From history

The great choral synagogue was located on the corner of Gogola and Dzirnavu streets. Its construction was completed in 1871. The synagogue was famous for its cantons and choirs. Such outstanding singers used to stand behind the canton stand as Baruk Lev Rozovski, Herman Jadlovker, Mandel, Freedland. During great Jewish celebrations people from different faiths came to synagogue to hear the songs, too.

 

On July, 4th, 1941the synagogue was burned down. The documents from V. Arajs’ trial show that the burning of the synagogue on Gogola street was lead by V. Arajs in accordance to the order by SS general V. Shtaleker. Its purpose was to intimidate the Jews and served as signal of their outlawing. The firemen were ordered to prevent the spreading of fire to neighboring houses but to let the synagogue burn. Later on the same evening another Jewish house of prayer in Moscow suburb and a synagogue on Stabu street were burned down. The arsonists were Latvians dressed as civilians, with the participation of some Germans wearing uniforms. The time that was chosen for burning – the evening of Shabbat could mean that V. Shtaleker wanted to trick Jewish people into houses of prayer and to kill them there.

 

However, the law of curfew messed up the plan and that may explain the small number of victims.

 

There is no evidence that more than 30 people dies in the flames. If there were martyrs who rushed in to save Torah scrolls, it most probably could happen in the house of prayer in Moscow suburb.

 

It was in the interests of the communistic ideologists and Nazi propagandists to falsify the events, including the exaggeration of the number of victims and purposefully faking documents and testimonies in order to leave the impression that the first killing of Jews was spontaneous expression of self-protection of local society. V. Shtaleker reported that the order was carried out and the proof that it was done by Latvians and Lithuanians was gathered in film and photos. Arajs’ team did exist and it included apr. 500 men who participated in the shooting, however, the Nazis were not satisfied with their work and as a result of a special order Himler Jekeln with his team came to Latvia. They had already worked out a special technique in Ukraine which was called “packing of sardines”. Following Jeklena’s method his men killed 24 000 men (in Rumbula wood) in two days (November, 30th and December 8th) thus emptying Riga ghetto. The Jewish community in Riga was almost completely wiped out.

 

The German Nazis in Latvia killed apr 110 000 men, including 18 000 Latvians, 66 000 – 70 000 Latvian Jews, and 2000 Gypsies.