Evelson(Ewelsohn) Yekab (Jekab) (also, Yakov)(1902–1942)

Yekab Evelson was born on 20 May 1902 in Priekule, his father’s name was Zisel, his mother ‘s name – Sheina (née Monukhovits). Yekab Evelson lived in Riga from 1904. In 1914, he studied at the Riga Jewish Gymnasium, followed by two years of self-education. In 1917, he passed exams covering four years of gymnasium studies. He continued his education at the Bintz Secondary School in Riga.

After graduating from the Riga City Russian Secondary School in 1921, he began studying law at the University of Latvia, graduating in 1927. He was a member of the University of Latvia Student Council. In 1925, he served in the Latvian army, serving in the 6th Riga Infantry Regiment. He worked in the office of attorney A. Birznieks. From 27 July 1927, he was an assistant to attorney A. Birznieks in Riga. From 3 May 1933, he was an attorney at the Riga District Court. Member and founder of the political party ‘Union of Latvian Zionist Revisionists’, since 1933 member of the board of the Latvian Jewish Health Protection Society ‘Oze’, and since 1934 chairman of the society.

During the German occupation, Yekab Evelson was imprisoned in the Riga ghetto, and in 1942 he was active in the leadership of the ghetto resistance movement. He died during a group escape attempt on 28 October 1942.

In 1925, he married Rivka Lyuleva, the couple had two daughters - Alexander (born in 1926) and Shoshana (born in 1933), and a son Gabriel (born in 1937).

He was a member and founder of the Jewish student fraternity ‘Hasmonea.’