Alperovich (Alperowitsch) Vulf (Wulf) Borisovich (Born 1906, Postavy, Belarus – Died 1976, presumably in Riga) - Lawyer, Public Figure

In 1935, Vulf Alperovich graduated from the Faculty of Law at the Latvian State University. During his studies, he actively participated in the left-wing student organisation “Jewish Academic Society” (Academic Union), which brought together Jewish students from the university, conservatory, Academy of Arts, and Higher Pedagogical Courses. For several years, he served as chairman of the organisation’s board.

World War II and Post-War Career

During World War II, Alperovich fought in the Latvian Rifle Division. In October 1944, immediately after the liberation of Riga, he was withdrawn from military service by government order to assist in the restoration of industry. He then worked as a legal adviser at various major enterprises.

In the late 1950s, he was admitted to the Latvian Bar Association.

Persecution and the 1960 “Jewish Bourgeois Nationalists Case”

Vulf Alperovich’s professional life took a dramatic turn in 1960 due to the so-called “Jewish Bourgeois Nationalists Case”. Alperovich had organised a meeting in Riga with a former member of the Academic Union, M. Kogan, who had arrived from France. This meeting was used as a pretext by Soviet authorities to launch another campaign against Jewish intellectuals.

Alperovich suffered more than most: he was expelled from the Bar Association, banned from practising law, his repeated appeals to government and party bodies were ignored.

Deprived of the opportunity to work in his profession, he spent the remainder of his life in minor positions at various enterprises.