Jewish People's Universities in Latvia. The first People's University (ENU) in Riga was established in 1920. It was initiated by the left-wing workers' organisation Arbeiterheim (AH), which paid a lot of attention to cultural and educational work. The newspaper Segodnya described the opening of this university as a significant event. However, despite the fact that AH was closed down at the end of 1923 on the grounds of ‘anti-state activities,’ its brainchild, the People's University, continued to operate until the end of the 1920s.
Despite differences in political and other views, the People's University managed to attract the best intellectual forces of Latvian Jewry. These included professors M. Lazerson and N. Pereferkovich, associate professors M. Vaintrob and ? Gurvich, Dr. ?Livshits, ?Rabinovich, A. Vorobeichik, the Rodak couple, Rosenbaum, and others. Non-Jews D. Yu. Novoselov, Tupitsyn, Vydrin, and others also participated in the work of the university. For example, the academic lecture ‘The Driving Force of the Jewish Nation’ was given by left-wing Zionist M. Lazerson and non-Zionists N. Pereferkovich and M. Vaintrob. University lecturers also spoke at local branches of the AH in Daugavpils, Jelgava, and elsewhere. For example, A. Vorobeichik gave a lecture in Yiddish in Daugavpils entitled ‘The Creativity of Peretz,’ while M. Lazerson gave lectures in Russian entitled ‘The State and Nationality’ and ‘The League of Nations.’ In 1923–1924, the university held popular debates on ‘Death’ (‘Death in the Face of Man’), ‘Karl Marx, Life and Work,’ ‘Varieties of Anti-Semitism,’ and ‘The Fate of the Jews.’ M. Weintraub participated in the first one.
The work of the People's University, created by the AH, was discontinued in 1929. In particular, this happened because some members of the university were engaged in illegal activities.
In early October 1932, the General Zionist Party, Histadrut Ha-Zionit (Zionist Organisation), opened its own People's University. This initiative was supported by the Minister of Education, who spoke at the grand opening. Party leader L. Ettingen and head of the Riga organisation B. Gurevich also spoke at the opening. A guest from Germany, Dr. E. Marcus, a member of the Central Committee of the German Zionist Organisation, gave a speech at the opening of the Zionist People's University entitled ‘On the Historical Right of the Jewish People to Palestine.’
The university's curriculum was quite diverse, but it was inferior in this respect to its predecessor, and there was already a circle of lecturers. The university also offered courses in Latvian, English, Hebrew, and Arabic. The university's lecture schedule gives an idea of the work of this educational institution: on Tuesday, a course on the history of the Jewish people was taught; on Thursday, the history of Zionism; on Saturday, national and social movements in Jewish history and the history of Latvian culture; and on Sunday, the Bible in the cultural life of peoples and the history of the Jewish people.
It is worth noting the interest of Jewish students in the history and culture of Latvia and in the Latvian language at both universities. Like the first university, the Zionist educational institution was not limited to course lectures. For example, in January 1933, an event was held to mark the 60th anniversary of the poet H.N. Bialik. Other events were also held.
Information about the work of the universities regularly appeared in the press, in particular in the newspaper Segodnya.
At the same time, it should be noted that Jewish folk universities were not the only organisations engaged in educational and enlightenment work. For example, semester lectures were held by the Society for the Promotion of Jewish Knowledge and Arts. Thus, in October–December 1924, lectures were given here on: ‘Introduction to Jewish Law’ (M. Lazerson), ‘Jews in European Philosophy’ (M. Weintraub), ‘The Concept of Nationality’ (M. Weintraub), ‘History of the Jewish Ancient East,’ as well as courses in Jewish language and literature.
Jewish folk universities and courses at Jewish organisations fulfilled a very important mission. They helped to improve the education of those segments of the Jewish population who, for various reasons, were unable to receive it in other types of educational institutions. They also helped to bring the Jewish intelligentsia closer to those who did not have sufficient education. The universities contributed to raising the educational level of their students and their awareness of events in Latvia and the world.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)