The predominantly Russian-speaking (nearly 80%) Jewish community of Latvia, which emerged as early as the second half of the 16th century, currently faces numerous complex challenges. These include a declining Jewish population and an increasing proportion of elderly people, as well as the unresolved issue of Jewish property restitution. Addressing the latter could serve both as a measure of historical justice and as a means to strengthen the community's financial independence, thereby enabling programs to engage children and youth in community life. Finally, there is the ongoing struggle against negative stereotypes and the threat of antisemitism, which is currently rising in many parts of contemporary Europe.

In 2018, the Republic of Latvia marked the centenary of its independence. At this milestone, the Jewish community, whose origins date back to the second half of the 16th century, faced the challenges of the modern era. The first of these is demographic, manifested both in the overall decline of the Jewish population and in the growing share of the elderly. The issue of Jewish property restitution remains of paramount importance. Beyond restoring historical justice, its resolution would secure financial independence for the community. Such funds are necessary, among other things, to implement programs for children and youth, thereby facilitating their involvement in communal life. Finally, debates surrounding the return of property lost during World War II continue to fuel anti-Jewish stereotypes, particularly online. This raises the question of the contemporary threat of antisemitism in Latvia, especially in light of the situation in Western European states.

Demographics of the Latvian Jewish Community and Citizenship Status

Estimates of the Jewish population in the Republic of Latvia range from 4,567[1] to 8,210[2]. This discrepancy is due to differing statistical methodologies employed by various state agencies. The former figure likely refers to the de facto population, while the latter represents the de jure population. Notably, European Union information resources tend to rely on data from the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, which reports the lower population figures.

The most recent census in Latvia, conducted in 2011, recorded 6,416 Jews, with nearly 80% identifying Russian as their mother tongue[3]. Declaration of ethnicity in the census was voluntary, as is the inclusion of nationality in passports. Although proposals to reintroduce mandatory declaration of nationality in passports have been discussed in the Saeima (Latvian Parliament), the 2016 amendments to the Law on Name, Surname and Nationality Change only restricted the ability to change one's registered nationality to "Latvian" or "Liv" to those possessing verified documentary proof.[4] However, this amendment primarily affected individuals obtaining citizenship or residence permits and did not present a significant issue for the country's Jewish community.

The status of individuals holding "non-citizen" status in the Republic of Latvia remains relevant. Fewer than 1,857 Jews hold this status[5], and this number has decreased significantly in recent years.[6] For comparison, in 2001, there were over 3,922 such individuals.[7] This decline aligns with broader national trends, driven by natural demographic changes, the registration of children of non-citizens as citizens, naturalization, and emigration.

Following the 2013 amendments to the Citizenship Law of Latvia, Israel was not included in the list of countries whose citizens may hold dual Latvian citizenship. However, this issue did not generate significant resonance within the domestic Jewish community, being of far greater concern to Latvian emigrants residing in Israel.[8]

Regarding the age structure of the community, there is a clear trend toward an aging population. According to the Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia, individuals over the age of 60 constitute 54.9% of the total Jewish population, while the age groups of 0-14, 15-29, and 30-59 represent 6%, 7.6%, and 31.4% respectively.[9] Since senior citizens are often the primary participants in community events, increasing emphasis is being placed on attracting children and young people.

Antisemitism: Manifestations and Countermeasures

From the perspective of the Jewish Community of Latvia, antisemitism does not pose a severe threat comparable to the situation in Western Europe. As early as September 1990, the Supreme Council of Latvia adopted a declaration condemning genocide and antisemitism. Political and state figures regularly participate in Holocaust remembrance events organized by the Council of Jewish Communities of Latvia. The Executive Director of the Riga Jewish Community and the Director of the Š. Dubnovs Riga Jewish Secondary School serve on the Advisory Committee on Minority Education under the Ministry of Education and Science of Latvia. In 2004, the Republic of Latvia joined the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA).

No antisemitic physical assaults have been recorded in the Republic of Latvia in recent years. A report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) on antisemitism in Europe, citing data provided by the Latvian government, notes that no antisemitic crimes were registered in 2015, 2017, and 2018. According to the FRA, the desecration of a Jewish cemetery in Riga occurred in 2016, prompting a criminal investigation[10]. A report by the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, citing media sources, mentions acts of vandalism at the Jewish cemetery in Rēzekne in the summer and autumn of 2017[11]. However, the 2016 incident is not documented in open sources, and the most recent media reports of Jewish cemetery desecrations in Riga date back to 2009–2010, when the Žanis Lipke memorial was also vandalized.

Online antisemitism represents a distinct area of concern. According to the 2015 brochure "Antisemītisma izpausmes: vēsture un mūsdienas"[12], the Latvian-language segment of the internet contains antisemitic publications on social media and forums. These include racial and religious hostility, as well as the dissemination of stereotypes regarding Jewish political and economic influence detrimental to the state. Such comments accompany discussions of both historical events and current affairs. The authors emphasize that data collected during the study indicates that a significant portion of these anonymous comments are authored by young people. As noted in the brochure, this contradicts the widely held assumption that antisemitism naturally declines with generational change[13].

A similar phenomenon is observable in the Russian-language segment of the internet. However, analyzing this segment is complicated by the fact that comments are frequently posted not by Russian-speaking residents of Latvia, but by individuals residing in other states, including neighboring Baltic countries, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia. This user group primarily discusses historical and political topics on social networks and forums.

The election of E. Levits, who has Jewish ancestry on his father's side, to the presidency of the Republic of Latvia by the Saeima served as a pretext for speculation on social media. However, unlike in Ukraine, the trope of "Jews in power" did not gain substantial traction. Claims in some Russian-language sources that the President's father supported the Soviet regime reinforced long-standing myths regarding a lack of patriotism among Latvian Jews and their alleged alliance with communists, though this topic subsequently faded from social media discussions and forums.

Combating online antisemitism remains a highly complex challenge. It is addressed through various means, ranging from individual counter-commenting to organized institutional efforts. Among the organizations involved is the Latvian Centre for Human Rights, which co-published the aforementioned brochure "Antisemītisma izpausmes: vēsture un mūsdienas." Additionally, between 2013 and 2015, the Centre, in cooperation with the Council of Jewish Communities of Latvia, implemented a project titled "Strengthening NGO Capacity to Prevent Hate Speech Online."

The Issue of Jewish Property Restitution

The restitution of or compensation for property lost during World War II is of critical importance to the Latvian Jewish community. Following the restoration of Latvia's independence, several attempts were made to secure the restitution of communal property. To date, only partial results have been achieved. Some properties were returned in the 1990s and 2000s. In February 2016, the Saeima approved legislation transferring five properties in Riga, Jūrmala, and Kandava to the community. A restitution fund was established in May of that year to manage these assets.

The enacted legislation states that the government's decision aims "to alleviate the historical injustice resulting from the Holocaust perpetrated by the Nazi totalitarian regime and the actions of the Soviet communist totalitarian regime on the territory of the Republic of Latvia."[14] This formulation references not only the wartime plunder of Jewish property but also the subsequent refusal of the Soviet regime to return properties and its suppression of public discussion on the matter, which is viewed as a primary factor delaying the restitution process.

A separate law passed by the Saeima in 2016 concerned the historical Jewish Club building at 6 Skolas Street, which has housed the Latvian Society for Jewish Culture since late 1988. Although this property was transferred to the Riga Jewish Community in 2003, the original transfer document contained two major restrictions: a ban on subsequent transfer of ownership rights (restricting free disposal of the asset) and a provision returning the building to the state should the community "cease to exist."[15] In the initial text, the first reference to the community appeared in quotation marks as a public organization, while the second reference regarding the building's reversion did not. The 2016 law repealed these two contested provisions[16].

The restitution of these five properties was widely seen as an initial step toward securing the return of an additional 265 properties (some sources still cite 270). In the summer of 2019, attempts were made to resume legislative discussions on the matter, with proponents favoring financial compensation over the physical transfer of buildings. The official position of the Jewish Community of Latvia remains that restitution should not be carried out in a piecemeal, phased manner.

Future Outlook

The issues outlined above assist in defining the future trajectory of the Jewish community in contemporary Latvia. The demographic challenges identified align with broader trends affecting European Jewry as a whole. Recently, assertions have been made that these demographic trends will soon lead to such a drastic decline in population that efforts should shift toward memorializing these communities rather than researching their current state and future prospects. This view appears entirely unwarranted. Indeed, the efforts of the Latvian Jewish community to remove the reversion clause from the property transfer legislation serve as strong evidence of its vitality.

Looking ahead, property restitution will remain a paramount objective for the Jewish community of the Republic of Latvia. Its significance lies not merely in the act of compensation, but in the vital resources it will provide for the development of communal life. Regarding the threat of antisemitism, the absence of violent incidents in recent years indicates no immediate physical danger. Nonetheless, continuous monitoring of public discourse, particularly online, remains essential to preempt potential risks and correct factual inaccuracies in foreign reporting.

[1] Population by ethnicity and age at the beginning of the year (by 5-year age groups) // Central Statistical Bureau database. URL: https://data.csb.gov.lv/pxweb/en/iedz/iedz__iedzrakst/IRG090.px/table/tableViewLayout1/

[2] Distribution of the population of Latvia by nationality and citizenship (01.07.2019) // Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia. URL: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/lv/assets/ISVN_Latvija_pec_TTB_VPD01072019.pdf

[3] On key provisional results of Population and Housing Census 2011, 1 March 2011 // Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. 18.01.2012 URL: https://www.csb.gov.lv/en/statistics/statistics-by-theme/population/census/search-in-theme/1127-key-provisional-results-population-and-housing

[4] Law on Changing of a Given Name, Surname and Nationality Record. Saeima 08.04.2009 (With amendments of 15.09.2016, in force from 13.10.2016) // Latvijas Vēstnesis, 66. 29.04.2009. URL: https://likumi.lv/ta/id/191209-varda-uzvarda-un-tautibas-ieraksta-mainas-likums

[5] Distribution of the population of Latvia by nationality and citizenship (01.07.2019) // Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia. URL: https://www.pmlp.gov.lv/lv/assets/ISVN_Latvija_pec_TTB_VPD01072019.pdf

[6] For details, see: Yakimova E.A. State Policy of the Republic of Latvia Towards the Jewish Population (1990-2017) // Jews of Europe and the Middle East: Culture, History, Languages and Literature. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference. St. Petersburg Institute of Jewish Studies, 2018. Pp. 129-134.

[7] Dribins L., Gūtmanis A., Vestermanis M. Latvian Jewish Community: History, Tragedy, Rebirth. 22.02.2016. // Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. URL: https://www.mfa.gov.lv/ministrija/publikacijas/latvijas-ebreju-kopiena-vesture-tragedija-atdzimsana#lvkopiena

[8] For details, see: Yakimova E.A. The State of Israel and the Baltic States: Between Past and Future. Moscow: Institute of the Middle East, 2016. 186 p. URL: http://book.iimes/su/?page_id=5089

[9] Population by ethnicity and age at the beginning of the year (by 5-year age groups) // Central Statistical Bureau database. URL: https://data1.csb.gov.lv/pxweb/en/iedz/iedz__iedzrakst/IRG090.px/table/tableViewLayout1/

[10] Antisemitism. Overview of data available in the European Union 2008-2018 // European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, November 2019. DOI: 10.2811/116610 tk-01-19-751-EN-N URL: fra.europa.eu/sites/default/files/fra_uploads/fra-2019-antisemitism-overview-2008-2018_en.pdf P. 62

[11] ECRI Report on Latvia (fifth monitoring cycle). Adopted 04.12.2018. Published 05.03.2019. // European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Council of Europe. ECRI Secretariat. Directorate General II – Democracy. Council of Europe. URL: https://rm.coe.int/fifth-report-on-latvia/1680934a9f P. 19

[12] Ļenskis I., Bērziņš D. Manifestations of Antisemitism: History and Present // Council of Jewish Communities of Latvia; Latvian Centre for Human Rights; Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway EEA Grants; Society Integration Fund. Scientific Editor: Zellis K. Latvian Centre for Human Rights, 2015. 40 p.

[13] Ibid. P. 38.

[14] See, for example: On the transfer of real estate in Riga, 2 Abrenes Street. Saeima 25.02.2016 // Latvijas Vēstnesis, 48. 09.03.2016. URL: https://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=280780

[15] On the transfer of real estate to the public organization "Riga Jewish Community". Saeima 04.12.2003 // Latvijas Vēstnesis. 17.12.2003. URL: https://www.vestnesis.lv/ta/id/82183

[16] Amendments to the Law "On the transfer of real estate to the public organization 'Riga Jewish Community'". Saeima // Latvijas Vēstnesis, 48. 09.03.2016. URL: https://likumi.lv/ta/id/280778-grozijumi-likuma-par-nodosanu-sabiedriskajai-organizacijai-rigas-ebreju-kopiena