Piedruja, a settlement in the Krāslava District (Latvian Republic), has a long Jewish history.

Since 1772, Piedruja was part of the Russian Empire. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was known as Pridruysk in the Drissa Uyezd of the Vitebsk Governorate. Between 1919 and 1940, it was part of the independent Latvian Republic, and from 1940 to 1991, it was under the Latvian SSR.

Jewish Population:

1897: 561 Jews (66% of the population)

1906: 706 Jews (70%)

1920: ~50 Jewish families

1925: 172 Jews

1930: 203 Jews (53%)

1935: 145 Jews (44%)

Jews settled in Piedruja from the mid-18th century.In the 19th century, many Jews owned homes with gardens, raised cows and chickens, and grew produce. Many employed hired workers.Jewish residents dominated local trade, especially in timber, and owned all the shops and workshops. Many worked as artisans.The town had a synagogue, and by the early 20th century, there were three synagogues.Rabbi Ber-Leib Olshvang (b. 1879) served in 1906–08. Chaim Kishlevich, a community representative, was a delegate to the 1st Congress of Jewish Communities of Latvia in 1920.A new synagogue was built after the old one burned down during World War I.A Yiddish-language school operated from 1920 until the mid-1930s.In 1920–22, Jews traded actively with Poland. However, by 1923, Polish authorities ceased issuing permits for such trade, impoverishing many Jewish families. Some emigrated in the 1920s.Jewish families involved in agriculture fared better economically.Jews continued to operate all retail stores. A Jewish doctor practiced in the town.A mutual credit fund was established with Joint (JDC) support.

After the Nazi occupation in July 1941, the Jewish population of Piedruja was murdered.

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