Yesterday, the senior grade had the honor and pleasure to hear from Yosef Mendelevich, one of the famous refuseniks. He described the struggle of Soviet Jewry in the 1970s to maintain its Jewish identity. With laws against Jewish practices, Rabbi Mendelevich and other refuseniks were sentenced to prison sentences of many years, but still fought to maintain their faith and identity. Very apropos for the coming holiday, Rabbi Mendelevich's struggle reminds us of the true freedom of Pesach: the freedom to believe and practice the religion of our fathers. Hag Sameach. ~Norman Greenberg
