Kagan Israel (1903-1943)

Kagan Israel (1903–1943)

Israel Kagan was born on 26 October 1903 in Liepāja, into the family of a merchant. His father was Ephraim, his mother Freyda (née Yudelovich). From 1913–15 he studied at the F. Chinkoy Commercial School in Liepāja. He continued his education at the P. Konradi Reform School in Liepāja (renamed the P. Konradi German Secondary School in 1920), which he completed in 1923.

In 1923 he began studying history at the University of Latvia, and in 1924 switched to law, graduating in 1930. During his studies he gave private lessons. He was a member of the Jewish Students’ Mutual Aid Fund. From 1930–31 he worked as a clerk in the office of sworn advocate P. Forstman. From 13 January 1932 he served as assistant to sworn advocate P. Forstman in Liepāja, and from 4 March 1935 as assistant to sworn advocate A. Herzoni in Liepāja. From 25 May 1938 he was a sworn advocate of the District Court of the Liepāja District. He was active in the Courland Patronage Society, the Courland Yacht Club, and the Liepāja Lawyers’ Society.

During the Soviet occupation, on 15 March 1941, Israel Kagan was admitted to the Bar Association and worked as a lawyer at the Aizpute legal consultation office. During the German occupation, in September 1941, he was arrested in Liepāja. He was killed in detention in 1943.

He was married to Minna Kagan (20 October 1907 – 1943).