Natan Sharansky lived in the Soviet Union, where only Communists were free to express opinions or make personal choices. It was particularly difficult to be Jewish in that repressive environment, and Jews were forbidden to leave the Soviet Union and emigrate to Israel.
Natan, then called Anatoly, planned to study science and achieve a distinguished position. He hoped his Jewish background would fade from view. But when he heard about the Six Day War, something stirred within his soul. Along with many other Jews, he became proud of Israel and, now, his Jewish background felt meaningful and important. In 1973, he requested permission to leave the Soviet Union in order to live in Israel. It was a dangerous request. Jews who applied for exit visas were at the mercy of the harsh Soviet police force known as the KGB. Natan was accused of being a traitor and his civil rights were curtailed.
Natan met a young woman named Natasha, later known as Avital, whom he wanted to marry. Together, the two started to plan their new life in Israel. They studied Hebrew and began to learn more about Jewish history and culture. Jews who were denied permission to emigrate to Israel were given the epithet “refuseniks.” The couple stood up to the KGB, attending protests and often being thrown into jail. Avital finally received permission to leave for Israel and determined that the most logical course of action would be to go and to continue to work for Natan’s freedom away from the Soviet Union’s repressive laws. Before she left, the two were married in a Jewish ceremony.
From Israel, Avital worked tirelessly, drumming up worldwide support in an effort to free her new husband. He continued to be in and out of jail, and was continually accused of spying, but he was aware that Avital’s activism had borne fruit; there were now people all over the world demonstrating and working toward his freedom. Nevertheless, he was convicted in a staged show trial and forced to endure harsh prison life. After hunger strikes on his part and great political pressure from around the globe, notably from the United States, he was finally released and welcomed to Israel with fanfare and joy. He continued to work toward the release of Jews who hoped to follow him. Natan later became an Israeli politician and statesman and was elected to several important positions in the government.
Dozens of photographs accompany the text in this clear, concise portrayal of Sharansky’s life. The photographs convey an excellent sense of the time period in both the Soviet Union and Israel. A timeline is appended along with an afterword, a bibliography, and a section of brief capsule biographies featuring the major actors on the world stage who played important parts in Sharansky’s life.
A new generation will appreciate Sharansky’s story, and might wish to question adults who remember the many protests on Sharansky’s behalf and the thrilling news that he had achieved freedom at long last. This book details a period in Jewish history filled with drama, idealism, and heroism. It is a chapter that should not be forgotten.
Michal Hoschander Malen is the editor of Jewish Book Council’s young adult and children’s book reviews. A former librarian, she has lectured on topics relating to literacy, run book clubs, and loves to read aloud to her grandchildren.
