Metadata : “Olim” Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonisation of Palestine (Riga)
Collection
- Country:
- Latvia
- Holding institution:
- Latvian State Historical Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Latvijas Valsts vēstures arhīvs
- Postal address:
- Slokas iela 16, Rīga, LV-1048
- Phone number:
- +371 20 017 505
- Country:
- Latvia
- Holding institution:
- Latvian State Historical Archives
- Holding institution (official language):
- Latvijas Valsts vēstures arhīvs
- Postal address:
- Slokas iela 16, Rīga, LV-1048
- Phone number:
- +371 20 017 505
- Reference number:
- 1910
- Title:
- “Olim” Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonisation of Palestine (Riga)
- Title (official language):
- Latvijas ebreju Palestīnas kolonizācijas veicināšanas biedrība "Olim" (Rīga)
- Creator/accumulator:
- “Olim” Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonization of Palestine (Riga)
- Date(s):
- 1924/1940
- Date note:
- Predominantly 1935/1940
- Language:
- Latvian
- Hebrew
- English
- German
- Russian
- Extent:
- 122 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
- The collection consists of the papers of “Olim”, the Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonisation of Palestine. The organisation was founded in Riga in 1935 and operated in Latvia until the Soviet takeover in 1940. The collection contains the society's charter, lists of society members in its various branches, minutes of meetings of the central board, the audit committee and of the local branch in Kraslava. The collection includes valuable reports on the activities of the “Olim” society in Latvia, including information on its operation of agricultural farms. For example the board directives on the work on agricultural farms (inventory 1, file 18) indicates the practical activities in the preparation of future immigrants for agricultural work. The materials in the collection also reflect the society's cultural, ideological and intellectual environment. For instance, the documents reveal that the society had established a Jewish choir, organised a lecture on the anniversary of the birth of Ze’ev Jabotinsky (inventory 1, file 98), and had written an essay on the literary works of writers Mendele Mocher Sforim, Levik and Hayim Nahman Bialik . The collection also contains plays for amateur Zionist collectives (inventory 1, file 104), poems on Eretz Israel and newspapers extracts about the life and work of various cultural and artistic figures such as Maxim Gorky, Konstantin Stanislavski and Henri Barbusse. A very important part of the collection is correspondence of the “Olim” headquarters in Riga with its local branches in different cities of Latvia, with various foreign and Latvian Zionist organisations, and with Latvian authorities in different cities. The correspondence includes inter alia: issues of Zionist propaganda and emigration; a discussion of organisational matters and issues of holding events in different Latvian cities (such as meetings, lectures, excursions and evenings); discussion with the Zionist organisations on the issue of sending and distributing Palestine immigration certificates (inventory 1, files 66, 89); reports to the JDC Board (The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) on the state of agricultural farms of Zionist organisations in Latvia (inventory 1, file 13); issues on the permission to re-register and open new branches of the society, on the recruitment of new members and on the collection of donations. The collection also contains essays on the activities of different Zionist organisations in Latvia, reviews of the activities of the Zionist organisations in Europe and the Americas, reviews of events, surveys of agricultural farms, and essays and newsletters on the Zionist movement in Eretz Israel. Other materials included in the collection are: applications for admission to the “Olim” society; record-cards of the society’s members and membership cards from the Riga branch; registration forms and characteristics of the society’s members; lists of people who travelled to Eretz Israel (including their personal biographical data); cashbooks; and Riga prefecture permissions for handling events.
- Archival history:
- After World War II the materials from the interwar period, along with earlier materials, were part of the Central State Archive of the Latvian SSR. In 1962 it was decided to reorganise the archive and it was renamed the Central State Historical Archives of the Latvian SSR. The materials predating the period of Soviet rule were deposited in this archive, predecessor of the current State Historical Archive. Minutes of the “Olim” society and some other materials are also available in the Central Zionist Archives in Jerusalem (F8-III/1, F8-III/2). It can be assumed that they were brought to Eretz Israel by members of the organisation.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- In 1935 the organisation “Olim”, Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonisation of Palestine, was established in Riga. Various Zionist and non-Zionist groups of Latvian Jewry took part in the establishment and activities of the society. Local branches of the society were founded in many cities of Latvia. Primarily, the society intended to prepare future olim for their emigration in terms of agricultural and cultural training. Within the framework of the “Olim” society, Jewish organisations whose activities were banned after the Ulmanis coup d'état in 1934 were also active. Among them were the Labour Zionists students’ society Hashachar and He-Haluts. In June 1940, after the Soviet takeover of Latvia, the “Olim” society was shut down.
- Access points: persons/families:
- Gorky, M.
- Mendele Mokher Sefarim
- Stanislavskii, K. S.
- System of arrangement:
- The collection consists of one inventory.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Ilya Vovshin, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2018
- Reference number:
- 1910
- Title:
- “Olim” Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonisation of Palestine (Riga)
- Title (official language):
- Latvijas ebreju Palestīnas kolonizācijas veicināšanas biedrība "Olim" (Rīga)
- Creator/accumulator:
- “Olim” Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonization of Palestine (Riga)
- Date(s):
- 1924/1940
- Date note:
- Predominantly 1935/1940
- Language:
- Latvian
- Hebrew
- English
- German
- Russian
- Extent:
- 122 files
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Physical condition:
- good
- Scope and content:
- The collection consists of the papers of “Olim”, the Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonisation of Palestine. The organisation was founded in Riga in 1935 and operated in Latvia until the Soviet takeover in 1940. The collection contains the society's charter, lists of society members in its various branches, minutes of meetings of the central board, the audit committee and of the local branch in Kraslava. The collection includes valuable reports on the activities of the “Olim” society in Latvia, including information on its operation of agricultural farms. For example the board directives on the work on agricultural farms (inventory 1, file 18) indicates the practical activities in the preparation of future immigrants for agricultural work. The materials in the collection also reflect the society's cultural, ideological and intellectual environment. For instance, the documents reveal that the society had established a Jewish choir, organised a lecture on the anniversary of the birth of Ze’ev Jabotinsky (inventory 1, file 98), and had written an essay on the literary works of writers Mendele Mocher Sforim, Levik and Hayim Nahman Bialik . The collection also contains plays for amateur Zionist collectives (inventory 1, file 104), poems on Eretz Israel and newspapers extracts about the life and work of various cultural and artistic figures such as Maxim Gorky, Konstantin Stanislavski and Henri Barbusse. A very important part of the collection is correspondence of the “Olim” headquarters in Riga with its local branches in different cities of Latvia, with various foreign and Latvian Zionist organisations, and with Latvian authorities in different cities. The correspondence includes inter alia: issues of Zionist propaganda and emigration; a discussion of organisational matters and issues of holding events in different Latvian cities (such as meetings, lectures, excursions and evenings); discussion with the Zionist organisations on the issue of sending and distributing Palestine immigration certificates (inventory 1, files 66, 89); reports to the JDC Board (The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) on the state of agricultural farms of Zionist organisations in Latvia (inventory 1, file 13); issues on the permission to re-register and open new branches of the society, on the recruitment of new members and on the collection of donations. The collection also contains essays on the activities of different Zionist organisations in Latvia, reviews of the activities of the Zionist organisations in Europe and the Americas, reviews of events, surveys of agricultural farms, and essays and newsletters on the Zionist movement in Eretz Israel. Other materials included in the collection are: applications for admission to the “Olim” society; record-cards of the society’s members and membership cards from the Riga branch; registration forms and characteristics of the society’s members; lists of people who travelled to Eretz Israel (including their personal biographical data); cashbooks; and Riga prefecture permissions for handling events.
- Archival history:
- After World War II the materials from the interwar period, along with earlier materials, were part of the Central State Archive of the Latvian SSR. In 1962 it was decided to reorganise the archive and it was renamed the Central State Historical Archives of the Latvian SSR. The materials predating the period of Soviet rule were deposited in this archive, predecessor of the current State Historical Archive. Minutes of the “Olim” society and some other materials are also available in the Central Zionist Archives in Jerusalem (F8-III/1, F8-III/2). It can be assumed that they were brought to Eretz Israel by members of the organisation.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- In 1935 the organisation “Olim”, Latvian Jewish society for the Promotion of the Colonisation of Palestine, was established in Riga. Various Zionist and non-Zionist groups of Latvian Jewry took part in the establishment and activities of the society. Local branches of the society were founded in many cities of Latvia. Primarily, the society intended to prepare future olim for their emigration in terms of agricultural and cultural training. Within the framework of the “Olim” society, Jewish organisations whose activities were banned after the Ulmanis coup d'état in 1934 were also active. Among them were the Labour Zionists students’ society Hashachar and He-Haluts. In June 1940, after the Soviet takeover of Latvia, the “Olim” society was shut down.
- Access points: persons/families:
- Gorky, M.
- Mendele Mokher Sefarim
- Stanislavskii, K. S.
- System of arrangement:
- The collection consists of one inventory.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People
- Author of the description:
- Ilya Vovshin, Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, 2018
