The second room is dedicated to the cultural, political and social life of the Jews in Latvia from 1918 to 1941 — the golden age of the Jewish community in the free state of Latvia.
With the foundation of the Republic of Latvia, Jews took an active part in the new state. Many took part in the War for Independence, tens of them were honored. During the democratic rule, Jewish political parties took an active part in the elections and were represented in the Saeima (parliament) and municipalities.
The Jewish political life was determined by the rivalry between religious conservative, social democratic and Zionist ideologies. They were included in political party programs and received a lot of interest.
The struggle between various political trends was reflected not only in politics, but also in educational institutions. Jewish schools, some of which received state funding, offered a wide array educational models in four languages – Yiddish, Hebrew, Russian and German.
Alongside political and educational associations, Jewish organizations formed to support culture, sport, religion, social life, mutual-aid, students and more. State support of national-cultural autonomy stimulated an active artistic and intellectual life.
This cultural flourishing was partly limited by the dissolution of Latvia’s democracy in 1934 and was completely put to an end by the Soviet occupation in 1940-1941. Soviet authorities suppressed almost all Jewish organizations, while many important persons alongside thousands of other Latvian citizens were deported or shot.