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Confessions of a Jewish Hijacker
Shabbat Dinner with Jewish Hero, Author & Former Prisoner of Zion
YOSEF MENDELEVICH
Hear the harrowing story of the Jewish underground movement: how they made the brave decision to hijack a Soviet plane and how it led them, ultimately, to their freedom..
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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....
--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
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Yosef Mendelevich became a household name after 'Operation Wedding' when he along with 15 others were arrested for their attempt to hijack an airplane and escape from the Soviet Union. He spent 11 years in the Soviet Gulag during which he and Natan Sharansky became fast friends, secretly communicating with one another through crude yet innovative methods. When he was finally released as a result of massive international pressure and protests he received a hero’s welcome in Israel. Following his release he campaigned vigorously on behalf of Jews behind the Iron Curtain, meeting with President Ronald Reagan and Vice-President George Bush Sr. and speaking before the Israeli Knesset and the U.N. Security Council in New York. After settling in Israel and with the encouragement of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, he studied to be a Rabbi for the Russian community and continues to lead, inspire and teach to this very day.