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The Jewish Community of Jekabpils

Jekabpils

Jēkabpils 

The district town in the Zemgale region (formerly Kurland) on the banks on the Dvina river, central Latvia.

Jakobstadt was founded in the 16th century by Jakob, Duke of Kurland, for a group of people banished from Russia. In 1670 the settlement was granted town status and was named after its founder. In 1795 Kurland was annexed by Russia. From 1920-40 the town was part of independent Latvia, and its German name was changed to the Latvian Jekabpils. In 1962 the town was united with Jaunjelgava, a neighboring town.

During the time of the duchy there were only a few protected Jews in the town, protected against provision of services or payment. The community was organized at the beginning of the 19th century. The majority of Jews came from Lithuania, while some of them were from the surrounding villages.

The community register was kept from 1810, and soon after this time a rabbi officiated here. In the 19th century the majority of the community were orthodox, and later the three houses of prayers, a beth midrash, the Poalei Tsedek, Gemilluth Hesed and Bikkur Holim (sick visiting).

In 1830 a yeshivah was opened.

In 1835 there were 2,569 Jews in the town. 60 of them emigrated in 1840 to agricultural areas in southern Russia.

From the beginning conservative educational institutions were active, such as hadarim and a Talmud torah. In 1850 an elementary school was opened for Jewish boys and it functioned until World War I.

In 1881 the community, which numbered 2,254, comprised 41% of the total population. Many of them resided in the place illegally. In 1893, those who were not in possession of valid documents, were sentenced to banishment. At the same time the emigration of Jews from the town to the USA began. The community decreased in size, and in 1897 numbered 2,087 (36% of the population).

In 1901 a library with a reading room was opened.

In 1915, during the course of World War I, the authorities exiled the Jews of Kurland to the interior of Russia. The Jakobstadt community was able to prevent this banishment order, but three leading members were made to sign as guarantors for the loyalty of the community. During the war many Jews left the place of their own accord. Jewish public buildings were destroyed in the fighting as well as 166 private homes. After the war only a part of the exiles returned and in 1920 there were 676 people in the community.

A community council was elected and a beginning was made in the rehabilitation of the refugees. Gemilluth Hesed and Bikkur Holim renewed their activities and a women`s society was established. With the help of the Joint (a relief agency of American Jewry) a credit fund was founded in the town. In independent Latvia, there was a Jewish school in the town in which Yiddish was the medium of instruction. Hebrew was also taught.

In 1934, parallel to the community council, the Association of the Jews of Jekabpils was organized, which represented the community vis-a-vis the authorities. The first Jews in the place barely earned a living as peddlers or from different trades. In the second half of the 19th century when Jews were allowed to acquire real estate the situation improved. The majority were businessmen, mainly in the lumber, grains and flax trades. Among the tradesmen there were tailors, shoemakers, tinsmiths, blacksmiths and carters. Two factories producing matches before World War I were Jewish owned. Among those in the free professions, there were five doctors.

After the war the Jews played a greater role in the economy than their comparative numbers suggested. In 1935 they comprised 14% of the total population, but 60% of the business houses were in Jewish hands. The authorities permitted the Jews to open their shops on Sunday afternoons.

The Jewish socialist party, the Bund, became active in the town from 1905. In 1912, one of the heads of the community, Dr. Yehezkel Gurevitz, was elected as a representative of Kurland in the fourth Duma (advisory and lawmaking bodies in Russia).

In 1922 rumors about ritual murders by the Jews of the town were spread about. The pogrom atmosphere was calmed following the intervention of the police.

In the independent Latvia the Bar Kochva scout movement was active in the town. Later, branches of various Zionist youth movements were opened - Hashomer Ha`Tsair Netzach, Betar, Gordonia and Herzliyah. During the thirties there was a strengthening of Zionism, and in the elections to the 18th Zionist Congress in 1933, 324 members of the community voted. The Zionist Socialist Party gained the majority of the votes. The orthodox community was centered around Rabbi Yehudah Leib Shaul Ginsburg from 1908 to 1941. Branches of Agudath Yisrael and Young Agudath Yisrael were opened.

The anti-Zionist Yiddishists were active in the workers club (Arbeiterheim). A part of the public and cultural activities in the town was under the management of two sports associations, Hakoah and Maccabi. Under the auspices of Maccabi, there was a drama circle.

In 1935 the community numbered 793 out of a total population of 5,826.


The Holocaust Period

Following the Ribbentrop-Molotov accord, signed in August 1939, between Germany and the USSR the Red Army entered Latvia and in the summer of 1940 installed a Soviet government. Privately owned businesses were nationalized, and Jewish public institutions were wound up. A number of the Jews joined the new regime.

Five days after the outbreak of war between Germany and the USSR (June 22,1941) the Soviets began to evacuate the area. Of the Jews who attempted to flee with the departing army, only a few succeeded in reaching the interior of Russia. There the Jewish men were conscripted into the Red Army. The majority of the community remained in the town.

On June 29 the Germans occupied the town. Within a very short period the Jews were assembled in the synagogues. Those fit for work were sent to perform forced labor.

On one of the days in September 1941 the Jews were sent to the town, Kokas, where they were murdered. Those who had difficulties marching were shot on the way.


In the summer of 1944 the Red Army liberated the town. Members of the community who survived brought the remains of the people who had been murdered for Jewish burial, and in the fifties erected a monument in their memory. On it there was the Magen David and inscriptions in Russian and Yiddish. After a few years the authorities removed from the monument all traces of Jewish identification.

In 1970 there were about 30 Jews in Jekabpils.

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The Jewish Community of Jekabpils

Jekabpils

Jēkabpils 

The district town in the Zemgale region (formerly Kurland) on the banks on the Dvina river, central Latvia.

Jakobstadt was founded in the 16th century by Jakob, Duke of Kurland, for a group of people banished from Russia. In 1670 the settlement was granted town status and was named after its founder. In 1795 Kurland was annexed by Russia. From 1920-40 the town was part of independent Latvia, and its German name was changed to the Latvian Jekabpils. In 1962 the town was united with Jaunjelgava, a neighboring town.

During the time of the duchy there were only a few protected Jews in the town, protected against provision of services or payment. The community was organized at the beginning of the 19th century. The majority of Jews came from Lithuania, while some of them were from the surrounding villages.

The community register was kept from 1810, and soon after this time a rabbi officiated here. In the 19th century the majority of the community were orthodox, and later the three houses of prayers, a beth midrash, the Poalei Tsedek, Gemilluth Hesed and Bikkur Holim (sick visiting).

In 1830 a yeshivah was opened.

In 1835 there were 2,569 Jews in the town. 60 of them emigrated in 1840 to agricultural areas in southern Russia.

From the beginning conservative educational institutions were active, such as hadarim and a Talmud torah. In 1850 an elementary school was opened for Jewish boys and it functioned until World War I.

In 1881 the community, which numbered 2,254, comprised 41% of the total population. Many of them resided in the place illegally. In 1893, those who were not in possession of valid documents, were sentenced to banishment. At the same time the emigration of Jews from the town to the USA began. The community decreased in size, and in 1897 numbered 2,087 (36% of the population).

In 1901 a library with a reading room was opened.

In 1915, during the course of World War I, the authorities exiled the Jews of Kurland to the interior of Russia. The Jakobstadt community was able to prevent this banishment order, but three leading members were made to sign as guarantors for the loyalty of the community. During the war many Jews left the place of their own accord. Jewish public buildings were destroyed in the fighting as well as 166 private homes. After the war only a part of the exiles returned and in 1920 there were 676 people in the community.

A community council was elected and a beginning was made in the rehabilitation of the refugees. Gemilluth Hesed and Bikkur Holim renewed their activities and a women`s society was established. With the help of the Joint (a relief agency of American Jewry) a credit fund was founded in the town. In independent Latvia, there was a Jewish school in the town in which Yiddish was the medium of instruction. Hebrew was also taught.

In 1934, parallel to the community council, the Association of the Jews of Jekabpils was organized, which represented the community vis-a-vis the authorities. The first Jews in the place barely earned a living as peddlers or from different trades. In the second half of the 19th century when Jews were allowed to acquire real estate the situation improved. The majority were businessmen, mainly in the lumber, grains and flax trades. Among the tradesmen there were tailors, shoemakers, tinsmiths, blacksmiths and carters. Two factories producing matches before World War I were Jewish owned. Among those in the free professions, there were five doctors.

After the war the Jews played a greater role in the economy than their comparative numbers suggested. In 1935 they comprised 14% of the total population, but 60% of the business houses were in Jewish hands. The authorities permitted the Jews to open their shops on Sunday afternoons.

The Jewish socialist party, the Bund, became active in the town from 1905. In 1912, one of the heads of the community, Dr. Yehezkel Gurevitz, was elected as a representative of Kurland in the fourth Duma (advisory and lawmaking bodies in Russia).

In 1922 rumors about ritual murders by the Jews of the town were spread about. The pogrom atmosphere was calmed following the intervention of the police.

In the independent Latvia the Bar Kochva scout movement was active in the town. Later, branches of various Zionist youth movements were opened - Hashomer Ha`Tsair Netzach, Betar, Gordonia and Herzliyah. During the thirties there was a strengthening of Zionism, and in the elections to the 18th Zionist Congress in 1933, 324 members of the community voted. The Zionist Socialist Party gained the majority of the votes. The orthodox community was centered around Rabbi Yehudah Leib Shaul Ginsburg from 1908 to 1941. Branches of Agudath Yisrael and Young Agudath Yisrael were opened.

The anti-Zionist Yiddishists were active in the workers club (Arbeiterheim). A part of the public and cultural activities in the town was under the management of two sports associations, Hakoah and Maccabi. Under the auspices of Maccabi, there was a drama circle.

In 1935 the community numbered 793 out of a total population of 5,826.


The Holocaust Period

Following the Ribbentrop-Molotov accord, signed in August 1939, between Germany and the USSR the Red Army entered Latvia and in the summer of 1940 installed a Soviet government. Privately owned businesses were nationalized, and Jewish public institutions were wound up. A number of the Jews joined the new regime.

Five days after the outbreak of war between Germany and the USSR (June 22,1941) the Soviets began to evacuate the area. Of the Jews who attempted to flee with the departing army, only a few succeeded in reaching the interior of Russia. There the Jewish men were conscripted into the Red Army. The majority of the community remained in the town.

On June 29 the Germans occupied the town. Within a very short period the Jews were assembled in the synagogues. Those fit for work were sent to perform forced labor.

On one of the days in September 1941 the Jews were sent to the town, Kokas, where they were murdered. Those who had difficulties marching were shot on the way.


In the summer of 1944 the Red Army liberated the town. Members of the community who survived brought the remains of the people who had been murdered for Jewish burial, and in the fifties erected a monument in their memory. On it there was the Magen David and inscriptions in Russian and Yiddish. After a few years the authorities removed from the monument all traces of Jewish identification.

In 1970 there were about 30 Jews in Jekabpils.

Written by researchers of ANU Museum of the Jewish People