Natan Sharansky spent 9 years in the Russian Gulag (Prison) - What can we learn as we self quarantine?
Several times Elissa has had the honor of meeting Natan Sharansky, a hero among heroes of the Jewish people. One time I saw him in person! Today we had an opportunity to participate in a Zoom conference which featured Natan himself. Natan was the face of the free Soviet Jewry Movement. He was a refusenik, the Jews in Russia who were not allowed to leave, many of whom were jailed. Natan spent 9 years in prison and 4 in solitary confinement. Imagine the isolation and horror he felt during these long years away from his family, friends and community.
While there is no comparison to what he endured during his imprisonment, to our own current crisis, it makes us think about what can we learn about spending time during this period of self isolation?
We hope you have a chance to watch this You Tube video of the Zoom conference we were on today. If you don't want to watch the whole 35 minutes, forward to minute 18:05 which is when Natan begins speaking. Prior to this point, it is a bit of background about him.
Another video you might want to watch is Natan Sharansky's 5 Tips to Get Through Quarantine