One of the first children born to the liberated Jews of Riga has been adopted by the Jewish community as a symbol of their escape from the Nazis and the rebirth of a new life.
The child’s mother, Freda Mikhelson, miraculously survived the first massacre of Riga Jews. Left for dead by German execution squads, she climbed out of a common grave and hid in the attics of friends throughout the occupation of the city. The baby boy has been named “Jude,” the name of a people whom the Nazis did not succeed in exterminating.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.