Small Riga Ghetto

47
when it came to looting, even they were not spared. Every day when I visited
the lawyer Eljaschow I saw that another piece of his furniture was missing,
taken away by the Latvians since my last visit.
My comrade Pukin and I persuaded Eljaschow – by taking full responsibility
for his decision - to head the Jewish community of Riga. His wife, who was
also a lawyer and very intelligent and clever, reinforced our efforts. We based
our request on the fact that he, as Chairman of the Jewish Latvian Freedom
Fighters' Association and a well-known public figure, would have a certain
amount of influence on the Latvians. He accepted our suggestion and also persuaded
the no less capable Blumenau (the elder of the Blumenau brothers) and
the universally respected Grischa Minsker to work with him. Both of them had
also played a large role in the Freedom Fighters' Association. Now these three
men made a genuine effort to improve the Jews' situation, using all of their
possibilities – but unfortunately without any success. They were not officially
recognized by the Latvian administration, and they had no access to the German
authorities.
I myself once tried to arrange an audience for them with Fuhrmann, who
was the commander at that time, at the German Field Headquarters, where I
was working. And Fuhrmann promised me to grant them an audience. When
they arrived I had to lead them through the back door of the courtyard, but
even so they were not received. Fuhrmann explained to me that he could not
risk it.
In the meantime, a regulation was passed regarding the creation of a ghetto.
An official representative body for Jewish affairs was appointed and recognized.
The three aforementioned persons (Eljaschow, Blumenau and Minsker)
were now joined by Kaufert (of the Zasulauks Manufacturing Co.) and Dr.
Blumenfeld, and later on by a Vienna Jew named Schlitter, who had easier access
to the Germans. These men wore wide blue-and-white armbands with a
large Star of David on their left arms. These insignia gave them the right,
among other things, to use the sidewalks and the streetcars.
XIV.
According to the regulation, "a ghetto in which all Jews have to be quartered
must be established in Riga by 25 October 1941". The site of this ghetto included
the left side of Maskavas (Moscow) Street, going from Lāčplēša Street
to Jersikas Street and ending with Žīdu (Jews') Street next to the old Jewish
cemetery. From there, the boundary extended along Lauvas Street to Lielā
Kalna Street; then from the right side of Lielā Kalna Street along Daugavpils,