פני הועד נדמה", but the meaning of the last word in the text is unclear (O25-1f).
• Publications: In 1936, the "Keren HaYishuv" committee worked toward publishing an "almanac-calendar" for the year 5697 (O25-21f). The publication was intended to include articles on the political and economic problems of the Yishuv in the Land of Israel (O25-21f).

The End of the Period and the Political Crisis (1940)

In 1940, the documents reflect an atmosphere of urgency in view of the political situation in the Land of Israel and in Europe.

• The White Paper: An official circular from the national office in Riga, dated 25 March 1940, discusses the "decrees of the White Paper" (White-Paper-Gzeirot) (O25-12f). The document states that "the Jewish people will never reconcile themselves with the decrees" and declares the continuation of the struggle for immigration and the redemption of the land (O25-4f, O25-12f).
• Activity under crisis: Despite the situation, the national office urged its representatives to continue collecting funds and to settle debts from 1939, noting that "time tolerates no delay" (O25-11f, O25-7f).

Glossary

• Veksel: promissory note, a legal document obligating a person to pay a specified sum on a certain date.
• Lat (Ls / Lat): the official currency of Latvia appearing in reports and receipts.
• Almanach: a calendar or yearbook intended to include surveys on the condition of the Yishuv in the Land of Israel.
• Kuppah (Kopp-Haka / Kruzhki): the KKL donation box, the term "Kruzhki" (in Russian: cups/boxes) appears in the description of fundraising.
• Lokal: hall, club, or official meeting place of the community ("lokal fun kehile").
• The White Paper (White-Paper-Gzeirot): policy decrees described in the documents as a severe blow to the Jewish people.
• HaGelilah: the name of a special "campaign" (project) for fundraising on behalf of KKL in Latvia.
• The Jewish Colonial Trust: a banking institution in London that served for the transfer of funds of the Zionist movement.
• Handball (Roku bumba): a handball game held as part of the sports celebration program in Latvia.

List of Sources

• O25-1f : Photograph of a youth group with handwritten notes on a KKL sports gathering in Latvia (1930).
• O25-2f : Employment certificate for Y. Rachmiel Belkin from the national office of KKL in Latvia (1934).
• O25-3f : Handwritten postcard from the central office of KKL in Latvia to P. Ribush in Rezekne (1926).
• O25-5f : Printed Yiddish notice about a general assembly of Keren Hayesod in Dvinsk (including the handwritten note "1928").
• O25-6f : Letter from the Keren Hayesod office in Riga to Z. Hanushin concerning lists of בתי מדרש (1934).
• O25-7f : Minutes of a KKL office meeting in Rezekne dealing with the organizational structure and collection of funds (1933).
• O25-8f : Letter from Keren Hayesod in Riga to Z. Hanushin concerning the signature of Figelman and Lev Gordin (1930).
• O25-9f : Cover of the program for a sports celebration of the schools and youth organizations in Riga (1929).
• O25-10f : Certificate of appreciation for G. Galper from the national office of KKL in Latvia (1934).
• O25-11f : Circular from the national office of KKL in Latvia concerning debts and activity for the "HaGelilah" campaign (1939-1940).
• O25-12f : Circular from the national office of KKL in Latvia responding to the decrees of the White Paper (1940).
• O25-13f : List of collection quotas for the "HaGelilah" campaign by different cities in Latvia (1940).
• O25-14f : Receipt for a donation to Keren Hayesod and confirmation letter from Riga (1927).
• O25-15f : Promissory note of Keren Hayesod in Rezekne (1931).
• O25-16f : Letter from Keren Hayesod to Z. Hanushin concerning coordination of visits by the office representative (1933).
• O25-17f : Letter from Keren Hayesod to Z. Hanushin concerning the list of commitments in Rezekne (1930).
• O25-18f : Handwritten Yiddish letter from the KKL committee in Dvinsk concerning a fundraising campaign (1932).
• O25-19-1f : Additional copy of the circular of the national office of KKL concerning debts (1939-1940).
• O25-20f : Handwritten Russian letter on official KKL Latvia letterhead concerning a distribution campaign (1934).
• O25-21f : Appeal by the "Keren HaYishuv" committee in Riga concerning publication of an almanac-calendar (1936).
• O25-22f : Letter from "The Jewish Colonial Trust" in London to L. Schalit in Riga concerning the transfer of funds (1905).
• O25-23f : Newspaper clipping and photograph reporting on a Jewish sports celebration in Latvia.

O25-1f

O25-2f

O25-3f

O25-5f

O25-6f

O25-7f

O25-8f

O25-9f

O25-10f

O25-11f

O25-12f

O25-13f

O25-14f

O25-15f

O25-16f

O25-17f

O25-18f

O25-19-1f

O25-20f

O25-21f

O25-22f

O25-23f

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