Yosef Mendelevich. Leader of Soviet Jewry

 Yosef Mendelevich Leader of Soviet Jewry. a book for middle school readers by author Leah Sokol.

But this book turns out to be so much more.  I read this book to review for the Sydney Taylor book awards for young readers.  I found out there is always something new to learn even as a senior citizen reader.

I remember in the 1970 and early '80s that Soviet Jewry was all over the news. I remember wearing little metal bracelets with the names of Soviet Jews who had not been able to escape the Soviet Union for the freedom to practice Judaism in a land of their choosing.  There were Jews who had died trying to travel to Israel or the US.  There were Jewish children who could not have a B'nai Mitzvah and children here in the US would twin with them for their special day, mentioning their name during their religious service.

I remember Natan Sharansky, a name that always seemed to be in the news and was connected to Soviet Jewry, but in this book we learn about someone even more major to the world knowledge of Soviet Jewry. Yosef Mendelevich, was the part of an amazing plot to escape Russia.  He and others would commander a small plane and fly it themselves to Israel.. They bought all the seats on the plane, they hijacked the plane letting the pilots off, and they planned to fly the plane themselves.  They were caught and jailed.

Mendelevich was in various prisons for 17 years, but through the efforts of many who were publicizing the plight of Russia's treatment of Mendelevich and other the Jewish people and the protests that were happening around the world, at the end of his sentence he was released and sent to Israel. 

This book lays out the story of Yosef and his life story, but it also clearly tells the story of suppression of Judaism and freedom in the USSR. It is told in simple text that is precise, easy to understand and will keep the young reader's attention and interest until the end.  It is also a very interesting explanation of the life of Mendelevich for the adult reader.  There is a glossary at the end of any words young readers or non Jewish readers may need to help explain elements of the story.

As we live through the situation in the world today, there is so much of history that seems similar to our experience now.  Learning about for the first time or remembering the stories of the Russian Refuseniks is a reminder of  how far we have come to giving people religious freedom and how much further we still need to go.