During 2010-2011, Lo Tishkach surveyed all the Jewish burial sites in the Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Zemgale regions as well as the capital territory in and around Riga. Only the Latgale region remained to be processed.
The comprehensiveness of the Latgale report is enhanced by a thorough historical editorial on the Jews in Latgale authored by Professor Leonard Latkovski, Ph.D, Professor of History and International Studies, and Director of Latgale Research Center at Hood College, Frederick, Maryland, who kindly allowed Lo-Tishkach the use of his detailed article.
In middle of the 19th century, there were about 15,000 to 20,000 Jews in Latgale but the numbers increased significantly to 64,256 in 1897. The Jewish population continued to increase until shortly before WWI when the number had grown to about 80,000. In pre-war Latgale, Jews were in the majority in every major city in Latgale and in many towns while the rural population was mostly Latvian. The war caused a general depopulation of Latvia and many of its inhabitants became refugees. The number of Jews declined significantly during the war.
The project has been made possible with the support of the Claims Conference and with a strong educational component involving young people from the country’s Jewish community. The Lo Tishkach Foundation is particularly grateful for the support and organisation of local project coordinator, Gita Umanovska, Executive Director of the Latvian Council of Jewish Communities.
Eighteen Jewish cemeteries have been identified in the Latgale region. Current data and photographs of these sites, as well as historical data on the Jewish settlements, have been uploaded to the Lo-Tishkach database and compiled in the publication.
A link to download your free digital copy of this Lo Tishkach survey report can be found on our ‘Publications’ page.
