The below listed persons are only the few that I know of who lived in Dagda. I - and other Dagda researchers - will be grateful for any information about other persons, who lived in Dagda, - from Census-, Revision- or other lists, or just from family stories and photos.

If we all cooperate, we could perhaps "reconstruct" the life in Dagda. So please write to me: Elsebeth Paikin

I have received a some information about a few other persons/families with from Dagda:

Berele CHAGY (HAGGAI)

1. The world-famous cantor, Berele CHAGY (HAGGAI), was born in Dagda on July 25, 1892. He emigrated to the United States in 1913.

(Information from Paul Silverman)

2. The famous Cantor (Chazan) Berele (Boris) CHAGY, the son of Yitzchak and Sheine CHAGY was from Dagda.

(Information from Eli Goldstein, Johannesburg, South Africa)

3. Berele Chagy was a great hazzan and officiated at Smolensk by 17. Later he had congregations in USA (New York, Detroit and Boston) and in South Africa. The last few years he was at the great Brooklyn shul Bethel (Bethel Synagogue created some rushes towards a movie of its great cantors). He went from Dagda to Riga to study, thence to Smoilensky (a cigarette case given to him with inscriptions in Hebrew "From the Hassids of Smolensk" is still in the family). Because of his youth he required special permission to be a cantor presiding there.

    His father and his father's father are supposed to have all been cantors. At nine he was accompanying his own father in singing and praying. One day he ran away to another village and was found davvening there!

    He married very early a young woman, Esther, who was very active as a Zionist, though they never made aliyah together and she visited only late in life. His sons became philosophers and pianists. His grandchildren are in the arts.

    He had a hard time escaping the army and came to America. He died while praying in Newark, New Jersey, in l954.

(He is listed in many Jewish encyclopedias.)
(His students - or those who sang under him are - interesting: From Jan Peerce and Danny Kaye to others.)

(Information from David Shapiro, New York, USA)

Any further information about Berele CHAGY (HAGGAI) will be greatly appreciated. Write to: Elsebeth Paikin

Abe Sidney GELFAND

Abe Sidney GELFAND was born May 1, 1906, in Dagda, son of Tevia Shimon and Rose GELFAND. Tevia is believed to have been the rabbi. They all left Dagda before approx. 1910.

(Information from Lewis Gelfand, Calgary Alberta Canada)

Baddanca ARONOFF/ ARONOV/ ARONOW

Baddanca ARONOFF/ ARONOV/ ARONOW, was born in the fall (probably) of 1889. Her father was the milkman for the community. My grandmother, at a very young age, was sent to live with the dairy family (non-Jews). It was her job to get up early every morning and watch that the family processed the milk according to kosher laws. Later (probably after her mother died shortly after giving birth to my great aunt Sarah), she lived at home and took care of her three younger siblings. She described Dagda and her home -- including such detail as e.g. they had no metal pots and pans in their home -- everything was earthenware; and that there was a community center (built in her time) where all the teens liked to hang out. Her father did not approve of the young women of the family going, but they snuck out and went anyway. Her father also forbade the girls from learning to read and write (Yiddish or Russian). My grandmother taught herself both and hid her brother's books to read on the sly.

They were nine children in all (the following are probably all "American" names acquired in the states. Mary took an American name and then she insisted that Bessie took one too.)

1. Sam
2. Mary
3. Max
4. Edna
5. Bill
6. Morris
7. Hymie
8. Sarah
9. Bessie

Sam was first to leave Dagda (probably around 1895). He settled in Montreal. He was successful and gradually able to sponsor all the others. Max, Mary, Hymie and Edna came over before my Grandmother. My grandmother traveled at age 16 with her two younger brothers (Bill and Morris) in tow. Her father and Sarah came shortly after.

(Information from Harriet Udin Aronow)

The people mentioned below is from a report prepared for me in 1998 by the Latvian genealogist and historian Aleksandrs Feigmanis, who has given permission to publish it on this Dagda-ShtetLink site.

Contents of this page:

1. 1874 List of Jewish Male Inhabitants of Dagda
2. 1875 List of Houseowners in Dagda
3. 1897 Census of Dagda
4. 1932 Residence Book of Riga (information about persons born in Dagda)
5. 1935 Inhabitants List of Dagda
6. "Memory Book of Soviet Jews perished fighting Nazis"