The Jews in Latvia Museum aspires to preserve and perpetuate the rich cultural heritage of Latvia’s Jewish community from the 16th century into the present day, as well as to promote tolerance, social cohesion and understanding of diversity in Latvia and beyond. The museum belongs to the Jewish community of Rīga and is among the few private museums accredited by the Latvian State. The Jewish Museum was founded in 1989 by a group of Holocaust survivors led by a prominent historian Marģers Vestermanis. In its early days, the museum worked as a record keeping centre, but in 1996, the first small permanent exhibition was created and ended up sparking great public interest.

The current display is located on the third floor of the headquarters of the Jewish Community of Rīga. The display gives a glimpse into Jewish history, domestic life, traditions, public life and the imprint of the Jewish people on the culture of Latvia in the course of 450 years. A special section addresses the tragedy of the Holocaust. One important aspect of the museum’s work is Holocaust research, preserving the memory of the perished, identifying the people who rescued Jews during the Holocaust and perpetuating their memory. The collection is vast and diverse, numbering around 16,000 items.