Bernard Mehlman, the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Boston, was one of many Jews who participated in the movement for Soviet Jewry. His account of an early effort to bring a much-needed heart valve to a refusenik denied surgery reveals much about the strength and breadth of the network he and others were building. His story is divided into three clips. Part 1 focuses on how Mehlman secured two heart valves to save the woman’s life.

Bernard Mehlman, the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Boston, was one of many Jews who participated in the movement for Soviet Jewry. His account of an early effort to bring a much-needed heart valve to a refusenik denied surgery reveals much about the strength and breadth of the network he and others were building. His story is divided into three clips. Part 2 describes how Mehlman and Ronne Friedman, the associate rabbi at Temple Israel, managed to smuggle the valves into the Soviet Union.

Bernard Mehlman, the senior rabbi at Temple Israel in Boston, was one of many Jews who participated in the movement for Soviet Jewry. His account of an early effort to bring a much-needed heart valve to a refusenik denied surgery reveals much about the strength and breadth of the network he and others were building. His story is divided into three clips. Part 3 reveals the results of their efforts.