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Unbroken Spirit is the gripping memoir of Yosef Mendelevich, a former Soviet Prisoner of Zion whose unshakable faith and determination helped pave the way for the liberation of Soviet Jewry.
This powerful account details his twelve years of imprisonment in the Soviet gulag, where he endured relentless persecution for his unwavering commitment to Judaism and his dream of immigrating to Israel.
Through starvation, forced labor, and brutal interrogations, Mendelevich remained steadfast in his identity, smuggling Hebrew texts, observing Jewish traditions in secret, and never abandoning his mission to live as a free Jew in the land of Israel.
His eventual release in 1981 and journey to Israel became a symbol of hope, proving that even in the darkest of times, the human spirit can never be broken.
This memoir is a personal story and a vital piece of Jewish history, chronicling one of the most successful human rights struggles of the 20th century – the fight to rescue Soviet Jews from Communist oppression. Available in Soft Cover.
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Unbroken Spirit: A Heroic Story of Faith, Courage, and Survival
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Rabbi Yosef Mendelevich was born in Riga in 1947. Upon his arrival in Israel, he studied at a number of yeshivot and received rabbinical ordination. He then earned a Master’s Degree in Jewish History from Touro College and served in the IDF. He is married with seven children and many grandchildren. Today, he is involved in Jewish education, and public activism, and is the author of three books.