(Rus.
Rezhitsa; Ger.
Rositten) A city in
Latvia, one of the larger cities of the E. Latvian province of
Latgale. in 1851 Jewish merchants were given permission to live in the
new part of the town. In the course of the 19th century the Jewish
population grew steadily; in 1847 there were 542 Jews and in 1897 they
numbered 6,478. By 1920 the number of Jews had declined to 4,148 (41.5);
in 1925 to 3,911 (31); and by 1935 to 3,342 (25.4). Most Jews were
either merchants or artisans, and during the period of
Latvia's democratic regime (1918 - 34) there was a very active
Jewish communal life.
Rezekne had a yeshiva, several Yiddish and Hebrew schools, and a
variety of communal organizations and institutions.
The town was occupied by the Nazis in the summer of 1941. most of the
Jews were murdered in a nearby forest.
"Encyclopedia Judaica"
©1972, Keter Publishing House Jerusalem Ltd
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