“From Slavery to Freedom” Post Film Discussion with Natan Sharansky

Classrooms Without Borders, in partnership with Rodef Shalom Congregation and the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage, is excited to offer this phenomenal opportunity to watch the new film “From Slavery to Freedom” and participate in an interview with Mr. Sharansky. Special thanks to Hedva Goldschmidt and Go2Films.
This program is generously sponsored by Daryl Miller in memory of A. Edgar Miller Jr. MD

Go2Films- From Slavery to Freedom- trailer from Go2Films on Vimeo.

FROM SLAVERY TO FREEDOM portrays the story of Soviet “Refuseniks” through the prism of Natan Sharansky’s biography. In 1977, Sharansky, a famous human rights activist, was arrested on charges of spying for the USA, treason and anti-Soviet agitation. The film takes you back to a Soviet era where there was an overwhelming sense of fear and insecurity in the face of the system. No single person symbolizes the era more than Natan Sharansky, who defied the entire Soviet system in his fight for freedom and national identification. After spending years in prison he ultimately won the struggle, paving the way for all of the Soviet Jewry.

Natan Sharansky

Natan Sharansky was born in Donetsk, Ukraine. He was a spokesman for the human rights movement, a Prisoner of Zion and leader in the struggle for the right of Soviet Jews to immigrate to Israel. Subsequent to his request to make aliya, Mr. Sharansky was arrested on trumped up charges of treason and espionage. He was convicted in a Soviet court and served nine years in the Gulag with many stretches in a punishing cell. Following massive public campaigns by the State of Israel, World Jewry and leaders of the free world, Mr. Sharansky was released in 1986, making aliya on the very day of his release.
In his first few years in Israel, Mr. Sharansky established the Zionist Forum to assist Soviet olim in their absorption in Israel. In the 1990’s, he established the Yisrael B’Aliyah party in order to accelerate the integration of Russian Jews. He served in four successive Israeli governments, as Minister and Deputy Prime Minister.
In 2018 he received the highest Israeli award – the Israel Prize for promoting Aliyah and the ingathering of the exiles.
Mr. Sharansky is the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1986 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006. He is the only living non-American citizen who is the recipient of these two highest American awards.
2009-2018 Natan Sharansky served as Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency for Israel. After retirement from the Jewish Agency, he continues to serve as Chairman of the Shlihut Institute, which he founded.
In July 2019 Mr. Natan Sharansky became Chair of ISGAP (The Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy).

Mr. Sharansky is also the author of four books:

Fear No Evil
The Case for Democracy
Defending Identity
Never Alone: Prison, Politics and My People.