About the Author

Yosef Mendelevich, born in Riga, Latvia, in 1947, served twelve years in the Soviet gulag for his Jewish activism. Since his release in 1981, he has lived in Israel, where he received his rabbinic ordination and a master s degree in Jewish history. This is his third book.

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

Mendelevich endured severe hardships for the right to live as a Jew in his native landor to leave and live as a free and fully empowered Jew in the State of Israel. Like the Yosef of the Bible, he endured prison, stood up to the powerful rulers of his land, and through both prayer and courageous action, was able to realize his dream. - Robert A. Cohn

Yosef Mendelevich was born in Riga, Latvia in 1947. He lived through extreme anti-Semitism and saw his father arrested. Although the situation was difficult, Mende­levich fought back. He secretly began to study Judaism and founded an underground orga­nization to fight for Jewish rights. When his attempts to obtain an exit visa to immigrate to Israel were unsuccessful, he tried to hijack a plane to the West. This led to his arrest and a twelve-year sentence in the Gulag. Even in prison, he studied and observed the com­mandments, going on a hunger strike when his books were confiscated. With help from Jews around the world, Mendelevich was freed in 1981. He made aliyah and studied at various yeshivot to obtain rabbinic ordination. He also earned a masters degree in Jewish history and served in the IDF. His efforts led to the mass immigration of Soviet Jews to Israel. Now a father and grandfather, he continues to be active in Jewish education and social action. - Jewish Book Council July 2013

"Rabbi Yosef Mendelevichs tenacious struggle to keep Torah in Communist Russia is documented in his bookUnbroken Spirit: A Heroic Story of Faith, Courage and Survival (Jerusalem, 2012). But in a recent interview with OU Senior Writer Bayla Sheva Brenner, Rabbi Mendelevich, who is today a rebbe at Machon Meir in Jerusalem, reveals more than his story; he reveals the essence of a man who dared to live a Jewish life no matter what the cost." Jewish Action Summer 2013

The author was interviewed for the Jewish Telegraph in February 2014. To see the full-page article on his life, see the link!