The Great Choral Synagogue in Riga was one of the most significant centers of Jewish worship in Latvia before World War II. On this fateful day, as Nazi Germany occupied the city, they implemented systematic measures to terrorize, displace, and eliminate the Jewish population. The synagogue, housing around 300 trapped individuals in its basement, became a grim focal point of this horrific violence. Eyewitness accounts from survivors detailed how the igniting of the flames by German soldiers resulted in chaos and desperation as people tried to escape the inferno. The persecution of Jews in Latvia intensified rapidly after the German invasion, with numerous anti-Jewish measures being enforced. The tragedy at the Great Choral Synagogue highlighted the ruthlessness of the Nazi regime during their operations in occupied Eastern Europe, marking a pivotal moment in Riga's wartime experiences.

The destruction of the synagogue was not just an attack on a building, but a devastating blow to the Jewish community, which had thrived in Riga for centuries. The incident formed part of a series of genocidal measures against Jews reaching their peak during the Holocaust. With the community systematically targeted, synagogues were vandalized and destroyed, cultural life was obliterated, and many were subjected to inhumane treatment. The burning of the Great Choral Synagogue became emblematic of the broader catastrophe that befell Jewish communities across Europe during this period, symbolizing loss, despair, and the profound impact of Nazi ideology.