Prisoners of Zion. 1949, page 2.

Born in Dairen (Dalian) China in 1926, Joe from his childhood up to 1945, was a member of “Beitar” in China. Returning home from Japan after World War II in 1945, he found himself in Russian occupied territory of Port-Arthur and Dairen (Dalian), where he lived. In 1948 Joe sought permission to go to Israel for participation in the war of Independence. He was refused and arrested by the Russians in Nov. 1949, charged with spying for the Americans, and also with Zionism. Sentenced to 25 years imprisonment, he spent most of the years in camps in Taishet and Magadan. He was rehabilitated in 1956, and only ten years later in Moscow, he received permission to leave for Israel. He wrote a book in English called FAREWELL TO RUSSIA. Memoirs of an Alleged ‘American Spy’ which was also translated into Russian.

Born in 1928 in Riga, Latvia, she was a member of a youth Zionist movement in Lithuania from 1937 through 1941. After the occupation by the Nazis, she worked in an underground Zionist movement in the Soviet Union, teaching Hebrew and Jewish history. She was arrested in 1949 and sentenced to 1.5 years in prison and 25 years of exile in Siberia. She served her sentence in a camp in Barnaul and her exile in Krasnoyarsk. She finally reached Israel in 1972.

Born in 1920 in Roslavsk, Russia, he was active in an underground organization which distributed Jewish materials. He was arrested, in 1949, while trying to escape from the Soviet Union, and was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment which he spent in the camp “Ozerlag “ His release came early making it possible to fulfill his Zionist dream of going to Israel in 1972, together with his family.

Born in July 28, 1923 in Odessa, she was a student of the Moscow medical college in 1949 when she was arrested and kept in the infamous Lubyanka jail. She was then transfered to Lefortovo jail where she advocated Zionism among her co-workers and tried to convince assimilated Jews to aim to get to Israel. She was tried (in absentia) by “OSO” (Special Committee) for participation in the anti-Soviet underground Zionist organization. She was released in 1952 and only after a lot of effort did she realize her dream and reach Israel in 1977. She worked as a doctor up to her retirement in 1986.

Born in 1897, in Odessa, he became a member of the “Poalei Zion” in Chernovtsy. In 1947-48 he was leader of the city’s Jewish community. He was engaged in illegal aliyah activities, organized meetings in support for Israel and called Jews to participate in these Zionist activities. He was arrested in 1949, charged with treason, and was in imprisoned till 1956. He finally got to Israel in 1971 and died in 1983.

Born in 1900 in town Shepetovka to a Zionist family, he wrote poetry from childhood and wrote in Hebrew all his life, even in concentration camp. He was one of the better known writers in Hebrew in the Soviet Union and was known by the pseudonym “Tsphoni”. In 1949 he was arrested, charged with Zionist activity, and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. He was released in 1955 and continued his writing. His first book “Ish tamid” was published in 1961, and the second – «Yoman Ha zichronot» in 1976. He died in 1969 in the Soviet Union. In 1974 his ashes were brought to Israel and buried in the cemetery of the kibbutz “Shefayim”.

Born in 1930 in Kiev, Ukraine, she was involved in the preparation of youngsters for life in Israel. Arrested in 1949, she was sentenced to 8 years in prison. She was released in 1954 after 5.5 years in jail and in the labor camp “Steplag”. It took her till 1964 to get to Israel.

Born in the Czechoslovak Republic in 1923, he joined “Ha shomer Hatsair” in his youth. During the war he posed as a Christian and participated in guerrilla warfare but in 1949 he was arrested and charged with attempting to cross the border and with smuggling weapons during the operation “Aliyah Beth”. He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment and five years in exile. He was released in 1965 and soon after that left for Israel.

Born in 1930 in Kiev, she was arrested in 1949, together with her husband and a group of the Lvov Polytechnic institute students, for participation in the Zionist youth organization and sentenced to 8 years imprisonment. She was released in 1954 after serving her sentence in Kolyma camps and was able to get to Israel only in 1971.

Born in 1931 in Vitebsk, Bielorussia, he was arrested in 1949 for participation in the Jewish youth movement and sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment which he served in Kazakhstan camps. He was released in 1954 but was to wait to get to Israel till 1971. He died in 1983.

Born in 1921 in Romania, she was a member of the “Gordonia” movement from 1932 through 1940. Arrested in 1949, she was charged with criminal activity before the 2nd World War and was sentenced to 6 years in prison . She was released in 1955 but got to Israel only in 1972. She died in 1980.

Born in 1934 in Stzahri, Georgia, he was an active Zionist from his youth. Arrested in 1949, he was charged with Zionist activity among Georgia’s Jews and sentenced to 5 years in prison . He was arrested further 3 times, in 1953, 1955, and 1971. He was released in 1972 and the same year managed to get to Israel with his family.

Born in Romania in 1916, he was active in “Beitar”prior to World War 2. Then, from 1946 to 1949, he worked as a member of “Bricha” in the Czechoslovak Republic. In 1949 he was arrested by KGB agents in Vienna, transferred to the Soviet Union and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. He spent seven years in labor camps in East Siberia. Although he was released in 1957, he didn’t manage to reach Israel till 1967.

Born January 4, 1919 in Kishinev (then a part of Romania) he was, from his childhood until the war, an activist in “Gordonia”. After the war, in 1945-46, he founded an underground Jewish organization engaged in the transfer of Jews from the Soviet Union to Israel. He continued in this underground Zionist activity till 1949 when he was arrested and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. He served 6 years of his sentence in Ozyorlag camp in the Omsk region and was released in 1955 but succeeded in getting to Israel only in 1973. Died in May 2007.

Born in 1929 in Zhmerinka, Ukraine, he was a member of the “Einikeit” organization, distributing Zionist literature, Jewish songs and poetry among Jews during the years 1944 to 1948. He was arrested and charged with Zionist activity and sentenced to 25 years imprisonment. He spent 7 years in jail and one year in exile, and was released in 1956.

Born in 1929 in Zhmerinka, Ukraine, he was, from 1945 to 1947, a member of the local youth Zionist organization “Einikeit” in which he was engaged in spreading Zionist materials throughout neighboring cities. He was arrested in 1949 and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. He served his sentence in camps in Karaganda and in Vorkuta. He was released in 1954 but got to Israel only in 1990.

Born in 1920 in Kishinev, he was a member of the “Gordonia” movement. Later he became a member of an underground Zionist movement in the city. In 1949 he was arrested and charged with attempting to leave the Soviet Union for Israel, and for participating in the Zionist movement. He was sentenced to a jail term of 10 years. After his release in 1954 he returned to Kishinev and continued his underground activity until 1984, when he was able to fulfill his dream of reaching Israel.

Born in 1927 in Romania, she was engaged during 1948-49 in organization of illegal aliyah from Chernovtsy. She was arrested in 1949 and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. She served her sentence in the camps of the Ural and was then exiled for 3 years in the Siberian city of Tomsk. She managed to get to Israel in 1973 together with her mother and sister. She died in 1987.

Born in 1932 in Jourin, Ukraine, to a Zionist family, he founded the Jewish Zionist organization “Einikeit” in Kiev which was devoted to the study of Hebrew, Jewish history and Zionism. He was arrested in 1949 for Zionist activity and sentenced to 6 years in jail. He continued his Zionist activity in the Dubrovlag and Kamyshlag camps and also after his release in 1954. While in a camp in Omsk, he lost the sight of one eye. He didn’t manage to get to Israel until 1973.

Born in 1901, from 1925 until the Soviet occupation in 1940, he was a member of the “General Zionists” and worked in “Keren Kayemet” and in “Keren Ha-yesod”. In 1949 he was arrested, charged with Zionist activity, and sentenced to 8 years of hard labor in the camps. He was released in 1957 and continued to fight for the right to move to Israel but didn’t succeed until 1972. He died in 1988.

Born in 1921 in Kishinev, she joined “Gordonia” in 1933. She was active as a Zionist throughout the war and was a member of an underground cell which was engaged in Zionist activities, including attempts to transfer Jews across the Soviet border. In 1949 she tried to flee the Soviet Union, was caught, charged with treason and anti-Soviet activity, and sentenced to 6 years hard labour. She served her sentence in the Mordovia and Potma camps and was released in 1955. Not till 1973 was she able to reach Israel with her family.