Natan Barkan Chief Rabbi of Riga and Latvia Country: Latvia

Biography of Nathan Barkan

Nathan Barkan was born in 1923 and served as the Chief Rabbi of Riga and Latvia from 1989 to 2003. He was awarded the Order of the Three Stars for his contributions. According to historical chronicles, Barkan's ancestors from his father's side originated from Polotsk, while those from his mother's side were from Latvia since the 17th century. Barkan completed his studies at the Lubavitch Yeshiva in Gostiny and Riga. From the age of 14, he actively participated in public life.

During the war, Barkan and his father were evacuated. In 1949, he returned to Latvia. From 1954, he was involved in spreading religious teachings underground. In 1969, Barkan moved to Israel, where he served in the government for 20 years and founded a religious school for boys in Lod. Starting from 1988, upon the advice of the Rebbe, he resumed his trips to the Soviet Union.

In 1989, Barkan received the Rebbe's blessing to become the Chief Rabbi of Riga and Latvia, with the appointment from Chief Rabbi of Israel, Mordechai Eliyahu, and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. In 2000, he was awarded the Order of the Three Stars for his contribution to the restoration of the Jewish community in Latvia and the development of friendly relations between the Jewish and Latvian peoples. Barkan has six grandchildren who are rabbis in major Russian cities and Western European cities.