The number of Jews in Latvia is constantly decreasing. There were about 14 thousands of them in 1996. Now there are 9500. Since the formation of the Jewish community Grigoriy Krupnikov has been "the chief Jew of the country".

PRESERVE YOURSELF

- How was the Jewish community formed?

- In the late 1980s, after the plenary session of creative unions, which made a decision to set up the People's Front, a group of like-minded persons decided to establish the Latvian society of Jewish culture - LSJC. I was elected to the board of this society. In a year, when Jewish communities began appearing in other cities, the Council was formed, and I became the chairman of the Riga community and the co-chairman of the Council.

What was the motive? Irrational striving of people living outside its historical motherland to return to their roots. For many years it was the religion that kept these roots alive. Today, the Jewish communities are secular.

The Riga community has the federal structure. Its collective members are Jewish associations - veterans of the Great Patriotic War, repressed people for political motives, museum and documents center "Jews in Latvia", two Jewish schools, hospital and the center of culture.

About 300 children get secondary education in the Jewish school. About 200 more study under the aegis of synagogue.

Integration with preserving national roots is the model that exists in all Jewish communities.

- What language is the education in?

- The education is in Russian. Hebrew is also studied rather comprehensively. Yiddish is disappearing from the Jewish life. It is not worth preserving the outgoing language.

- Do you speak Yiddish?

- Practically not. I can hardly communicate in Yiddish. In order to give education to children, especially from low-income families the Jewish school was formed, precisely, revived.

However, our main target is to help veterans of war, former prisoners of ghetto, poor Jews. The social program covers more than 1000 people all over Latvia.

MONEY IS UNDER CONTROL

- Where do you take money to help people?

- Trips to the youth camps are funded by Ronald Lauder, who organized the fund for promoting Jewish education in Eastern Europe. Now he intends to give money to repair the school building. Pensions to ghetto prisoners are paid by the "Claims Conference". There are also international organizations. The most famous of them is "Joint".

- There are many rumors about funds of the Jewish community ...

- Yes, I know! They say that Krupnikov has looted all money ... Funds for social programs are under strict control. Every food parcel, every medicine and house cleaning are counted.

Karmela Skorik was granted funds to stage a play about the Holocaust. Some businessmen, including me, collected some money for our amateur groups to participate in the "Latvian wreath" festival. Every donator has the right to check what the money was spent for.

- But Leonid Koval didn't receive money to publish his "Book of salvation". It is the most serious book about the Holocaust in Latvia.

-Does he really say so? Ask him who helped him to receive the grant. By the way, there is too much personal in our relations, so I would not like to give any comments.

- As you like. But why did the community neglect the graves of the perished in Bikerneksk forest so long? In winter the children sledge there, in summer it is a walking place for dogs.

- Work is under way there now. A memorial complex shall be built. I have seen the project already. A grand impression! Not only Latvian Jews were shot in Bikernieksk forest. The memorial is the cemetery divided into squares with the names of cities and towns the victims were brought from. The work is supposed to finish in November, to the 60th anniversary of the mass action against the Riga ghetto prisoners.

(After the interview with Mr.Krupnikov I visited Bikernieksk forest but didn't see proofs of active work there. Only smart spaniels were running over and between graves. - A.K.)

SYNDROME OF SILENCE

- Aren't you worried that apologies for participation of Latvians in the Holocaust were said in secret? The President of Poland openly and all over the country apologized to Jewish people for Poles taking part in burning several hundreds of Jews ...

- There is a syndrome of silence in Latvia now. The government and society do not want to speak about the Holocaust, gentiles and people like Konstantin Paket who rebelled against fascism. Ask thousand of Latvians - who is he? They don't know ...

- ... They don't know also 100 gentiles, except Jan Lipke, who hid Jews during the war. The country didn't manage to immortalize their memory. Isn't it the reason for anti-Semitic actions?

- You do exaggerate! There is no anti-Semitism at the government level. No doubt about it.

- Don't you remember the statement of Mr. Shkale saying that there is "none of the crook-nosed" among the managers of his firm? And what about the sensational article "Zhyds rule the world?" ...

- Mr. Shkele apologized to the community and me personally. As to the magazine "Kapitals" I appealed to the attorney and the investigation is under way. That publication was disgraceful. This is a product of half-wits. I have no claims to the leaders of the country. I do nor agree that Nazism is promoted in the country.

ZHYD IS NOT AN INSULT BUT ...

- However, the word "zhyd" is often used.

- In Latvian this word is not an offence. Mr.Pliner is not right by stating that in the Latvian army people were sent to the guardhouse for using this word. The lexicon of Rudolf Blaumanis didn't contain the word "ebrejs". The Latvian emigrants also do not know this word.

In Russia and Ukraine this word is traditionally insulting. In this meaning it came to us after 1945.

- Again Russians are guilty! In the USA they simply banned to pronounce "Negro". That is all. No any research.

- I agree. If it has happened that there are people in Latvia for whom the word "zhyd" is insulting then the society should approach this problem from the ethic point of view.

- Meanwhile the Jewish diaspora is actively diminishing by 1000-1200 annually. ...

- I wouldn't speak about active diminishing. Well, repatriation to Israel goes on but not so actively as in 1980-1990. Today, Jewish young people, as well as Russian and Latvian, go abroad to study or as invited specialists. By the way, many come back. Old people go mainly to Germany through the emigration program. One can understand them. The social protection in Germany is higher than in Latvia. However, there are about 500 children studying in two Jewish schools ... people get married ... give birth to children ...

- ... and do not rush to take the Latvian citizenship.

- Not long ago 65% of Jewish daispora have the status of non-citizens, now they are only 40%. Look at the dynamics of enrolment in Russian and Latvian schools. Parents send their children to Latvian schools, because Russian schools can hardly teach them Latvian well. This means that the graduates will be non-competitive.

- Why does the Jewish school use the Russian school curriculum?

- Not all isgood in this area. In Copenhagen the teaching language in the Jewish school is Danish, in Paris - French, in London - English, and then goes the language the community wants its children to know. This variant should become basic in Latvia too.

Grigoriy Krupnikov was born in 1949. In 1971 he graduated from the Latvian state university (department of physics and mathematics). For 20 years he worked in the Electronic and Computer Institute, Latvian Academy of Science. He was a deputy of the Riga Duma, now a businessmen - president of a Riga holding.

G.Krupnikov is married and has four children. Juniors are 8,12 and 15 years old. They study in Riga. The eldest daughter is a Jerusalem University student.