Former prisoner of Zion Yosef Begun, reflects on the holiday, past and present: in Soviet Prison, on his exile to Siberia years later, and f

A group of rabbis traveled to the USSR in 1965 to verify the truth behind Soviet claims. Their journey revealed what propaganda tried to hide.

there was a real danger in celebrating Jewish holidays - many were arrested without actual crime, and sent to the Gulag under the false accu

Leningrad, 1970. A group of young Soviet Jews who were denied exit visas, plots to “hijack” an empty plane and escape the USSR.

Longing, identity, and the moral call to free our captives This interdisciplinary lesson explores the deep connection between Jewish poetry, history, and contemporary moral responsibility. Through Yehuda Halevi’s powerful poem “Zion, will you not ask about the welfare of your captives?”, students will trace the thread of Jewish longing for Zion across three key moments: Medieval Sephardic Jewry (Yehuda Halevi) Soviet-era Prisoners of Zion The Israeli hostages of October 7