Lesson 5: Bob ODell: Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein

Yuli Edelstein is truly a modern day hero. His biography could have been the story of an Israelite judge. Born in Ukraine, the former Soviet Union, Yuli was one of the best known “Prisoners of Zion,” sentenced to hard labor and exile to Siberian gulag for having the temerity to want to move to the Jewish homeland, israel. God is stronger than the Soviet, though, and Yuli was released, to make Aliyah to Israel. Here he settled in the beautiful region of Gush Etzion, working as an educator of Jewish values (who could teach them better than someone who risked his life for them?) but soon he became a member of the Knesset, rising to become a minister in the Israeli government and ultimately (as of this writing!) the Speaker of the Knesset. Israel is a small country, and connections are close. Gidon and Yuli are close friends, both active in the Likud party (ok, Yuli is a bit more active that Gidon:-) and when Gidon published Israel FIRST! with Bob, Yuli was excited to provide a letter of blessing on the endeavor.