25-28 JULY 2024 THE LIEPAJA JEWISH HERITAGE FOUNDATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNITING FOUNDATION AND THE JEWISH COMMUNITY HOSTED THE 12TH WORLD REUNION OF LIEPĀJA/LIBAU JEWRY
1. In connection with the 20th anniversary of the Liepaja Jewish Community Foundation and the 35th anniversary of the revival of Jewish life in Liepaja, the 12th World Reunion of Liepaja/Libau Jewry gathered Liepajaand Latvia Jewish residents, descendants of Jews who survived the Holocaust and those who left Latvia before the war.
2. Four generations of Liepaja descendants from 10 countries attended the Gathering. There were many distinguished guests, including Arkady Suharenko, President of the Jewish Community of Latvia, representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, the City Mayor Gunārs Ansiņš, the daughter and granddaughter of Roberts and Johanna Seduls, the Righteous Among the Nations.
3. The Reunion started with the traditional Commemoration Bus Tour of the sites of mass executions and other objects related to the Holocaust in Liepāja. The memorial tour began with a rally at the memorial stone at the site of the former Liepaja ghetto.
4. The next stop was in Šķēde, the world known place of the mass extermination of the Jews of Liepāja. This place became famous due to 12 surviving photographs taken by the Nazi on December 15, 1941, just before the execution of Jewish women, children and the elderly. 
5. In 2005 the “Memorial to the Jews of Liepāja – Victims of the Holocaust. 1941-1945” was opened. Over 19 years, this memorial site has been visited by thousands of city guests, schoolchildren, students, city residents and their descendants. During the years the sea wind, sand and rain brought great damage to the structure of the memorial.
6. On the initiative of the “Liepājas ebreju mantojums” Foundation and thanks to the financial support of the “Uniting” Foundation and the Restitution Fund, the Memorial in Šķēde was completely renovated and presented to the guests of the Reunion in its original form.
7. One of the traditions of the Reunion ceremony in Šķēde is to gather in one big circle and, holding hands, remember the horror that their loved ones experienced during the cold December days of 1941, when about 3,000 women, children and old people were mercilessly shot. Michael Gilad, the son of Liepāja residents Jewish survivors living in Germany sang “El-maleh Rachamim” and recited Kaddish. A wave of memories washed over the participants, many could not hold their tears. 
8. On the same day, at the Gala Evening, which was attended by more than 100 guests, the President of the Jewish Community of Latvia congratulated the foundation “Liepājas ebreju mantojums” on its 20th anniversary and noted the great significance of such events for the Jewish diaspora of Latvia and its uniqueness. As far as we know, no other community in Latvia holds such a format of international meetings, attracting the younger generation to learn about the history of their people, the history of their Latvian roots.
9. Another traditional event of the gatherings in Liepaja is the conference. Each year it has its own theme. This year, the Reunion Committee presented several projects that were being implemented and would be completed by the end of 2024. A team of researchers presented the future e-book about pre-war Jewish Liepaja in the context of the history of the city in various areas: education, sports, culture, medicine, business. Conference participants showed up a special interest of the presentation by Professor Philip Reeder from the USA. Using a non-invasive research method of identifying mass graves he and his team of researchers from the USA have identified known and unknown mass graves of the Holocaust victims in Liepāja since 2021. Another very important project that may help to preserve the pre-war Jewish burials in Liepaja is the digitalization of pre-war graves in the Jewish part of the Livas Cemetery. It was was presented by a specialist from the Cemety company. This project, which was also co-financed by the Restitution Fund, attracted great interest from the conference participants and the descendants of Liepāja residents.
10.There were Reunion participants who were specializing in the same area and had a big experience in doing a similar work in Israel and other European countries. The specialists exchanged contacts to improve the digitalization capabilities in Liepāja, including work with Yiddish and Hebrew texts.
On July 25 the art exhibition dedicated to the 400th anniversary of Liepaja was opened On July 25, during the 12th World Reunion of Liepaja Jewry, an art exhibition dedicated to the 400th anniversary of Liepaja was opened. The exhibition featured 45 paintings by two artists — E. Kaplan and O. Shmeleva. As the authors stated, this exhibition is an expression of respect and love for the city on the Baltic Sea coast, whose amazing and unique beauty never ceases to amaze. The gathering was attended by descendants of Liepaja residents who survived the Holocaust from 10 countries. One of the participants of the gathering noted: “Libava, as my mother used to call the city, is a magnificent place where elegance and presentation blend with a rebellious spirit that resists the winds, which, as I have understood, blow here constantly. The air is so clear and pure that it could be drunk. I fell in love with the city of my ancestors and will definitely return here with my children and grandchildren.” The exhibition was open until October 30. It was visited not only by the residents of our city, but also by many guests from abroad.
On May 8, the Liepaja Jewish Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the Jewish Community Board, organized commemorative ceremonies dedicated to the Day of the Defeat of Nazism and the Commemoration Day of the victims of World War II in Europe. The first memorial event took place at the Memorial Wall at the Jewish section of the Livas cemetery. Anna Petrova, the chairperson of the Jewish community board, spoke about the tragedy of the Holocaust in Liepaja and the memory that is crucial to study, preserve, and pass down from generation to generation. Prayers were then recited, candles were lit, and flowers were laid. Similar commemorative ceremonies were held at the lighthouse, in Šķēde at the Memorial to the Jews of Liepaja – the victims of the Holocaust, and at the memorial stone on the site of the former Liepaja ghetto. Holocaust commemorative ceremonies play a key role in preserving the memory of the tragedy, preventing forgetting, and fostering respect for the victims of the Holocaust. They serve not only as a tribute to those who perished but also as local educational centers where future generations can grasp the horror of the crimes and the importance of combating hatred, violence, and intolerance. 
International Holocaust Memorial Day On the eve of the International Holocaust memorial day, on January 25, the Liepāja Jewish Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the Embassy of Israel in Latvia, the museum “Jews in Latvia” and the Žanis Lipke Memorial, to mark the launch and translation into Latvian of the remarkable memoirs “Odyssey of a Child Survivor. From Latvia through the Camps to the United States” by Prof. George D. Schwab, President emeritus of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy and Holocaust survivor. George Schwab( recorded), Sharona Rapaport Palgi, Israel’s Ambassador to Latvia, Andrejs, Pildegovićs-Ambassador for special tasks – head of the secretariat of Latvia’s candidacy in the UN Security Council and Ilana Ivanova – director of the Liepāja Jewish Heritage Foundation addressed the audience. Excerpts from the memoirs of George Schwab were read by the well-known actor Gundars Āboliņš. Raimonds Gabaliņš became the winner of the competition organized by the foundation “Liepājas Jewish Heritage” for the design of the monument to the Jews of Liepāja who died during the Holocaust. His idea to create a Menorah-shaped memorial out of boulders was based on a special philosophical concept that the author developed while studying the history, traditions and heritage of Liepaja Jews of the Holocaust. According to Raymond’s concept, the centrepiece of the Menorah as a memorial is a symbol of the Jewish people and demonstrates their eternal connection to their history. During its 19 years of existence, the Memorial to Liepaja Jews-victims of the Holocaust has fully justified the vision and purpose of this monument presented by the author. Today it goes without saying that the Memorial in the dunes of Škēde will become a kind of monument to its author – a wonderful and reliable friend – sculptor, philosopher, artist Raimondas Gabaliņš. Jewish thematic, history, culture, traditions have always been in Raimonds’ sight since the first years of Latvia’s independence, when Liepaja survivors and their descendants came to Liepāja in search of pre-war burials of their relatives. Gabaliņš restored many monuments and inscriptions, even in Hebrew.
Raimond Gabaliņš. In memoriam.
On May 2, 2024, died Raimonds Gabaliņš, the author of the memorial to the Jews of Liepāja – victims of the holocaust, which was erected on June 3, 2005, in the dunes of Šķēde near Liepaja.
In 2014, Raimonds Gabalins became the author of another important project of the Liepaja Jewish Heritage Foundation. On July 9, 2014, during the World reunion of Liepaja/Libau Jewry, the Alley of the Righteous among the Nations was dedicated right there in Škede. At the centre of this project, Raimonds Gabaliņš has placed his understanding of history and its connection with the modern world. His awareness of the fragile line between life and death that separated the rescued Jews and their saviours became the reason for the philosophical justification of the location of the alley. The Alley of the Righteous Among the Nations, which leads to the Memorial to the victims of the Holocaust is a symbol of hope and a tribute to those heroic people who, despite the enormous risk, provided shelter and salvation to the Jews of Liepāja during the Second World War.
Another important event took place during the Reunion. It was Raimond’s idea to set up a memorial on the site of the destroyed Liepāja Choral Synagogue on Kuršu Street. A small stele with an authentic model of the pre-war Choral Synagogue leaves no one indifferent. In addition, the QR code attached to it allows you to get acquainted with the history of one of the most beautiful Houses of Worship destroyed during the war.
In 2022, during the 11th World Reunion of Liepaja/Libau Jewry Raimons Gabaliņš presented his new project, dedicated to the first mass extermination of the Jewish of Liepaja at the lighthouse, mostly men aged 16-60. Raymond mentioned that the results of the research of the mass graves of the victims of the Holocaust in the area of the fish cannery and the lighthouse, carried out by a team of geophysicists and archaeologists from the United States, greatly impressed him, and he had no doubts about what this memorial should look like and what its meaning would be.
He has never undertaken any project without carefully studying its background and everything related to traditions and philosophical approach to the implementation of a particular task.
When starting and implementing any projects related to the Jewish heritage of Liepāja, we always felt safe and confident, because we had such a reliable person and friend as Raimonds Gabaliņš by our side.
Raimonds left behind the most important thing – a bright memory and his talent in excellent works, some of which are dedicated to the preservation of the memory of the Jewish heritage of Liepāja.
The death of Raimonds Gabalinis is a huge loss for all of us.
Our deepest condolences to his entire family.