{"title":"Russia and the Former Soviet Union","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"unbroken-spirit","title":"Unbroken Spirit","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the Latvian capital Riga after the Second World War, a Jewish boy in the Soviet Union grew up in an atmosphere pervaded by anti-Semitism. After his father was arrested during one of the waves of anti-Semitic persecutions that swept through the Soviet Union his mother died of heartbreak. That tragedy heralded the beginning of something better. Powerfully drawn into Jewish life, at age 19 he founded an underground organization that struggled for Jewish rights—including the right to study Torah. At age 22, after his attempts to receive an exit visa were repeatedly refused, he participated in an attempt to hijack a plane to the West— which led to his arrest and sentence of 12 years. This struggle opened the first cracks in the Iron Curtain and eventually brought about the mass exodus of Soviet Jewry and its dramatic aliya to Israel. Reviews: Yosef Mendelevich is a true hero of one of the most successful human rights struggles in history: the rescue of Soviet refuseniks and Prisoners of Zion from an antisemitic captivity.... This remarkable memoir must be read by all who love freedom and cherish the right to practice their religion. Alan Dershowitz Harvard Law School Yosef Mendelevich was among the first to begin our struggle, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of Jews to leave the Soviet Union. His personal story teaches that even under difficult conditions man can overcome all obstacles, especially when he seeks out the spiritual significance of his Judaism within his life. Avital Sharansky Human rights activist A compelling personal story and an engrossing piece of history. Scott Kirsner Boston Globe An extraordinary testament. It tells us that nothing can kill the human spirit. Even living in a totalitarian regime, where his basic rights were denied, Mendelevich managed to rise to great heights of bravery and faith. He recounts his story beautifully and powerfully. It is impossible not to be moved by the resilience of his Jewish soul. Gal Beckerman author of When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry, winner of the 2010 National Jewish Book Award The biography of Prisoner of Zion Rav Yosef Mendelevich, one of the shining examples of the struggle for Soviet Jewry against Communist rule, teaches us how the power of a single individual can change the world: how the power of faith and the uncompromising determination of the spirit can subdue an enemy’s power. The book Unbroken Spirit tells the story of an extraordinary man whose whole life is a long treatise of Kiddush Hashem and great self-sacrifice for the sake of observing the Torah and its mitzvot in all situations - in pain and crisis and also in peace and comfort. Rav Yisrael Meir Lau\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yosef Mendelevich","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336599425334,"sku":"9789652295637","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i9393.493674.jpg?v=1785309427"},{"product_id":"let-my-people-go","title":"Let My People Go","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor 50 years, until the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the Soviet Union ran a campaign of repression, imprisonment, political trials and terror against its 3 million Jews. In Australia, political leaders and the Jewish community contributed significantly to the international protest movement which eventually triumphed over Moscow's tyranny and led to the modern Exodus of Soviet Jews to Israel and other countries. Lipski and Rutland make this largely unknown Australian story come alive with a combination of passion, personal experience and ground-breaking research.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Sam Lipski and Suzanne D Rutland","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336687472950,"sku":"9789652298485","price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i12051.251914.jpg?v=1785311126"},{"product_id":"an-extra-seat","title":"An Extra Seat","description":"\u003cp\u003eSarah and Joseph, growing up in 1970s New York, are inspired by their beloved Rabbi Avi Weiss to help the plight of the Jewish Soviet prisoners after the unjust arrest of Anatoly Sharansky. Nine years later, the two children come to understand the power of activism, public protest and commitment to a greater cause, as they finally witness Sharansky’s release from prison. An Extra Seat is a children’s book based on on the life of two children growing up in the Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, a synagogue led by Rabbi Avi Weiss. Focusing on the plight of the Jewish Zionist prisoners – brought to the world’s attention by the highly publicized arrest of Anatoly Sharansky Rabbi Avi Weiss plays a central role encouraging his congregation to see the refuseniks (whose simple aim was making aliyah to Israel) as brothers and sisters whose rights should be fought for with unremitting public protest. The two child protagonists, Sarah and Joseph, experience the reward of these efforts as they witness Sharansky’s remarkable release, nine years into his 14-year sentence. The book provides a message of hope – especially to children who are encouraged to see the value of their ideals, values and actions. This book is has as its central premise human and Torah-based Jewish values, such as: While it may not be our job to complete a task, we are obligated to try. We have the greatest responsibility to help our own family. All of the Jewish people are one family. Thus we are all responsible to help each other. In this deeply heartfelt book, Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld shares a story he often tells the children of his synagogue — along with his profound belief in the invaluable Torah teaching: “While it may not be our job to complete a task, we are obligated to try.”\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Shmuel Herzfeld","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54336743080246,"sku":"g873","price":12.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i225776.34786.jpg?v=1785311595"},{"product_id":"let-my-people-grow","title":"Let My People Grow","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen the Soviet Union collapsed, much of its Jewish population emigrated. But those who remained were often disconnected from Judaism. It was into this vacuum that Hillel stepped in, gradually building a network of Hillel centers across the Former Soviet Union, serving tens of thousands of Jewish students - both those who retained a Jewish identity but more significantly those who had become alienated and estranged from their roots - and creating a Jewish future in the FSU. Rabbi Yossie Goldman led Hillel's efforts to rebuild Jewish identity among university age students in the Former Soviet Union. In Let My People Grow, Goldman tells the story of Hillel in the FSU from its humble beginnings in Moscow, and its first steps and missteps in the chaos that followed the fall of communism through to nourishing an indigenous Jewish leadership that sustains the community to this day. How does one celebrate Jewish holy days in a meaningful way that speaks to students whose experience with traditional Jewish ritual is limited at best? How does one engage Jewish young people, who literally only yesterday had discovered that they are Jews? How does one embrace them with love and respect for Jewish traditions, heritage and people, and how does one create the building blocks of community? In a journey across time and across the Former Soviet Union with its myriad languages, cultures and Jewish communities, Goldman answers these questions and more, questions that he could not have known the answers to when he started out on that journey. But as Goldman tells us: The best way to predict the future is to create it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yossie Goldman","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337036452150,"sku":"7023-26 \/ g7326","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i286237.1518.jpg?v=1785315447"},{"product_id":"lone-voice","title":"Lone Voice","description":"\u003cp\u003eIsi Leibler has been a central player in the global Jewish arena for over six decades. The preeminent Australian Jewish leader, he was pivotal in driving the issue of Soviet Jewry onto the international agenda. And he played a crucial role in establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and China and India. As Australia emerged from Britain’s shadow after WWII to punch above its diplomatic weight, so too Leibler propelled the Australian Jewish community into wielding disproportionate influence in global Jewish affairs. A key figure in the World Jewish Congress, he had no hesitation exposing corruption in its leadership or at the Holocaust Claims Conference. Pugnacious, colorful, principled, he befriended prime ministers, refuseniks, billionaires, Cold War warriors, Marxists, and diplomats to further the Jewish agenda, free Soviet Jews, support Israel, and fight antisemitism.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Suzanne D Rutland","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337043071286,"sku":"7023-22","price":39.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i289010.65099.jpg?v=1785315641"},{"product_id":"hidden-heroes","title":"Hidden Heroes","description":"\u003cp\u003eSpanning nearly three decades, Hidden Heroes gives an insider’s view of the modern-day exodus of Soviet Jews from the Soviet Union, a period of Jewish history that has rarely been told and is in danger of being forgotten. This deeply personal narrative explores the grassroots Soviet Jewish emigration movement through the eyes of one of its indefatigable leaders, focusing on the actions of heroic refuseniks in the Soviet Union as well as courageous individuals in the West – described by Natan Sharansky as the “army of students and housewives” who waged the battle to free Soviet Jews. From Russia, Ukraine, and Lithuania to the distant republics of Central Asia, refuseniks come to life, discovering their identity, protesting on the streets, defending themselves in courtrooms, defying jailers in their prison cells, and struggling to survive in Siberian labor camps. This engrossing memoir tells the story of the resistance and moral courage of men and women inside the Soviet Union and of those in the West who relentlessly crusaded on their behalf. A very important memoir.… Pamela portrays many Jewish leaders…from different communities all over the United States, as well as Jewish refuseniks from different places all over the Soviet Union. It is this personal, intimate connection between these two groups that gave inspiration, encouragement, and strength to the people on both sides of the Iron Curtain and made our struggle…so powerful. Natan Sharansky former Prisoner of Zion Tells an important part of the unique story of brave and courageous individuals who effected immense change for human rights worldwide. As president of the grassroots activist organization Union of Councils for Soviet Jews, Pamela was there from the outset. This inspiring read gives us hope that we can continue to make this world a better place. Alan Dershowitz Professor Emeritus, Harvard University; lawyer for refuseniks and dissidents Pamela Cohen wrote a book. It is not only hers. It is OURS. We wrote the book together, the page in the history of Am Israel.… And that is why Pam’s book is so important. It is not about the past – it is a textbook for a Jewish fighter. Learn it and join our ranks. Am Israel CHAI! Yosef Mendelevich former Prisoner of Zion As the spokesman for the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, I knew of Pam Cohen’s and the UCSJ’s work on behalf of Soviet Jewry. Few people are as qualified to write about the Soviet Jewry movement as she is. This is one of those books that can with no exaggeration be called important. It is also riveting. Dennis Prager New York Times bestselling author of ten books, including The Rational Bible An irreplaceable history of the movement.… Natan Sharansky called Pamela Cohen the “five-star general of the army of students and housewives,” and this is her account of how students and housewives defeated the Soviet Union.… One woman’s story here illuminates a vast historic movement that changed Jewish and Israeli history. Elliott Abrams former Deputy National Security Advisor and Assistant Secretary of State Details how [Pamela Cohen] inspired others, transformed herself, and most importantly “changed the world” – sometimes over the objections of men much more famous than herself. An essential historical memoir and a great read. Jonathan D. Sarna Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pamela Braun Cohen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337048379702,"sku":"7023-36","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i290828.30712.jpg?v=1785315767"},{"product_id":"hijack-for-freedom","title":"Hijack for Freedom","description":"\u003cp\u003eJune 15, 2020, marked the fiftieth anniversary of the failed attempt of a group of fourteen Soviet Jews and two Russian freedom fighters to hijack a small plane from Leningrad Airport in order to escape the Soviet Union. At the head of this attempt was former Soviet air force pilot Major Mark Dymshits. They were sixteen: three Jewish families, including two daughters and one pregnant young woman; four Jewish refuseniks; and two Russian regime fighters. They were not part of any organization and indeed barely knew each other, but they had the same goal: to break through the prison wall of the Soviet regime and go to Israel or any other free country. The international scandal following their trial and brutal sentencing paved the way for hundreds of thousands of Jews to leave the Soviet Union. Later, the calls for freedom would crescendo, eventually bringing down the Berlin Wall. In this memoir, now appearing in print for the first time, Mark Dymshits recalls his life as a Soviet Jewish citizen and air force pilot and relates the events that led him to concoct the audacious plan that ultimately changed the world\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mark Dymshits","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337051656502,"sku":"7023-25","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i292373.06982.jpg?v=1785315848"},{"product_id":"hidden-heroes-paperback-edition","title":"Hidden Heroes","description":"\u003cp\u003eSpanning nearly three decades, Hidden Heroes gives an insider’s view of the modern-day exodus of Soviet Jews from the Soviet Union, a period of Jewish history that has rarely been told and is in danger of being forgotten. This deeply personal narrative explores the grassroots Soviet Jewish emigration movement through the eyes of one of its indefatigable leaders, focusing on the actions of heroic refuseniks in the Soviet Union as well as courageous individuals in the West – described by Natan Sharansky as the “army of students and housewives” who waged the battle to free Soviet Jews. From Russia, Ukraine, and Lithuania to the distant republics of Central Asia, refuseniks come to life, discovering their identity, protesting on the streets, defending themselves in courtrooms, defying jailers in their prison cells, and struggling to survive in Siberian labor camps. This engrossing memoir tells the story of the resistance and moral courage of men and women inside the Soviet Union and of those in the West who relentlessly crusaded on their behalf. A very important memoir.… Pamela portrays many Jewish leaders…from different communities all over the United States, as well as Jewish refuseniks from different places all over the Soviet Union. It is this personal, intimate connection between these two groups that gave inspiration, encouragement, and strength to the people on both sides of the Iron Curtain and made our struggle…so powerful. Natan Sharansky former Prisoner of Zion Tells an important part of the unique story of brave and courageous individuals who effected immense change for human rights worldwide. As president of the grassroots activist organization Union of Councils for Soviet Jews, Pamela was there from the outset. This inspiring read gives us hope that we can continue to make this world a better place. Alan Dershowitz Professor Emeritus, Harvard University; lawyer for refuseniks and dissidents Pamela Cohen wrote a book. It is not only hers. It is OURS. We wrote the book together, the page in the history of Am Israel.… And that is why Pam’s book is so important. It is not about the past – it is a textbook for a Jewish fighter. Learn it and join our ranks. Am Israel CHAI! Yosef Mendelevich former Prisoner of Zion As the spokesman for the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry, I knew of Pam Cohen’s and the UCSJ’s work on behalf of Soviet Jewry. Few people are as qualified to write about the Soviet Jewry movement as she is. This is one of those books that can with no exaggeration be called important. It is also riveting. Dennis Prager New York Times bestselling author of ten books, including The Rational Bible An irreplaceable history of the movement.… Natan Sharansky called Pamela Cohen the “five-star general of the army of students and housewives,” and this is her account of how students and housewives defeated the Soviet Union.… One woman’s story here illuminates a vast historic movement that changed Jewish and Israeli history. Elliott Abrams former Deputy National Security Advisor and Assistant Secretary of State Details how [Pamela Cohen] inspired others, transformed herself, and most importantly “changed the world” – sometimes over the objections of men much more famous than herself. An essential historical memoir and a great read. Jonathan D. Sarna Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pamela Braun Cohen","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337167360310,"sku":"7801-15","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i313774.97471.jpg?v=1785317267"},{"product_id":"here-we-are-all-jews","title":"Here We Are All Jews","description":"\u003cp\u003eRabbi Jonathan Porath recounts the story of his lifetime of experiences with Soviet and post-Soviet Jews spanning over fifty years. This first-person account is packed with anecdotes from one of the great sagas of modern Jewish history, the near loss and ultimate return of Soviet Jewry to the Jewish people after more than seventy years of Communist rule. The important message of the book is that regardless of the degree of antisemitism, attempts to eradicate the Jewish people and the time from of isolation from the rest of the Jewish world there is always a remaining spark that rekindles revival. It happened after the Holocaust. It happened after centuries of Jewish exile from the ancestral homeland, and it happened with Soviet Jewry, just as it did throughout Jewish history. Greer Fay Cashman Jerusalem Post, 4 November 2022 A moving message of Jewish connection and an important perspective on a chapter in Jewish history worthy of being told. Natan Sharansky former Prisoner of Zion Filled with unforgettable vignettes, the volume serves both as a primary historical source on the Soviet Jewry movement and as a monument to a proud Brandeis alumnus who helped transform the Jewish world. Jonathan D. Sarna University Professor and Joseph H. \u0026amp; Belle R. Braun Professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Jonathan Porath","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337174864182,"sku":"7023-92","price":22.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i314791.97523.jpg?v=1785317334"},{"product_id":"unbroken-spirit-pb","title":"Unbroken Spirit","description":"\u003cp\u003eYosef Mendelevich is a true hero of one of the most successful human rights struggles in history: the rescue of Soviet refuseniks and Prisoners of Zion from an antisemitic captivity.... This remarkable memoir must be read by all who love freedom and cherish the right to practice their religion. Alan Dershowitz Harvard Law School Yosef Mendelevich was among the first to begin our struggle, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of Jews to leave the Soviet Union. His personal story teaches that even under difficult conditions man can overcome all obstacles, especially when he seeks out the spiritual significance of his Judaism within his life. Avital Sharansky Human rights activist A compelling personal story and an engrossing piece of history. Scott Kirsner Boston Globe An extraordinary testament. It tells us that nothing can kill the human spirit. Even living in a totalitarian regime, where his basic rights were denied, Mendelevich managed to rise to great heights of bravery and faith. He recounts his story beautifully and powerfully. It is impossible not to be moved by the resilience of his Jewish soul. Gal Beckerman author of When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry, winner of the 2010 National Jewish Book Award The biography of Prisoner of Zion Rav Yosef Mendelevich, one of the shining examples of the struggle for Soviet Jewry against Communist rule, teaches us how the power of a single individual can change the world: how the power of faith and the uncompromising determination of the spirit can subdue an enemy’s power. The book Unbroken Spirit tells the story of an extraordinary man whose whole life is a long treatise of Kiddush Hashem and great self-sacrifice for the sake of observing the Torah and its mitzvot in all situations - in pain and crisis and also in peace and comfort. Rav Yisrael Meir Lau Reviews: Yosef Mendelevich is a true hero of one of the most successful human rights struggles in history: the rescue of Soviet refuseniks and Prisoners of Zion from an antisemitic captivity.... This remarkable memoir must be read by all who love freedom and cherish the right to practice their religion. Alan Dershowitz Harvard Law School Yosef Mendelevich was among the first to begin our struggle, paving the way for hundreds of thousands of Jews to leave the Soviet Union. His personal story teaches that even under difficult conditions man can overcome all obstacles, especially when he seeks out the spiritual significance of his Judaism within his life. Avital Sharansky Human rights activist A compelling personal story and an engrossing piece of history. Scott Kirsner Boston Globe An extraordinary testament. It tells us that nothing can kill the human spirit. Even living in a totalitarian regime, where his basic rights were denied, Mendelevich managed to rise to great heights of bravery and faith. He recounts his story beautifully and powerfully. It is impossible not to be moved by the resilience of his Jewish soul. Gal Beckerman author of When They Come for Us, We’ll Be Gone: The Epic Struggle to Save Soviet Jewry, winner of the 2010 National Jewish Book Award The biography of Prisoner of Zion Rav Yosef Mendelevich, one of the shining examples of the struggle for Soviet Jewry against Communist rule, teaches us how the power of a single individual can change the world: how the power of faith and the uncompromising determination of the spirit can subdue an enemy’s power. The book Unbroken Spirit tells the story of an extraordinary man whose whole life is a long treatise of Kiddush Hashem and great self-sacrifice for the sake of observing the Torah and its mitzvot in all situations - in pain and crisis and also in peace and comfort. Rav Yisrael Meir Lau\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Yosef Mendelevich","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337314521398,"sku":"7801-47","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i334485.91764.jpg?v=1785318658"},{"product_id":"soviet-jewry-reborn","title":"Soviet Jewry Reborn","description":"\u003cp\u003eA Jewry Reborn tells of the Jewish renaissance that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union and the abolition of Communist-era policies aimed at eradicating Jewish life. It is related in a series of first-hand, real-time accounts of the author’s encounters with one of the world’s largest concentration of Jews at that time who, out of choice or necessity, remained in what became known as the Former Soviet Union (FSU), while many of their brethren emigrated. It is also a tale of the historic but little-known effort mounted by world Jewry to help the FSU’s Jews reconnect with their heritage and their people, while dealing with the aftermath of an empire’s collapse. The vignettes that make up the book are drawn from regular updates from the field written by the author during the 22 years he led the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s massive and sustained initiative of material relief and cultural renewal, first in the Soviet Union itself, then in its successor states. A Jewry Reborn offers unique insight not only into a pivotal moment in world history, but also into the durability of Jewish civilization, the power of Jewish solidarity, and the resilience of the Jewish spirit.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Asher Ostrin","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54337332707638,"sku":"7801-45","price":27.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0993\/2092\/2422\/files\/i342148.88781.jpg?v=1785319122"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.gefenpublishing.com\/collections\/russia-and-the-former-soviet-union.oembed","provider":"Gefen Publishing House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}