Gelvan (Gelwan) Abo Isaakovich (18 June 1922, Daugavpils) – salesman.
Abo Gelvan was the son of Isaak Gelvan (1886, Daugavpils – 1934, Daugavpils) and Chaya-Frida Gelvan (née Rapoport) (1883, Drissa, Belarus).
He graduated from Daugavpils Primary School in 1935 and completed vocational training as a carpenter in 1937. From 1937 to 1940, he worked as a salesman at the Suer shop in Daugavpils, and from 1940 to 1941, at the Municipal Food Industry Store in Daugavpils.
During the war, he was evacuated to the Uzbek SSR. Between 1941 and 1942, he worked on the Kyzyl Tulkum collective farm and from 1942 to 1945 as a carpenter at the Tashkent factory Tashzapselmash.
Upon returning, Abo Gelvan worked as a salesman for the 2nd Riga Municipal Food Store (1945–1947), then as a weigher at the Krasny Oktyabr factory (1947). From 1947 to 1950, he managed Shop No. 32 of the Khlebosbyt office. He continued in managerial roles at Shop No. 23 of the Riga Municipal Food Store (1950–1951), Kiosk No. 3 of the Riga branch of Voentorg (1951), and the fodder shop of Riga’s 4th Municipal Food Store (1951–1960). From 1960 to 1964, he served as senior salesman and storekeeper at the Proletarsky District Food Trade. Between 1964 and 1966, he worked as a press operator in Workshop No. 5 at the VEF factory. From 1966 to 1974, he was a storekeeper and expediter at Canteen No. 10 of the Lenin District Catering Network in Riga.
From 1961 to 1963, Abo Gelvan was involved in the agency case “Fox”: while managing a special fish shop, he was investigated in connection with the theft of fish products from the Riga distribution depot.
He married Zofiya Gelvan (née Freidenson) (b. 1927, Daugavpils), and their children were Isaak Gelvan (b. 1947, Riga) and Zhaneta Gelvan (b. 1957, Riga). His brother Motel Gelvan (1920, Daugavpils – 1942) diedin combat near Leningrad.
In 1974, Abo Gelvan received permission to emigrate to Israel to join his wife’s niece, Regina Shluper (née Freidenson) (b. 1945, Riga), who had emigrated in 1971.
Family:
Zofiya Gelvan (née Freidenson) (b. 1927, Daugavpils) – wife
Isaak Gelvan (b. 1947, Riga) – son
Zhaneta Gelvan (b. 1957, Riga) – daughter
Isaak Gelvan (1886–1934, Daugavpils) – father
Chaya-Frida Gelvan (née Rapoport) (1883, Drissa, Belarus) – mother
Ilya Gelvan (b. 1917, Smolensk) – brother
Motel Gelvan (1920–1942, Daugavpils) – brother
Regina Shluper (née Freidenson) (b. 1945, Riga) – wife’s niece