E phraim Sevela was born in Bobruisk, Soviet Union on March 8, 1928, the son of Joel E. Sevela, a sportsman, and Rachel Gelfand Sevela. His education in the Soviet Union included attendance at the University of Minsk from 1945-1948. On September 19, 1959 he married Julia Gendelstein, an actress, with whom he has two children.

Sevela's career has reflected various interests and talents. He worked as a journalist in Vilna, Soviet Union and as a script writer and file director in Moscow. Particularly notable are the scripts he wrote in the Russian language for eight feature films in the Soviet Union.

He was a member of the Union of Soviet Film Makers.

In 1971, Sevela and twenty-three other Soviet Jews staged a sit-in strike at the Supreme Soviet (the legislative body of the U.S.S.R.) to protest the country's restrictive emigration policies. The group is credited...