Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1990-04-05

              %•
Ohio Hist.Society Libr
198E Velma Ave.  ^
Columbus, Ohio  w
43511 COMP
I
/.i
Serving Columbus and Central Ohio Jewish Community lor Over 60 Years
Ii      I
VOL.68 NO. 14
APRIL 5, 1990-NISAN 10, 5750
Devoted to American
and Jewish Ideals
Battle Cry 1990 — Passover 5750
Bring Our People From
V ,
lH I
By Leon Uris
1 his story began nearly four decades ago. I
had returned from Israel after the Sinai Campaign of 1956 against Egypt with my wife;
three children; Duffy, the family dog, and $6
left in my bank account. But I had an idea for
a book and the great Jewish currency - hope.
When a. writer applies the seat of his pants
to the seat of the chair and commences
writing, his office transforms into a small,
dark, lonely room. I was on-top-of my, game .,
and the book exploded from my typewriter^,',As=
I sent each section to the publisher, I would v"'
get an excited phone call from my editor
pleading with me to hurry up and complete;   ,
the manuscript. I told him, "Don't worry,
whenever I finish this book, the Jews will still
be-in trouble.".
"Exodus" accomplished almost everything. I
had hoped for it. But never in my wildest fan- .
tasy, during the writing in the dungeon, did I
believe that my words would eventually arch
out over time and space to find the lost tribe
of Israel entombed in the Soviet Union.
From the time of the Bolshevik Revolution
until after World War II, we did not know
what the status of our people was. They had
been stripped of Torah. and synagogue, of
their press and educationafefacilities. Every
vestige of Jewish identity gnd contact with the ,
outside world had been closed down.
We in the West got our answer, when, 40
years ago, Golda Meir, as the first American
ambassador of Israel to the Soviet Union, went
to Moscow's, lone synagogue on Simchat
Torah. Thousands of Jews poured out in a
public show and identified themselves in de-
fianc&of the authorities. It was a moment in
Jewisfi history of unabashed joy. We had our
answer.
Several years later, so the story goes, the son
of Moshe Sharret, who was Israeli consul in
Leningrad, left a number of copies of "Ex-:
odus" with Jewish families when he was
recalled to Israel. From that moment.on, an
incredible odyssey began. 'The Book," as it
came to be continued on page 30
SlcLveryTo
'*vt*
m
©Mark Podwal
MA
\  \    A*  -*      *  * T %       ,    *   * A
.   . •*-»-* h>v.
;, • ,v.c f>,   i ,v