german forces invaded and occupied riga in june 1941. aronson's cellos were confiscated. aronson began work as a slave laborer for the gestapo. the jews were moved to a ghetto in the so-called moscow suburb of riga. between november 29 and december 8, 1941, thousands of jews living in the riga ghetto were taken to the rumbula forest, shot, and buried in mass graves. among them were aronson's parents.