The hidden heroes that helped save Soviet Jewry - book review

• Published date: 07 October 2021
• Author: STEPHEN G. DONSHIK
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

After the Jews began leaving the FSU we learned about the famous people who were not allowed to leave the country for Israel, the United States and other Western countries. Names like Natan (Anatoly) Sharansky, Ida Nudel, and others became familiar to us and we certainly heard about the efforts of the American Jewish community and its constituent organizations working to free the Jews.

However, we were not aware of what was going on "behind the scenes" and the efforts that were being made by grassroot local groups to maintain contact, give support, and work for the Jews to have the ability to leave the country and practice their Judaism in freedom. Hidden Heroes provides us with the opportunity to learn about Union of Councils for Soviet Jews (UCSJ) and its efforts to recruit and involve hundreds of volunteer activists throughout the United States. They were writing letters to local and national politicians to gain support to apply pressure on the FSU to allow the Jews to leave and be able to live freely as Jews.

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Simultaneously, they were supporting Jews who were labeled "refuseniks," as they had applied for an exit visa and were refused one. As a result of the application for a visa they were often fired from their jobs and were unemployed. In fact many found themselves imprisoned or exiled to Siberia. Members of the UCSJ were writing letters, sending packages and calling refusniks when possible.

IN ADDITION to describing all of the activities carried on by the Councils, Pamela Braun Cohen details the struggles with the established organizations as well as the Israeli government and their reticence to get involved in political struggles at the beginning. Under Cohen's leadership the grass roots activists were able to maintain ongoing contact with the Soviet Jewish activists and let them know there were people who were not only supporting their struggle but fighting for their freedom. Many of the activists let Cohen know how important her efforts were and how they gained strength from knowing they were not alone in this difficult conflict.

One of the truly beautiful aspects of the book is the underlying theme that the Hidden Heroes are both the Soviet Jewish activists and the grassroot members in the United States and the Jews in England, known as the "35." Most of these people were not household names and were not...