EKABPILS (in 1670–1917 — Jakobstadt), city (since 1670), district centre (Republic of Latvia).
Known since the 13th century. Since 1795 — part of the Russian Empire. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was a district town in the Courland Governorate. From 1918 to 1940, it was part of the Republic of Latvia, and from 1940 to 1991, it was part of the Latvian SSR.
In 1835, there were 2,567 Jews living in Ekabpils, in 1850 — 2,760, in 1881 — 2,254 (41%), in 1897 — 2,087 (36%), in 1910 — 2,047 (35%), in 1920 — 664 (20%), in 1925 — 806 (14%), in 1930 — 796 (14%), in 1935 — 793 Jews (14%).
In 1739, a small number of Jews were expelled from Ekabpils who, despite the ban, lived in the city. The ban was lifted in 1795, after the annexation to the Russian Empire. Jews began to settle in Ekabpils first from Courland,then from Lithuania.
The Jewish community of Ekabpils was organised in1810. Two synagogues were built. The Jews of Ekabpils earned their living by trade and crafts.There was a thriving trade in timber, sawn timber, grain and flax. Jews owned two match factories.There were five Jewish doctors working in Ekabpils.
The Ekabpils community had charitable organisations and organisations providing social assistance. A large group of Lubavitcher Hasidim lived in Ekabpils.
In 1830, a yeshiva was established in Ekabpils, one of the few in Courland, headed by Rabbi Yosef Ashkenazi. In 1840, seven families (about 60 people) left Ekabpils and founded a Jewish colony near Kherson.
In 1850, a state Jewish school was opened. From 1901, a library with a reading room was in operation. From 1902, there was active Zionist movement, and from 1905, a Bund branch was in operation.
Jekabpils. Jewish cemetery.
Photo by M.A. Heifets. 1990. From the archives of the
St. Petersburg Jewish University.
The rabbi in the early 19th century was Mordche Rosenthal, in 1832–41 and 1845–60 – Shimon Zarkhi, in 1890–97 – Ephraim Samonov, in 1908–41 – Yehuda-Leib Ginzburg.
During World War I, most of the Jews left Ekabpils.
In 1922, the Jews of Ekabpils were accused of murdering a Christian child, after which there was a threat of a pogrom. The intervention of the authorities prevented the pogrom. Despite the decrease in the number of Jews, they continued to play a key role in the economy of Ekabpils. In 1935, Jews owned 106 (60%) of Ekabpils' commercial enterprises. Three doctors and a dentist were Jewish. In the early 1920s, there was a primary school where lessons were taught in Yiddish. In 1932, a mutual credit fund was opened. There were three synagogues. Branches of most Jewish parties and youth movements were active.
On 29 June 1941, Ekabpils was occupied by units of the Wehrmacht. On 12 September 1941, all Jews were killed in a nearby forest.
After 1945, several Jewish families returned to Ekabpils from evacuation. At the end of the 1950s, about 10 Jewish families lived in Ekabpils.
The remains of the victims were reburied in the Jewish cemetery. A monument with inscriptions in Russian and Yiddish was erected on the mass grave.
In the 1970s, the Jews of Ekabpils emigrated to Israel.
Ekabpils is the birth place of B. Ryvkin.