Zionism in Latvia -Education's file / תיק, ציונות בלטביה – חינוך

On 8 December 1919, the People’s Council of Latvia adopted the law on the organization of minority schools (O43-15f). According to this law, the schools of minorities in Latvia were autonomous in their organization within the framework of state regulations, and financial resources were allocated to them according to their share in the population (O43-15f). The administration of these schools was concentrated in special departments for minorities within the Ministry of Education, while the head of the department represented the minority in all cultural matters and had an advisory voice in government meetings on matters concerning minority life (O43-15f). Later reports note that the Jewish department was headed by figures such as Dr. L. Vitkon and Dr. Y. Helman (O43-21f).

Educational System and Studies

In Latvia, diverse Jewish educational institutions operated, among them the Municipal German Secondary School in Riga (Städtische Deutsche Mittelschule zu Riga), where, for example, Shlomo Herzberg studied between 1923 and 1927 (O43-10f). In Libau (Liepāja) there operated the Hebrew Boys’ School of Y. Levenson, where subjects such as Bible, Talmud, Jewish history, as well as Russian and German were taught already in 1881 (O43-20f). In Rēzekne there operated a State Jewish Secondary School (Rēzeknes Žīdu vidusskola) (O43-12f), whose principal in 1930 was A. Bern (O43-18f).

The curriculum in the Hebrew schools, as proposed in 1922, placed broad emphasis on Hebrew as the language of instruction, Jewish studies, history, geography, and natural sciences (O43-1f). In Riga, vocational institutions also operated, such as the School of Arts of the "Disseminators of Enlightenment" Society (Ebreju Izglītības Biedrība), which celebrated 30 years of existence in 1937 (O43-19f). In the field of higher and vocational education, commercial courses of Oskar Lindenberg were held in Riga, where students such as Haya Leitson were trained in accounting (O43-17f).

In Estonia, Jewish students studied in institutions such as the Russian Gymnasium in Yuryev (Tartu), for example the student Tuvia Gratsman, who studied there between 1919 and 1926 (O43-13f). The handwritten information on Gratsman’s certificate indicates grades in subjects such as mathematics, physics, and languages (O43-13f).

Political and Social Organization

The struggle over the character of Jewish education in Latvia was accompanied by political tension between different currents. The Bund (Bund) and the People’s Party (Volkspartei) were actively involved in managing the Jewish department and determining educational directions (O43-21f). Representatives of the Bund sometimes opposed the Hebrew curriculum and demanded an emphasis on Yiddish (O43-8f, O43-21f). In 1935, tension is noted between the "left-wing" and "right-wing" currents regarding the language of instruction in the schools (O43-8f).

In the student sphere, in 1874 the Jewish Students’ Fund was founded at the University of Latvia (formerly the Riga Polytechnic Institute), which celebrated its 50th jubilee in 1924 (O43-16f). Another youth organization that was active was the Young Students’ Association "Hatehiya", which set itself the goal of developing the national idea among students (O43-7f).

Economic and Organizational Difficulties

Documents from the archive of the Jewish Secondary School in Rēzekne indicate a need for credit and financial assistance for teachers; for example, in December 1930, a credit request was submitted for the teacher Zalman Hamitnam for the purchase of textile products and footwear (O43-18f).

Statistical reports from 1910 note that in Riga there operated institutions of the Society for the Dissemination of Enlightenment among the Jews of Russia (OPE), among them a trade school, evening courses, and a public library (O43-6f). In the trade school, 63 students studied that year, and trades such as metalworking and carpentry were taught there (O43-6f).

Culture and Literature

In 1938, the book "History of Israeli Literature" by Prof. Dr. Y. Bentzinger was published in Riga, and served as auxiliary material for students of theology at the University of Latvia (O43-5f). In addition, schools published internal journals, such as "Unsere Zeitschrift" ("Our Journal") of the "Eska" School from 1929, which included poems, riddles, and stories in German (O43-23f).

List of Terms

• Gatavības Apliecība / Zeugnis der Reife: A matriculation certificate attesting to the completion of secondary studies.
• Vidusskola: Secondary school (in Latvian).
• Mazakuma tautību: National minorities.
• Ebreju Izglītības Biedrība: Jewish educational society ("Disseminators of Enlightenment" society).
• OPE (Obshchestvo Rasprostraneniya Prosveshcheniya): The Society for the Dissemination of Enlightenment among the Jews of Russia.
• Bund: A Jewish socialist workers’ party.

List of Sources

• O43-1f : Curriculum for Hebrew and Yiddish schools in Latvia, 1922.
• O43-2f : Document on the administration of Jewish schools in Latvia, 1932.
• O43-3f : Historical overview in Russian of Jewish education in Imperial Russia.
• O43-4f : "Kadima" yearbook for 1918-1919, including education statistics.
• O43-5f : Title page of the book "History of Israeli Literature" by Y. Bentzinger, Riga 1938.
• O43-6f : Activity report of the Disseminators of Enlightenment Society (OPE) in Riga for 1910.
• O43-7f : Membership card of the Young Students’ Association "Hatehiya".
• O43-8f : "School Almanac" (Yiddish) from 1935, an overview of modern schools in Latvia.
• O43-9f : Article in the newspaper "Yevreiskiya Vesti" (1917) on academic life and student organizations.
• O43-10f : Graduation certificate of Shlomo Herzberg from Riga, 1927.
• O43-11f : Advertisement for an encyclopedia by Hirsh Melamed in Riga.
• O43-12f : Official letterhead of the Jewish secondary school in Rēzekne.
• O43-13f : Student certificate of Tuvia Gratsman from the Russian gymnasium in Tartu (Estonia).
• O43-14f : Handwritten notes in Yiddish on culture and education.
• O43-15f : Text of the Latvian law on autonomy in minority education, 1919.
• O43-16f : Invitation to the 50th jubilee meeting of the Jewish Students’ Fund in Riga, 1924.
• O43-17f : Certificate of completion of commercial courses by Haya Leitson in Riga, 1921.
• O43-18f : Credit request for a teacher at the Jewish school in Rēzekne, 1930.
• O43-19f : Invitation to the 30th anniversary celebrations of the trade school in Riga, 1937.
• O43-20f : School certificate of Gottlieb Cohen from the Hebrew school in Libau, 1881.
• O43-21f : Comprehensive report on the administration of Jewish education in Latvia between 1919 and 1929.
• O43-22f : Errata sheet and review for the Jewish education report.
• O43-23f : Journal of the students of the "Eska" School (Unsere Zeitschrift), May 1929.