Once the world’s most famous incarcerated Soviet dissident, Sharansky was one of the founders of – and spokesmen for – the Refusenik movement in Moscow. Today, Natan Sharansky continues to battle for freedom and justice, both in the world at large, and on behalf of the Jewish people.

His election as Chairman of the Executive of the Jewish Agency in 2009 represents the closing of a very large circle. A circle that started many years ago in Moscow, when he was an ordinary loyal Soviet citizen – and continues today as one of the foremost leaders of Israeli society and the Jewish world.