On May 6, BPY junior high students had the privilege of meeting with Rabbi Yosef Mendelevitch, a famous former “Prisoner of Zion” in the former Soviet Union, and hearing his amazing story. Rabbi Mendelevitch, originally from Riga, related stories of his survival of 11 years in a Soviet gulag after having been arrested for attempting to immigrate to Israel, and being tried in the infamous Leningrad Trial. He impressed upon the students that worldwide pressure, especially from students, was the reason that he was released by the Soviet government.