General Jewish Labour Bund in Latvia
Encyclopedia
The General Jewish Labour Bund in Latvia was a Jewish
socialist party in Latvia
, adhering to the political line of the General Jewish Labour Bund.
in December 1918. In the fall of 1920, a Central Bureau of the Latvian Bund was constituted. The Latvian Bund became an autonomous organization affiliated with the Latvian Socialist Democratic Workers Party. The Bund had one seat in the Central Committee of the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party.
The Bund, as well as other leftwing groups in Latvia at the time, was repeatedly targeted by far right elements. On June 20, 1921 the president of the party Avrom Braun was sentenced to death by an extraordinary tribunal and executed.
The party published the biweekly Di naye tsayt during seven years.
The relations among Jewish socialists and with the rest of the socialist movement were far better than in Poland
; at the first parliamentary elections in 1918 two Bundists were elected, then four at the Riga municipal council election in 1919, on a common list of the Social Democratic bloc, which gained 36 of the 96 seats. According to Daniel Blatman, there were 500 active members of the Latvian Bund in 1934.
As pointed out by Frank Gordon, "Between the two world wars Latvia was the only country where the Bund had a parliamentary representative of its own.".
I.(Itzhak?) Bärs represented the interests of the Bund in the Latvian Constituent Assembly
elected in March-April 1920. He was later the director of a gymnasium
where Yiddish was the language of education, and was removed from office after the coup d'état in 1934 on the grounds of "political unreliability".
Dr. Noah Meisel
, also a Daugavpils
city council member, was subsequently elected for the Bund in the three first Latvian Parliament
s in 1922, 1925 and 1928, but was not reelected in 1931. He was arrested and deported by the Soviet authorities after the Soviet invasion and annexation of Latvia in 1940 and died in exile in far Northern Russia in 1956.
According to Valdis Lumans, "the leftist Bund more often than not sided with Latvian Social Democrats more than with the Jewish bloc" (comprising Agudath Israel, the Zionists and the Jewish National Democratic Party).
, to the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Menshevik)
delegation at the founding Vienna conference of the International Working Union of Socialist Parties
in 1921, where he was particularly active in association with the Menshevik leader Julius Martov
. He "emerged as one of the recognized leaders of the Vienna Union".
. Its leading members included Mark Donskoy, Iosif Lensky and Abraham Gurevich.
History of the Jews in Latvia
The History of the Jews in Latvia dates back to the first Jewish colony established in Piltene in 1571. Jews contributed to Latvia's development until the Northern War , which decimated Latvia's population...
socialist party in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, adhering to the political line of the General Jewish Labour Bund.
The beginnings of the Latvian Bund
The first post-independence Latvian Bundist activities began with a congress of members of Unzer Tsayt in RigaRiga
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. With 702,891 inhabitants Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states, one of the largest cities in Northern Europe and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial,...
in December 1918. In the fall of 1920, a Central Bureau of the Latvian Bund was constituted. The Latvian Bund became an autonomous organization affiliated with the Latvian Socialist Democratic Workers Party. The Bund had one seat in the Central Committee of the Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party.
The Bund, as well as other leftwing groups in Latvia at the time, was repeatedly targeted by far right elements. On June 20, 1921 the president of the party Avrom Braun was sentenced to death by an extraordinary tribunal and executed.
The party published the biweekly Di naye tsayt during seven years.
The relations among Jewish socialists and with the rest of the socialist movement were far better than in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
; at the first parliamentary elections in 1918 two Bundists were elected, then four at the Riga municipal council election in 1919, on a common list of the Social Democratic bloc, which gained 36 of the 96 seats. According to Daniel Blatman, there were 500 active members of the Latvian Bund in 1934.
The Bundist members of the Latvian Parliament
I.(Itzhak?) Bärs represented the interests of the Bund in the Latvian Constituent Assembly
Tautas Padome
Tautas padome or People's Council of Latvia was a temporary council which declared Latvia's independence in 1918 and then acted as a temporary parliament until a Constitutional Assembly was elected....
elected in March-April 1920. He was later the director of a gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
where Yiddish was the language of education, and was removed from office after the coup d'état in 1934 on the grounds of "political unreliability".
Dr. Noah Meisel
Noah Meisel
Noah Meisel was a Jewish Bundist politician and doctor in Latvia. He worked in the Latvian Department of Health. Meisel, also a Daugavpils city council member, was elected for the Bund in the three first Latvian Parliament in 1922, 1925 and 1928, but was not reelected in 1931.Meisel was arrested...
, also a Daugavpils
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city in southeastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. Daugavpils literally means "Daugava Castle". With a population of over 100,000, it is the second largest city in the country after the capital Riga, which is located some...
city council member, was subsequently elected for the Bund in the three first Latvian Parliament
Saeima
Saeima is the parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the popular vote. Elections are scheduled to be held once every four years,...
s in 1922, 1925 and 1928, but was not reelected in 1931. He was arrested and deported by the Soviet authorities after the Soviet invasion and annexation of Latvia in 1940 and died in exile in far Northern Russia in 1956.
According to Valdis Lumans, "the leftist Bund more often than not sided with Latvian Social Democrats more than with the Jewish bloc" (comprising Agudath Israel, the Zionists and the Jewish National Democratic Party).
International affiliation
After WWI, the Latvian Bund sent a representative, Raphael AbramovitchRaphael Abramovitch
Raphael Rein Abramovich was a Russian socialist, a member of the General Jewish Workers' Union in Lithuania, Poland and Russia and a leader of the Menshevik wing of the Russian Social-Democratic Workers' Party .-Life:...
, to the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (Menshevik)
Menshevik
The Mensheviks were a faction of the Russian revolutionary movement that emerged in 1904 after a dispute between Vladimir Lenin and Julius Martov, both members of the Russian Social-Democratic Labour Party. The dispute originated at the Second Congress of that party, ostensibly over minor issues...
delegation at the founding Vienna conference of the International Working Union of Socialist Parties
International Working Union of Socialist Parties
The International Working Union of Socialist Parties was a political international for the co-operation of socialist parties.-History:...
in 1921, where he was particularly active in association with the Menshevik leader Julius Martov
Julius Martov
Julius Martov or L. Martov was born in Constantinople in 1873...
. He "emerged as one of the recognized leaders of the Vienna Union".
Communist splinter group
In 1920 Jewish communists also formed the illegal organisation Kamp Bund (The Bund of Struggle), which functioned as the Jewish section of the Communist Party of LatviaCommunist Party of Latvia
Communist Party of Latvia was a political party in Latvia.- Latvian Social-Democracy prior to 1919 :The party was founded at a congress in June 1904. Initially the party was known as the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party . During its second party congress in 1905 it adopted the programme of...
. Its leading members included Mark Donskoy, Iosif Lensky and Abraham Gurevich.