ELGAVA, city (since 1573), regional centre (Republic of Latvia). Known since 1226.
From 1561 — capital of the Duchy of Courland. From 1795 — part of the Russian Empire, city of Mitava, centre of Courland Governorate. From 1918 to 1940, it was part of the Republic of Latvia, and from 1940 to 1991, - part of the Latvian SSR.
In 1860, there were 5,453 Jews living in Jelgava (21%), in 1881 — 6,295 (22%), in 1897 — 5,879 (17%), in 1920 — 1,527 (8%), in 1930 — 1,977 (6%), in 1935 — 2,039 Jews (6%).
Jews lived in Elgava from the 17th century. In 1730, permission was granted to establish a Jewish cemetery.
At the beginning of the 18th century, several hundred Jews lived in Elgava, and by the end of the 18th century, there were more than a thousand. During this period, the community of Elgava was the largest in Courland.
In 1784, a synagogue was built, and later a mikvah. From 1730 to 1747, the rabbi of Elgava was Shloime-Zalman Stern, at the beginning of the 19th century — Rabbi Zvi-Girsh, from 1810 to 1823 — Rabbi David-Yehhezkel (?—1823), in 1823–43 — Yisroel Friedman (?–1843). Under Y. Friedman, a second synagogue was built.
In the 1840s and 1850s, the rabbi in Elgava was Elijah Jacobson, and in 1856–59, Mordche-Uri Samunov. In 1858–59, the official rabbi was Reuven Wunderbar (1812–1868), author of books on the history of the Jews of Courland, and in 1859–60, Menachem-Mendl Israelsohn. From 1859 to 1893, Shloime Foker was the rabbi of E. Under Sh. Foker, the third synagogue was built. In the 1860s and 1880s, the rabbis in Elgava were Moyshe Perenblat, Yisroel-Leib Khaimovich, Zvi-Girsh Rabinovich, and Nachman-Idel-Lipman Margulis (?–1898). In the 1900s and 1910s, the rabbi of E. was Zvi-Girsh Nurok, the father of M. Nurok.
At the beginning of the 19th century, a Talmud Torah was opened in Elgava, there were 10 cheders, and in 1824–26 a private Jewish school operated. In 1850, a Jewish school teaching in Russian was opened.
In 1863, the Talmud Torah was transformed into a cheder metukan. In 1868, a Jewish craft school was opened.
In 1894, the pro-Palestinian organisation ‘Hibat Zion’ was established in Elgava, and in 1902, the Zionist organisation ‘Tzeirei Zion’ was established.
In 1894, the pro-Palestinian organisation ‘Hibbat Zion’ was established in E., and in 1902, the Zionist organisation ‘Tzeirei Zion’ was established. In 1905, the local Bund cell had about 100 members. In 1913-15, M. Nurok was the rabbi of Elgava.
The Joint provided great assistance in restoring normal life to the community of Elgava after World War I.
In the 1920s and 1930s, the rabbi of Elgava was Levi Ovchinsky. In the 1920s and 1930s, Elgava had a gymnasium with instruction in Hebrew, a Talmud Torah, a school, a cheder, a Jewish children's home, a nursing home, a polyclinic, a pharmacy, a hospital, and various social welfare organisations. There were branches of various Jewish parties and organisations, four synagogues, including one Hasidic synagogue. On 29 June 1941, Wehrmacht troops occupied Elgava. During several ‘actions’ in July–September 1941, the Jews of Elgava were shot.
Born in Elgava: L. B. Bernstein, N. D. Bernstein, Y. G. Hirschhorn, A. D. Dmitriev, Y. I. Izraelzon, M. Y. Lazerson, E.-A. Mileikovsky-Samsonov, A.-Ts. Props, A.K. Stashevsky, E.G. Kholodov, M.L. Shenfeld; Izidor Brenson (1854–1928, Riga), doctor, author of books on the history of medicine,including Doctors of Courland (1902), Doctors of Livonia (1905), Doctorsof Estonia (1922) — all in German; Boris Lvovich Korobochkin (b. 1915), specialist in the field of hydraulic drives and hydraulic automation of machine tools and other machines, Doctor of Technical Sciences (1973), Professor (1977), Lenin Prize winner (1959).
М.Nurok.