Gafanovich (Gafanowitch) Nakhman (Nachman) (1914–1941) – lawyer and civic activist.

Nakhman Gafanovich was born on 9 June 1914 in Krustpils to the family of a merchant and property owner. His father’s name was Leib, and his mother’s name was Basya. In 1915, the family was evacuated to Russia, where they lived on the Black Sea coast. In 1920, they moved to Moscow.

In 1921, they returned to Latvia and settled in Liepāja. Nakhman completed primary school in 1928 and graduated from Liepāja State Gymnasium in 1932. The same year, he began studying law at the University of Latvia, graduating in 1937.

From April 1937, Nakhman Gafanovich worked at the law office of sworn advocate P. Frank in Liepāja. Between 1938 and 1939, he fulfilled his compulsory military service in the Latvian Army, serving in the 1st Liepāja Infantry Regiment.

During the Soviet occupation, starting 31 July 1940, he was again employed as assistant to advocate P. Frank in Liepāja. On 2 January 1941, he was admitted to the Bar Association. He was an activist in the first organisation of the Communist Party of Latvia and was involved with the newspaper Proletarskaya Pravda. He also served as deputy editor of the wall newspaper of the Seamen and Transport Workers’ Union in Riga. From October 1940, he studied national economy at the University of Latvia.

Nakhman Gafanovich was killed in Liepāja during the Nazi occupation in 1941.

He was married to Miryam Berzner, a schoolteacher, born on 18 January 1917.