REUNION OF LATVIAN JEWRY
- In the 1950s, Holocaust Survivors founded the Association of Jewish Survivors from Estonia and Latvia in Israel . Amongst them were not only pioneers who built the first Kibbutz before WWII but also survivors of the Holocaust and the soviet deportation in 1941 June,14. Since then, regular meetings of Survivors and their descendants have taken place. This period saw the start of what became a significant tradition: the World Reunion of Latvian Jewry.
- The Jews of Liepaja (Libau) origin were grouped under the leadership of Gershon Yuval (Grisha Landman, one of the first scout members of the 52th pack of Jewish scouts). The leadership of this group passed to Professor Solomon Feigerson who as a boy survived the Liepāja ghetto and concentration camps.
- The Association of American Jewish Survivors from Latvia was founded in the USA in 1985 and the Riga Holocaust Survivor Steven Springfield and Prof. George Schwab, who as a boy of 10 overcame the horrors of Liepāja ghetto and concentration camps..
- At the first meeting in Israel of the Liepāja Survivors in 1988, Raya Westermann-Mazin, addressing the participants of the meeting, said:
“My husband, who was not a Libauer, used to say:
“This, your Libau, is the strangest place I’ve ever heard about. Approximately 9000 Jews lived there before the war, the Nazis killed more than 90%, but wherever you go, you will always meet at least one Libauer. “
This phenomenon is a unique manifestation of devotion and deep love for Libau (Liepāja), for our small but beautiful city on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Everyone who leaves Liepāja (Libau) for any reason sooner or later encounters an irresistible longing and a desire to return: to the sea, to the unique city beach, to parks, to its streets, plunged into history and, above all, to return to their roots. - The first World Reunion of Latvian Jewish Survivors was organized in Riga in 1990 by Marger Vestermanis and Alexander Bergman. Among the participants was a group of Liepāja Survivors who visited their hometown and set up contacts with the reunited Jewish Community of Liepāja.
- This meeting formed the basis for regular gatherings of Liepāja Jews from many countries of the world, which are organized by the “Uniting History” and “Liepājas ebreju mantojums” Foundations.
- They provide an opportunity for Jewish Holocaust survivors and their descendants to meet in their hometown and share memories not only of the horrors of war, but also of miraculous rescues and Saviors of Jews in 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, subsequent reunions of Liepāja Jewry took place under the auspices of the World Reunion of Latvian Jewry. This was followed by reunions in 2007 in Israel, in 2011 in Riga and Liepāja and in 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2024 in Liepāja.
Reunion 2024
Reunion Diary
WELCOME TO THE 12th WORLD REUNION OF LIEPĀJA/LIBAU JEWRY 2024!
Dear Liepāja Jewish Survivors, descendants, Your Excellences, Distinguished Guests, members of the Jewish Community, families and friends!
We are honored and delighted to host the 12th World Reunion of Liepāja/Libau Jewry.
There are 42 descendants from approximately 10 countries here today.
On behalf of the Liepāja Jewish Heritage Foundation, I would like to extend my warmest welcome to all the participants and guests from different countries. The Foundation is organizing the Reunion and hosting the event with Uniting History and the Liepāja Jewish Community.
The Liepāja Heritage Foundation was established in 2004 and while a number of the Founding members have passed away, in attendance will still be Sergejs Zaharijns, members of the Haas family and, by video link from New York, George Schwab.
The Foundation was established to ensure that the history of the Jews of Libau (now known as Liepāja) would be perpetuated, the daily affairs of the Jewish Community encouraged and supported and a solid base established for a continuing and vibrant Jewish presence in the future.
We look forward to the forthcoming gathering of people from around the world, united by their historical and present attachment to the town of Liepāja, formerly known as Libau.
Today we are so lucky to have many important and good things at once: nice day, hugs from Libau descendants whom we have never met and those whom we have already met and who joined the Libauers fraternity.
We shall pay tribute to the victims of the Holocaust, and learn more about the contribution of Liepaja Jews in pre-war economic development of the city, in its culture, health care, sports and business. And we shall enjoy nice meal and a wonderful concert of professional musicians of the Liepaja Symphony orchestra at the Gala on Friday 26 July.
The Reunion has the unique distinction of bringing together such a large number of devoted people to Liepāja descendants of Jewish survivors, members of the Jewish Community and friends.
This year the Reunion will focused on the 20th anniversary of the Liepāja Jewish Heritage Foundation and the 35th anniversary of the revival of Jewish life in Liepāja.
The tradition of Reunions started long ago.
In the 1950s Holocaust survivors founded the association of Jewish Survivors from Estonia and Latvia in Israel. Amongst them were not only pioneers who built the first kibbutz before WWII, but also Holocaust survivors and victims of the Soviet deportation on 14 June 1941.
Since then, regular gatherings of survivors and their descendants have taken place. This was the start of a significant tradition: the World Reunion of Latvian Jewry.
Originally, the Jews of Liepāja (Libau) were grouped under the leadership of Gershon Yuval (Grisha Landman) and later undertaken by Solomon Feigerson, a Liepaja Holocaust survivor.
The Association of American Jewish Survivors from Latvia was founded in the USA in 1985 by the Riga Holocaust Survivors Steven Springfield and the Liepāja Holocaust Survivor Prof. George Schwab.
Here are some wonderful sentences from the welcoming speech by Raya Westerman Mazin at one of the first gatherings of Libau survivors in Israel: “My husband, who was not a Libauer, used to say: ‘Your Libau is the strangest place I’ve ever heard about. Approximately 9000 Jews lived there before the war, the Nazis killed more than 90%, but wherever you go, you will always meet at least one Libauer.
This phenomenon is a unique manifestation of devotion and deep love for Libau, for our small but beautiful city on the shore of the Baltic Sea. Everyone who leaves Libau for any reason sooner or later encounters an irresistible longing and a desire to return: to the sea, to the unique city beach, to parks, to its streets, plunged into history and, above all, to return to their roots. As for us, it is no use fooling ourselves: we cannot overcome the laws of nature. But, as long as one is alive, there is always a future.
The first World Reunion of Jewish Survivors of Latvia was organized in Riga in 1990 by Marger Vestermanis and Alexandrs Bergmanis. There was a big group of Liepāja Survivors who visited their hometown and set up contacts with the renewed Jewish Community.
Since then, every four, later every two years, the Liepāja Jewish Survivors, their children and grandchildren united at a family-like meeting in Liepāja hosted by the Jewish Community. Since 2005 the World Reunion of Liepāja/Libau Jewry is hosted by the Liepāja Jewish Heritage Foundation and the Liepājas Jewish Community. Since 2014 it continued in partnership with the Foundation Uniting.
This year we host the 12th World Reunion of Liepāja Jewry and we expect Meri Boyar, one of our honourable Survivors, and her daughter Braha Boyar to join us although Meri is over 90.
She said she would like to see her beloved Liepāja and smell the fresh air from the sea. Prof. George Schwab, our prominent Survivor from Liepaja, will hopefully welcome us by Zoom.
20 years ago, George Schwab, Sheila Robbins, Selwyn and Raymond Haas, Sergej Zaharjin and Ilya Segal, the founding members of the Liepāja Jewish Heritage foundation, clearly defined the Foundation’s tasks and goals: to research and preserve the past, and bring it to the future over the bridge which is the present.
We know that the present is always the shortest of all times. The present is today, this very moment. The fact that three generations of Liepaja/Libau descendants are all assembled here now is the best proof that we, the Libauers, are still able to make dreams come true. So, all we have to do now at present is to enjoy it. To enjoy every single moment of it!
A HAPPY AND SUCCESFUL REUNION TO ALL OF US!
