Gelvan (Gelwan) Isaak Abovich (24 July 1947, Riga) – engineer.

Isaak Gelvan was the son of Abo Gelvan (b. 1922, Daugavpils) and Zofiya Gelvan (née Freidenson) (b. 1927, Daugavpils).

He completed 8 years at Riga Secondary School No. 18 and enrolled at the Riga Technical College of Light Industry. While studying there, he also completed the 11th grade at the Baldone Secondary Evening School in 1966. In 1965, he worked as a junior sizer at the Zasulauks Manufactory. From 1965 to 1966, he served as assistant master in the weaving department at the Bolshevichka factory. From 1966 to 1967, he worked as an apparatus technician at the VEF plant. In 1967–1968, he was assistant master at the Sadarbs factory.

In 1967, he entered the Latvian Agricultural Academy but was expelled in 1970 due to unsatisfactory academic performance. From 1968 to 1970, he worked as a transport engineer at the Remstroydetal complex. He completed his military service in the Soviet Army from 1970 to 1972. Between 1972 and 1973, he worked as a fitter at the Riga Radio Relay Hub, and in 1973, as a senior merchandiser at the Artistic Production Workshops of the Theatrical Society of the Latvian SSR.

He married Fira Gelvan (née Gotlib) (b. 1946, Riga), and in 1968, their son Mark Gelvan was born in Riga.

In 1973, Isaak Gelvan received permission to emigrate to Israel, where his wife’s maternal aunt, Iona Vainraikh (née Datel) (b. 1911, Tukums), had emigrated from Latvia in 1933 to what is now the State of Israel.

Family:

Fira Gelvan (née Gotlib) (b. 1946, Riga) – wife
Mark Gelvan (b. 1968, Riga) – son
Abo Gelvan (b. 1922, Daugavpils) – father
Zofiya Gelvan (née Freidenson) (b. 1927, Daugavpils) – mother
Zhaneta Gelvan (b. 1957, Riga) – sister
Iona Vainraikh (née Datel) (b. 1911, Tukums) – maternal aunt of wife