Towns and Places - Muzejs "Ebreji Latvijā"

Aizpute

Hasenpoth

Distance from Riga 186 km (A9, P115)

The Jewish community of Aizpute, founded in 1751, was in fact one of the first Jewish communities in the Duchy of Courland. In 1881, 1/3 of the overall town population, were Jews. By 1935, the 534 Jews made up 15,6% of the total population of Aizpute. The Nazi troops entered the town in the late June 1941. On the 3rd of November 1941, all 386 Aizpute Jews were ordered to gather in the synagogue. Shortly after that, they were transported into the forest to the south from the town and executed by firing squad.

Synagogue, Atmodas, 16. This oldest existing synagogue in Latvia was built in 1751, and renovated in 1935. The Small Synagogue was built nearby in 1875, and renovated in 1933. After the WWII the two buildings were connected and have been used as the Town Palace of Culture since 1955. The original paintings on the ceilings can still be seen.

Mikvah, Krasta St, on the banks of the river Tebra, near the synagogue. Despite the building currently being neglected, the original 19th century arched ceilings can still be seen in the basement.

The Jewish Bridge is situated near the synagogue and connects the banks of the river Tebra. The bridge received its current name in the 19th century.

Cemetery, situated just outside of the town, 200 m from the end of Kalvenes St. The cemetery was built in the late 18th century. A large number of the gravestones remain in their original places. A select few of these are unique and are made in cast iron with markings molded onto them. These markings are written in German language using the Hebrew alphabet.

Misiņkalns Town Cemetery. The remains of the victims of the Holocaust were re-buried here.

Aizpute Museum of Regional Studies, Skolas, 1. A part of the exhibition is dedicated to the history of the Jewish community in Aizpute.

Bauska

Bauske

Distance from Riga 66 km (A7)

The first Jewish settlement of the descendants of the Lithuanian Jews appeared on the right bank of the river Mēmele in the early 17th century. By the 18th century Bauska had a functioning synagogue and a Jewish cemetery. The local Jews were granted permission to settle and live in the inner town in 1820. The 3,631 Jews, who lived in Bauska in 1881, made up 60% of the entire city population. World famous Rabbis lead Jewish community of Bauska for several decades. Among them were Mordekhai Eliasberg (In service as Rabbi: 1862–1889) and Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook (In service as Rabbi: 1895–1904).

By 1935, the total population of Bauska consisted of 4,904 people, 778 of whom were Jewish. Nazi troops occupied Bauska on the 28th of Juny 1941. The mass extermination of the Jews in Bauska was complete by the mid-August 1941. Only two of them survived to see the liberation of the town on the 30th of July 1944.

Synagogues, Rīgas,35. The original timber synagogue was built in the 1820s. The brick one was built nearby in 1840. The new building also included the Rabbis’ living headquarters. One of the Rabbis who lived here was famous Rav Kook. Both synagogues were burned down on the 4th of July 1941. Photo: 1930s.

Hasidic Prayer House, Kalnu, 2. It was built in 1938.

Kosher Slaughter House and Butcher Shop, Rīgas, 37. The building was constructed in the late 19th century.

Day Clinic, Rīgas, 51. An unprecedented act of cruelty was committed here in the mid-July 1941. 56 Jewish male, 9 of whom were boys from 8 to 15 years of age, were forcibly brought here and sterilized. All of them, but one, who managed to escape, were executed in the early August 1941. The former day clinic currently ventures the offices of the local newspaper.

Mikvah, Upes, 3. The building was converted into a residential house after the WWII.

Jewish Religious School, Kalnu, 20. The Rabbi’s and the teacher’ living headquarters were also situated in this building, which currently is not in use.

Nahman Yankelovich’s Printing House, Rūpniecības, 5. The first local newspaper «Bauskas Sludinājumi», founded by Nahman Yankelovich, was published here from 1893 to 1915.

The Likvertene Forest, on the 8 km mark on the road from Bauska to Vecsaule, turn off the right side of the road and travel 1 km into the forest. In accordance to different pieces of evidence from 700 to 800 Bauska Jews were killed here during two nights in August 1941.

Bauska Museum of Regional Studies and Art, Kalna, 6. A part of the permanent exhibition is dedicated to the history of Bauska Jews.

Dagda

Dageten

Distance from Riga 301 km (A6, P61)

The Jewish community was formed here in the early 19th century, at which time a cemetery was also opened. The first reliable information about the number of Jews in the locality is dated back in 1847. The records state that 77 Jews lived in Dagda in that year. By 1897, the number of Jewish people in the town increased to 1,026, making up 68% of its total population. The statistics for 1935 showed, 589 Jewish residents in Dagda, which was equal to 53% of its overall population.

Dagda was occupied by the Nazi troops in the early July 1941. On the 25th of July 1941, a large group of Dagda Jews were forced to march to Daugavpils ghetto. The Jews, who remained in the town, were shot at the local Jewish cemetery on the 1st of August 1941.

Synagogues, Corner of Skolas St. and Rīgas St. The three synagogues, built in 1897, underwent reconstruction in 1920s. The buildings are currently being used as shops.

Cemetery, Pļavas, 6. It was opened in the early 19th century. The monument in memory of the victims of the Holocaust was unveiled here after the WWII.

Daugavpils

Dinaburg, Dvinsk

Distance from Riga 232 km (A6)

Founded in 1275 as a castle, the settlement was officially designated a city in 1582. During the course of its history the city had different names: Dinaburg, Borisoglebov, Dvinsk (since 1893), and finally Daugavpils (since 1920). The local Jewish community was established in the late 18th century. The first reliable information about the number of Jews in the city is dated back to 1784, when 1,773 Jews were officially registered here. Dinaburg was the first city in Latvia, where since 1785, the local Council had Jewish members.

Shortly before the WWI, the number of Jews permanently residing in the city increased to 55,686, which made up 49 % of its total population. It was the biggest number of Jews ever lived in Daugavpils. World famous Rabbis lead the Jewish community of Daugavpils for several decades. Rabbi Meir Simcha HaCohen also known as Ohr Sameach (1843–1926) and Rabbi Yosef Rosen – Rogachover Gaon (1858–1936) were among them.

By 1910, Dvinsk Jews had 34 functioning synagogues, hospital Bikur Holim, a nursing home and a Jewish theatre.

Dvinsk match factory employed 676 people and was the biggest in the Russian Empire in the late 19th century. The owner of this manufacturing plant was Shlomo Zak, a member of the local Jewish community. The 11,106 Jews, who lived in the city in 1935, made up 25% of its overall population. In the 1920s–1930s, the Daugavpils Jews owned more than 100 businesses. During this period 4 libraries, 10 youth clubs, 4 teachers’ clubs and several other Jewish organizations functioned in the city. Several yeshivas and Cheders, a Talmud Torah, 7 Jewish primary and 2 secondary schools also were in operation in Daugavpils. The number of synagogues in the city increased to 40.

Among Latvian citizens, deported by Stalin’s regime on the 14th of June 1941, 174 were Jewish.

The Nazi troops occupied Daugavpils on the 26th of June 1941. The 1,150 Jews shot dead in the early July 1941, were the first victims of the Holocaust in Daugavpils. The order to set up a ghetto was issued by the Nazi administration on the 15th of July 1941. On the 28th of October 1943, all the ghetto prisoners were transferred to Riga-Kaiserwald concentration camp.

Only 500 Holocaust survivors returned to their home town after the WWII. Some Jews from other republics of the former Soviet Union also moved to Daugavpils.

The city Jewish community was revived in the late 1980s. At present about 400 Jews permanently reside in the city. Both religious and secular Jewish communities are currently in operation. The synagogue and several Jewish organizations are functioning in Daugavpils.

Synagogue “Kaddish”, Cietokšņa, 38. The synagogue was built in 1850. The reconstruction of the building became possible in 2005-2006 thanks to the financial support of the children of the famous American artist Mark Rothko. Currently it is the only functioning synagogue in Daugavpils. Museum “Jews in Daugavpils and Latgale” is also situated here. The building is included in the List of Local Protected Monuments.

The Great Communal Synagogue, Lāčplēša, 39. 220 people could attend services in this synagogue, built in 1840. During the Soviet period it was converted into a gym. The building is included in the List of Local Protected Monuments and is currently being used as a shop.

Apter Synagogue, Sakņu, 29. It is considered that the synagogue was named after the Rabbi, who built it and served here. At present the fully reconstructed building is at the disposal of the local Jewish community.

The House, Solomon Mikhoels was born in, Mihoelsa, 4. The famous actor and the theatrical director, the head of the State Yiddish Theatre in Moscow and the famous public figure Solomon Mikhoels (1890–1948) was born here on the 16th of March 1890. The memorial board, marking the actor’s centenary, can be seen on the façade of this house.

Monument to Mark Rothko, 18 Novembra, 2, (on the bank of the river Daugava). This monument, designed by Romualds Gibovskis to commemorate the centenary of the Dvinsk-born leading abstract expressionist artist Mark Rothko (1903–1970), was unveiled in September 2003.

Jewish Secondary School, Saules, 38. The municipal Hebrew secondary school was opened here in 1935. In 1939/1940 academic year, the school employed 18 teachers and had 187 students. The building is included in the List of Local Protected Monuments.

Jewish Handicraft School, Varšavas, 21. The building was designed by engineer J. Movshenzon and built in the early 20th century. The school was closed down in 1940. The building, included in the List of Local Protected Monuments, currently ventures the College of Transport.

The Memorial Plate to Grszegosz Fitelberg, Mihoelsa, 58. The memorial plate, designed by Olga Baumane, was unveiled in 2005. Grszegosz Fitelberg (1879–1953) – the Polish composer, conductor and violinist of the Jewish origin was born in Dinaburg.

The Communal Cemetery, 18 Novembra, 220. The Jewish part of the cemetery was designated shortly after the Old Jewish cemetery was closed down in the mid-1950s. The world famous Rabbis Meir Simcha HaCohen and Yosef Rosen were re-buried here. There also are several areas of the compact (100 to 200 graves) Jewish burials in the other two sections of the cemetery. Some headstones were made before the WWII. The monument in memory of the victims of the Holocaust is situated near the cemetery chapel.

The Bridge Fortress, Lielā, 1. It is currently being used as a prison. The Jewish ghetto was situated here from the mid-July 1941 to the 1st of May 1942. More than 15,000 Jews from Daugavpils and many other towns and schtettles of Latgale, and the refugees from Lithuania were kept prisoner here. Some 9,000 of them were exterminated.

Mežciems Monument in Memory of the Victims of Fascism, traveling from the city border towards Riga, on the 6 km mark turn off to the right and travel 1 km into the forest, following by a turn to the left and another trek of 100 m. The original monument was unveiled in 1960. Later, in 1989, the remains of the executed Jews were re-buried here. The monument in memory of the victims of the Holocaust was opened in 2007.

The Monument in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, 18 Novembra, 66a. It was unveiled in 2007 on the site of the mass execution of 1,150 Jews beyond the town prison.

The Memorial for the Victims of the Holocaust, traveling on the road from Daugavpils to Riga turn off the road to the right at the 7th km of your journey, follow the path 100 m into the forest to reach this landmark. Designed by sculptor Oleg Marinoha, the memorial was opened on the 10th November 1991. There centerpiece monument displays the words “In memory of the Children of Israel”, written in Yiddish. The 16 stones, surrounding it, show the names of the countries occupied by the Nazis during the WWII and the numbers of Jewish victims in each of them.

Daugavpils Museum of Regional Studies and Art, Rīgas, 8. The permanent exhibition displays the highest quality copies of the paintings by Mark Rothko. A section of the museum is dedicated to life and works of composer Oskar Strok, (1892–1975) – “The King of Tango”, born in Dvinsk.

Jaunjelgava

Neustadt, Friedrichstadt

Distance from Riga 85 km (A7, P85, P87)

Neustadt, the original name of the town, was changed to Friedrichstadt in 1646 and to Jaunjelgava in 1920. The first Jews came to Friedrichstadt from the surrounding villages, Lithuania and Byelorussia. The local Jewish community was formed in the early 19th century. At the same time a cemetery, (which does not exist any more), was built. By 1881, the 4,128 Jews, who lived in the town, made up 71% of its overall population. The local Jews were mostly shopkeepers or timber and flax traders; some of them owned medium-scale manufacturing plants. A public Jewish school was opened in the town in the mid-19th century, followed by a Talmud Torah in the early 20th century. At that time many Jewish children attended local German schools and studied the Jewish subjects after classes. A Cheder Metukan was opened here in the early 20th century.

At the beginning of the WWI, the leaders of the Jewish community were taken hostage by the town authorities and were subsequently exiled into the depth of Russia. During the period of the independent Latvian Republic, a Jewish primary school, Hebrew language classes, and several charity funds were opened in Jaunjelgava. The 561 Jews, who lived in the town in 1935, made up 26% of its overall population.

The Soviet administration disbanded all Jewish organizations in 1940. Several wealthy Jews were deported to Siberia in 1941.

After Jaunjelgava was occupied by the Nazi troops, the local Jews were kept prisoner in the synagogue. By the end of August 1941, all Jaunjelgava Jews were exterminated.

Cemetery, Meža, 12. It was opened in 1848. Several hundreds headstones and the ruins of the Beit Tahara can still be seen at the cemetery. The remains of some 500 Jewish victims of the Holocaust were re-buried here after the WWII. The monument in their memory was unveiled in the 1950s, and restored in 2003. The descendants of Uri Shatz – the former elected member of the Jaunjelgava Town Council, sponsored the recent thorough restoration of the cemetery.

Jekabpils

Jakobstadt

Distance from Riga 143 km (A6)

Jekabpils was merged with Krustpils in 1962.

The Jewish community of Jēkabpils was registered in 1810. Its members were mostly descendants of Lithuanian Jews. A Beit Midrash, 3 synagogues, and several Jewish public organizations functioned in the town. A yeshiva was opened in 1830. From 1850, until the WWI a Yiddish school for boys was in operation in Jekabpils. A public library with the reading hall was opened in 1901.

By 1881, the Jewish community of Jekabpils had 2,254 members, which made up 41% of the whole population of the town. More than 150 Jewish homes and community buildings were destroyed in Jēkabpils during the WWI. By 1935, the 793 Jews, who lived in the town, made up 14% of its overall population.

The Nazis occupied Jēkabpils on the 29th of June 1941. In a few days, all the local Jews were ordered to gather in the synagogues. They were kept prisoner there until September 1941, when all of them were brutally murdered in the Kukas swamp near the town.

At present the Jewish community of Jekabpils consists of about 40 people.

Cemetery, Saules and Nameja Junction. It was opened in the early 19th century. Some of the headstones exist since the time when the cemetery started functioning. The remains of the Jekabpils Jews, murdered at the Kukas swamp were re-buried here and the monument in their memory was unveiled in the 1950s.

Jelgava

Mitau

Distance from Riga 42 km (A8)

The 18th century was the time of the formation of the Jewish community in Jelgava. At the same period Jewish Street (Dobeles road at present) as a designated residential area, appeared on the map of the city. Most of the Jews came to Jelgava from Scotland and Northern Germany. A Chevra Kadisha was founded and a cemetery was opened here in 1730. However, the Jews were not allowed to build their houses in the inner city. The first synagogue and the first Beit Midrash in Mitau were opened in 1784. Only in 1793, the local Jews were granted permission to live within the city boarders. The local Jewish community was officially recognized in 1796, when Courland became a part of the Russian Empire.

Reuben Joseph Wunderbar (1790–1853) glorified Mitau by writing the history of the Jews of Livonia and Courland and contributing greatly to the Jewish secular education. Levi Ovchinsky (1871–1941), the author of “History of Kurzeme Jews” was a Rabbi in Mitau. The Jelgava residents Prof. Max Laserson (1887–1951) and Rabbi Mordekhai Nurok (1884–1962) were elected members of Saeima (Latvian Parliament).

The 2,039 Jews, who lived in the city in 1935, made up 6% of its total population.

The Nazis occupied Jelgava on the 29th of June 1941. By the mid-September 1941, all the Jews, present in the city on the day, when the occupation began, were exterminated.

There are now 50 members in Jelgava Jewish community.

The Choral Synagogue, Ūdens, 1. It was built in 1860. The building was destroyed in July 1941. The Faculty of Economics of the Agricultural University is currently situated on this site.

Hospital Bikur Holim, Viestura, 15. The hospital welcomed patients of any background, but the poor Jews could avail of free medical care. At present, the building ventures Jelgava TB Hospital.

Cemetery, Miera, 1. It was opened in 1729. A small section of the cemetery with a few remaining original headstones still can be seen.

Monument to the Victims of the Holocaust, traveling the Miera St. away from Jelgava, 1 km past the city border take the turn off to the right into the forest and travel a further 1 km to reach this monument. The memorial stone dedicated to the executed Jews of Jelgava was unveiled in November 1992. The exact spot of the execution is situated 500 m to the right from the monument.

Jurmala

Distance from Riga 25 km (A10)

The settlements on the sites of modern Jurmala already existed in 16th century. Schlok (Sloka) – the settlement of traders, started developing in the late 18th century, and by the mid-19th century the resorts of Kemmern (Kemeri) and Rigaer Strand were in operation. They were designated towns in 1920 and later in 1959 were merged, became a city, and received the name Jurmala.

The first Jews came to Sloka in the late 18th century. It was the nearest to Riga settlement, where the Jews had permission to reside permanently. The majority of Riga Jews were officially assigned to Sloka Jewish community until the 1840s. However, very few Jews were actually living in Sloka. The 107 Jews lived here in 1878, made up 10% of its entire population.

According to the decision of the local Baron, the owner of the land along the seaside, the Jews were strictly forbidden to live in the coastal villages of Assern (Asari), Karlsbad (Melluzi and Pumpuri) and Majorenhoff (Majori). This decree was abolished in 1920. Only the Jewish merchants of the first guild (the “aristocracy” of capital and industry) were allowed to permanently live in Bilderlingshof (Bulduri) and Edinburg (Dzintari).

The only part of Jurmala, where the Jews had unconditional residential rights was Dubbeln (Dubulti). It became the favourite holiday venue for the wealthy Jews of Riga since 1870s. By the late 19th century, the absolute majority of the people taking holidays here were Jewish. The Great Summer Synagogue was built here. During the same period, a Jewish cemetery was opened in Dubulti. The cemetery was destroyed in the 1950s.

The Jewish community of Jurmala was established in the 1920s–1930s. Several new synagogues were built during the same period. Among the 7, 865 people, who lived in Jurmala in 1935, 180 were Jewish.

Jurmala became a rehabilitation resort for the Wehrmaht soldiers in July 1941. Five local Jews were killed in the synagogue in Bulduri on the 21st of July 1941. After that, the entire building was blown up. Obeying the order of the German military administration, the Jews of Jurmala moved to Riga, where they shared the tragic fate of their fellows.

The Jewish life in Jurmala was revived in the late 1980s. Some 300 Jews live in the city at present.

The New Synagogue, Majori, Viktorijas, 33. It was built in the 1930s. After the WWII, the synagogue was converted into a children’s sport school and then into a DIY shop. The building is currently not in use.

The Great Summer Synagogue, Dubulti, Ceriņu, 12. It was built in 1904 and reconstructed in 1939. After the WWII, the synagogue was converted into an indoor market. Currently it is not in use. The building is included in the List of Local Protected Monuments.

Prayer House, Dubulti, Dubultu, 97. Private, residential property.

Prayer House, Bulduri, Vidus, 13. Private, residential property.

Kandava

Kandau

Distance from Riga 91 km (A10, P130)

The local Jewish community was formed in the early 19th century. In 1863, the Jews made up 55% of the total population of Kandava. By 1881, the 775 Jews, who lived here, made up the majority of its population. During the WWI, in 1915, the Jews of Kandava were deported into the depth of Russian Empire. Those returned home found the Jewish communal buildings and privately owned houses destroyed. In 1935, the town Jewish community had 68 members.

In the early July 1941 Kandava was occupied by the Nazi troops. All the local Jews, who remained in the town, were executed in Elku woodlands in August 1941.

Synagogue, Lielā, 31. It was built in 1880 and reconstructed in 1937. Rabbi Menakhem Mendel Zak (1873–1941) served in this synagogue. He later became the Chief Rabbi of Riga and was killed in Rumbula in 1941. After the WWII, the building was used as a granary. It was converted into a cinema in the 1950s. The property is currently not in use.

Mikvah, Pils, 7. The mikvah was built in the late 19th century, using natural sources of spring water. After 1950, it was converted into a public bathhouse. The building at present ventures a guesthouse.

School, Tirgus laukums, 5.

Inn and Hotel, Lielā, 24. Formerly owned by Jews.

Lielā Street, Sabiles Street, Ūdens Street and Tirgus laukums. Jews owned the majority of the houses in these neighbourhoods.

Cemetery, 3 km mark from the town border on the Kandava–Sabile road, on the right hand side. It was built in 1840, and functioned until the beginning of the WWII. During the war and later, during the Soviet period, the cemetery was destroyed and has been neglected since. Only a few remaining headstones can still be seen.

Elku Woodlands, 10 km mark from the town border on the Kandava–Rūmene road. This is the place of the mass execution of the Jews of Kandava in August 1941. The site of the actual execution was marked after the WWII. The memorial stone was unveiled in 2006.

Kraslava

Kreslawka, Kraslau

Distance from Riga 265 km (A6)

The Jewish community of Kreslawka started forming in 1764. Until the late 18th century, all Latgale Jews were assigned to Kraslava kehilla (kahal). In 1897, the 4,051 Jews, who lived here, made up 51% of total population of the borough. By 1935, the Jewish community of Kraslava consisted of 1,444 members, which made up 34% of its overall population.

Moisei Rabinovich (1882–1941), the designer of Kraslava coat of arms, became the first Jewish Mayor of the town. Several synagogues and prayer houses, a Jewish primary school, and various Jewish public organizations functioned in town at that time.

When Kraslava fell into the hands of the Nazis in the early July 1941, a large group of Kraslava Jews were shot dead in the town. The remaining Jews were transported to Daugavpils ghetto, where the majority of them were exterminated.

Now just a few Jews reside in Kraslava.

The Big Prayer House, Skolas, 6. The original timber house was built here in 1781. It was subsequently replaced by the brick building, which currently is being used as a residential property.

Cemetery, end of Lielā St and Spīdolas St. The cemetery was built in the 18th century. Some headstones dated back in the 19th and early 20th century. The newer graves can also be seen. A monument in memory of the Jews of Kraslava perished on the fronts of the WWII is one of the landmarks of the cemetery.

The Monument in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, Lielā St, near the cemetery. It was unveiled in 2007.

Monument in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust, Miesnieku, 8. It was unveiled in 2007.

The Memorial on the Spot of the Execution of Kraslava Jews, Avgustovka, the beginning of Ūdrišu St.

Kraslava Museum of History and Art, Pils, 8. A part of the exhibition tells the history of the local Jewish community.

Krustpils

Kreuzburg

Distance from Riga 143 km (A6)

The earliest written record of Kreuzburg is dated back to 1237. Krustpils ceased to exist as an autonomous town in 1962, when it became a part of Jekabpils. The local Jewish community, formed by the late 17th century, is one of the oldest in Latgale. A cemetery was opened in the 18th century. The 3,164 Jews, who lived here in 1897, made up 76% of the total population of the town. By 1935, the number of Jews lived in Krustpils decreased to 1,043 Jews and made up only 28,5% of its entire population. In total 5 synagogues and prayer houses functioned in the town during the 19th and the early 20th centuries.

Nazi troops occupied Krustpils on the 28th of June 1941. Mass arrests of the Jews began on the 6th of July 1941. At first, the arrested people were kept prisoner in the local slaughterhouse. Later they were transported to the buildings of the Jewish school and the sugar factory. Some of the Jews were sent to work on the neighbouring farms. During the late August and the early September 1941 all the Jews remained in the town were shot in Spungeni woodlands and at Kaķīši swamp near village of Spungeni.

Jewish School, Rīgas, 182. More than 150 pupils attended this secular Jewish school during the early 1930s.

Cemetery, Asote, Following the Rīgas St towards Daugavpils located 1,5 km past the town border. This is the only Jewish cemetery, which was opened in Latvia after the WWII. During the 1950s, the Old Jewish cemetery was closed down and the headstones were brought to the new one. The remains of the Jews from Krustpils and Gostiņi, executed in 1941, were re-buried here in 1958. The monument in their memory was unveiled here in 1959.

Spot of the Mass Execution of the Krustpils Jews, 142,3 km mark on the Riga-Daugavpils road. The memorial stone was placed on the site of the execution of the 25 Jewish residents of Krustpils in 2007.

Kuldīga

Goldingen

Distance from Riga 150 km (A10)

The Jews were granted permission to live here only after 1795, when Courland became a part of the Russian Empire. A Chevra Kadisha started functioning in Kuldiga in 1801. Soon after that a synagogue, a Jewish school, and a Talmud Torah were built.

The 2,330 Jews, who lived in the town in 1835, made up 57% of its overall population. By 1935, only 646 out of 7,180 people, who lived here, were Jewish.

The Nazi troops entered Kuldiga on the 1st of July 1941. A large group of the town Jews were shot in the near forest at the early days of the occupation. The remaining Jews were transported to the Padure woodlands a few kilometres from the town and shot there. Only a small number of Jews, hidden by the local residents, escaped the extermination.

Synagogue, 1905 gada, 6. The building was erected in 1875. In 1941 the local Jews were kept prisoner here. After the WWII, the synagogue was used as a granary and in 1958 it was converted into a cinema. The building is currently undergoing the reconstruction and will venture the new town library with a section, designated to display exhibits, related to the history of the local Jewish community. The Beit Tahara and the Small Synagogue, built in 1862 and converted into a garage during the Soviet time, can be seen in the courtyard of the main building. After the renovation works in 2010-2011 in these premises the Main District Library is situated.

Cemetery, Liepājas St. It was opened in the early 19th century as a multi-denominational communal cemetery, divided into Lutheran, Catholic, Russian Orthodox, and Jewish sections. The park was set out on its grounds in 1970. More than 20 headstones can still be seen in the Jewish area of the former cemetery.

Jewish School, Smilšu, 6. It was opened in 1926. The lessons were conducted in German and Hebrew. The building presently ventures the municipal school of music.

Liepaja

Libau

Distance from Riga 218 km (A9)

The local Jewish community was founded in the late 18th century. The first prayer house was officially opened in the city in 1799, and the first synagogue was built in 1806. The Jewish community opened a cemetery and a Chevra Kadisha in 1803. During the last quarter of the 19th century, two synagogues were built in Liepaja. The Major or Choral Synagogue was built in the historic centre of the city and the other one – in its new part. By that time, many Jews from Russia, Poland, and Lithuania settled in Liepaja. The majority of them were living here illegally. However, the Jewish community continued to grow and by 1897 it had 9,454 members. The overall population of Liepaja during that period consisted of 64,489 people.

Liepaja was one of the largest transit ports for the Jewish emigrants. During the period between 1906 and 1910, more than 100,000 emigrants from the Russian Empire went through Liepaja port, on their way overseas. The 7, 379 Jews, who lived it Liepaja, made up 13% of its total population in 1935.

On the order of Stalin’s administration, 181 Liepaja Jews were deported to Siberia on the 14th of June 1941. Tragically, the majority of them died in exile.

When Wehrmacht solders entered Liepaja in the late June 1941, there were some 7,000 Jews in the city. The Jews from the suburbs were also transported to Liepaja. During the first few days of the Nazi occupation, 33 Jews were shot dead in Raina Park in the city centre. On the 8th and the 9th of July 1941, hundreds of Jewish men were transported from the local prison to the seaside, south from the lighthouse, where they were executed by firing squad. By the end of July 1941, the mass executions began in Skede. During the period between the 15th and the 17th of December 1941 the occupants and their local collaborators shot dead 2, 773 people. Only 20 or 30 Jews survived the war by going into hiding in the city. Just a few hundreds Jews lived in Liepaja after the WWII. The majority of them came from other parts of the Soviet Union.

The local Jewish community was revived in the late 1980s. Some 400 Jews live in Liepaja at present.

The Great Choral Synagogue, Kuršu, 11/13. The synagogue, built in 1868, was destroyed in 1941.

Prayer House, Kungu, 21. Currently the building is at the disposal of the local Jewish Community. It also ventures museum “Jews in Liepaja.”

Prayer House and Almshouse Moshav Zekeinim, Kungu, 21, in the courtyard. It was built in 1911.

Hospital Linas Hatzedek, Bāriņu, 11.

Jewish Secondary School, Bāriņu, 12. This building ventured a Jewish primary school and a public Jewish secondary school.

Hebrew School, Kuršu, 20.

Sholem Aleichem School, Rožu, 8. The school opened its doors to the pupils for the first time in 1919 and functioned until 1940. The only Yiddish school in Liepaja was attended by 336 students in 1921. In 1926 it was named after world famous Yiddish author Sholem Aleichem.

Jewish Primary and Secondary Schools, Kūrmājas, 13. A Jewish primary school functioned here from 1935 to 1937. The building ventured a public Jewish secondary school from 1937 to 1940.

Spot of the Executions of the Liepaja Jews, Zvejnieku, 7. The systematic executions of the Jews were carried out here from the late July to the early October 1941.

Residential House, Tirgoņu, 22. It was used as a hiding place for the Jews during the Holocaust. Robert and Johanna Sedul sheltered 11 Jews in this house from 1943 to 1945. There is a memorial board dedicated to the saviours on the front wall of this building.

Chevra Kadisha, Klaipēdas, 41.

Cemetery, Cenkones, 18/20. It was built in the 19th century as a part of the local Livu Cemetery. The monument in memory of the Jews, who fought and perished in the Latvian War of Independence in 1919, is one of the landmarks of the cemetery. The memorial wall with the names of 6,428 Liepaja Jews died during Holocaust and in the Soviet concentration camps, was unveiled in 2004.

The Monument in Memory of Liepaja Ghetto, Kungu, 29. The ghetto was set up between Kungu, Apšu, Dārza, and Bāriņu streets in summer 1941, when not more than 800 surviving Jews remained in the city. All the ghetto prisoners were transported to Kaizerwald concentration camp in Riga in autumn of 1943. Later they were sent to different concentration camps in Germany.

Shkede Memorial, 15 km north from the city centre. In accordance to different pieces of evidence from 6,500 to 7,000 people, among them 3,640 Jews, 2,000 Soviet POWs and 1,000 Latvian civilians were shot dead in these dunes between 1941 and 1945. The memorial, representing a giant menorah lying on the ground, was designed by sculptor Raimonds Gabalins, and opened in June 2005. The quotes from the Bible are carved on the sides of the square columns placed beside the menorah, made of rough stones brought from different parts of Kurzeme.

Livani

Lievenhof

Distance from Riga 170 km (A6)

The Jews, who settled here in the early 19th century, came from Lithuania. Prior to the WWI, the Jews made up more than half of the total population of the town. During that time prayer houses, a cemetery, a Jewish school, and a kindergarten functioned in Livani.

Due to the fast approaching front line, many Jews left the town in 1915. A Yiddish primary school was opened here in 1921. The total population of Livani in 1935 consisted of 3,527 people. Making up just 28% of the overall population, the Jews owned 44% of the small-scale businesses.

On the 29th of June 1941, the Nazi troops occupied Livani. A few weeks later, all the local Jews were executed.

Cemetery, Meža St. It was opened in the mid-19th century. The last burial took place here in 1940. The cemetery was partially restored by Pastor Klaus-Peter Rex and his youth group from Germany in 2007.

Livani

Lievenhof

Distance from Riga 170 km (A6)

The Jews, who settled here in the early 19th century, came from Lithuania. Prior to the WWI, the Jews made up more than half of the total population of the town. During that time prayer houses, a cemetery, a Jewish school, and a kindergarten functioned in Livani.

Due to the fast approaching front line, many Jews left the town in 1915. A Yiddish primary school was opened here in 1921. The total population of Livani in 1935 consisted of 3,527 people. Making up just 28% of the overall population, the Jews owned 44% of the small-scale businesses.

On the 29th of June 1941, the Nazi troops occupied Livani. A few weeks later, all the local Jews were executed.

Cemetery, Meža St. It was opened in the mid-19th century. The last burial took place here in 1940. The cemetery was partially restored by Pastor Klaus-Peter Rex and his youth group from Germany in 2007.

Ludza

Lutzin, Ludzen, Lucyn

Distance from Riga 272 km (A6, A12)

There is some evidence of the first Jews settling here in the 16th century. The local Jewish community was formed in the early 18th century. By 1815 the 1,176 Jews, who lived here, made up 67% of the total population of the town.

Ludza was an important Jewish religious centre. The famous Rabbis from the Altshuler, the Tsiuni and the Donchin (DonYehia) families lead the Jewish community for more than 150 years. There were 8 synagogues and prayer houses in the town in the 1930s.

The 1,518 Jews, who lived in the town in 1935, made up 24% of its overall population.

Thirteen Jewish families were deported from Ludza to Siberia on the 14th of June 1941.

The Nazi troops entered Ludza on the 3rd of July 1941. The Jews were forced to relocate into a ghetto. Most of them were exterminated during several mass executions. Some 120 Jews were transported to Daugavpils and Rezekne, where they later died.

After the WWII not more than 100 Jews lived in Ludza. However, until the late 1980s the town Jews attended the synagogue and matzoth were made locally. Later due to the emigration in the 1980s, the number of Jews in the town decreased. The Jewish community of Ludza was revived in 1990s and now consists of 15 members.

The Great Synagogue, Pirmā maija, 31. One of the oldest synagogues in Latvia, it was originally built in 1801 and reconstructed in 1937. Now the synagogue is not in use.

Monument to the Victims of the Holocaust, at the lakeside near the synagogue. The monument was unveiled in 1991.

A Jewish School, Raiņa, 14. A Yiddish primary school was opened here in 1919. The school had 209 pupils in 1935. The building was extensively reconstructed and converted into a residential house.

Cemetery, E. Soikāna St. This one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Latvia was opened in the mid-18th century and is currently in operation for burials.