Sher Tevel Silimonovich (27.04.1906, Viļāni) – commodity expert. Born into the family of small ironmonger Sher Silimon (1870, Viļāni – 1932) and Sher Fruma (1880(?), Poland – 1942, Viļāni). In 1920 he finished 6 grades of the Viļāni Russian school. Until 1926 he lived in Viļāni and helped his father run the business. In 1926—27 Sh. did compulsory military service in the Latvian Army, serving in the 9th Rēzekne Infantry Regiment. In 1927—30 he worked as a kerosene sales agent for the joint-stock company “Levitas” in Viļāni. In 1930—32 he worked as manager of Mirman's distillery in Saldus. In 1932, after his father's death, Sh. returned to Viļāni to help his mother, who had taken over her late husband's business. From 1937 to 1938 he worked as manager of the brand shop of the “Heginger” chocolate factory in Abrene. In 1938—40 he again returned to Viļāni and worked together with his mother. In 1940—41 he worked as manager at the “Zagotlen” district office in Abrene. At the start of the war he was evacuated and until January 1942 worked as a savings-bank inspector in Fergana, Uzbek SSR. In January 1942 he was called up to the front and took part in the combat operations of the Soviet Army on the Northwestern Front as part of the 123rd Rifle Regiment of the Latvian Division. In April 1942 Sh. was wounded and until the end of 1942 was treated at evacuation hospital No. 1770 in Troitsk, Chelyabinsk Oblast. Sh. remained a disabled veteran of the Great Patriotic War and did not return to the front. For his part in the combat operations, Sh. was awarded the medal “For the Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945.”
In 1943—44 Sh. worked as a cashier-bookkeeper at a wine factory in the Shafrikan District of the Uzbek SSR. In 1944—45 he worked as head of the planning department of a wine factory at the Bezmein station in Ashgabat Oblast, Turkmen SSR. From 1945 he lived in Riga. In 1945—49 he worked as manager of a grocery store; in 1949—51 he was warehouse manager of Raznoprom; in 1951—52 – authorised representative of the Riga theatrical society. In 1952—54 he worked as a shop assistant at the “Dzirkstele” shop. In 1954—55 he worked in the system of Latpromkooptorg and Gorpromtorg. In 1955—57 he worked as a metalworker in Vilnius. In 1957—60 Sh. worked as warehouse manager at the “Pirmrindnieks” artel. From 1960 – forwarding agent at the “Latbakaleja” association.
Sh.'s sister, Khayut (Sher) Fanya (1905(?), Rēzekne), left Latvia in 1936 and in the 1960s lived in Israel. The Holocaust took the lives of Sh.'s relatives and loved ones. Sh.'s first wife, Sher Basya (… – 1941), was killed together with her daughter Sher Ester (… – 1941). Sh.'s mother, Sher Fruma (1880(?), Poland – 1942, Viļāni), died in Viļāni; Sh.'s brother and sisters, Sher Blyuma (1920, Viļāni – 1942, Viļāni), Sher Taube (1908, Viļāni – 1942, Viļāni), and Sher Yakov (1922, Viļāni – 1942, Viļāni), were shot. Sh.'s brother, Sher Isai (1910, Viļāni – 1942(?)), died at the front near Pskov. Sh.'s surviving sisters, Sher Sofiya (1919, Viļāni) and Goltsberger (Sher) Elka (1917, Viļāni), lived in Latvia in the 1960s.
In 1947 Sh. married for a second time, to Sher (Rabinovich) Gita (1917, Krāslava); their marriage produced daughters Sher Ilona (1947, Riga) and Sher Ruta (1948, Riga).
In 1956 Sh. submitted a petition to move to Israel to his sister Fanya. He was refused. In 1957 Sh. sent an application requesting a review of the decision, addressed to K. Voroshilov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. In 1964 Sh.'s family received permission to leave Latvia.
A. Norman
Sher (Rabinovich) Gita (1917, Krāslava) – second wife
Sher Ilona (1947, Riga) – daughter
Sher Ruta (1948, Riga) – daughter
Sher Sofiya (1919, Daugavpils) – sister
Goltsberger (Sher) Elka (1917, Viļāni) – sister
Sher Silimon (1870, Viļāni – 1932) – father
Sher Fruma (1880(?), Poland – 1942, Viļāni) – mother
Khayut (Sher) Fanya (1905(?), Rēzekne) – sister
Sher Blyuma (1920, Viļāni – 1942, Viļāni) – sister
Vapne (Sher) Taube (Tuybe) (1908, Viļāni – 1942, Līvāni) – sister
Sher Isai (1910, Viļāni – 1942(?)) – brother
Sher Yakov (1922, Viļāni – 1942, Viļāni) – brother
Sher Basya (… – 1941) – first wife
Sher Ester (… – 1941) – daughter