Shimon Grilius - from the Gulag to Jerusalem

Shimon Grilius began to explore his Jewish roots in the mid 1960's at a time when there was no public expression of Jewish identity in the Former Soviet Union. A talented leader, Grilius became actively involved in spreading Jewish identity to fellow Jews. He opened a network of clandestine Jewish libraries, organized visits to mass Jewish grave-sights from the Nazi period previously neglected and forgotten, and made plans for the expansion of Jewish activism. His actions led to his arrest in 1968 and eventual conviction for anti - Soviet activities.

In the labor camp, Grilius found himself in the company of  former Nazis and other criminals. How could he study Hebrew and learn about his Jewish heritage in prison?

"I prayed, that I should find a Hebrew teacher. Miraculously, Yossef Mendelevitch, arrested in the Leningrad airplane hijacking attempt in 1970, was assigned to the same camp as I. Despite a hard and fast rule that prisoners of  Zion were never kept together, Yossef and I were not separated. Mendelevitch taught me Hebrew. Together we tried to live full Jewish lives in the harsh conditions of the camp. We had good relations with the other prisoners and we helped each other. Together we dreamed of founding a "home" for Russian Jews in Jerusalem."

Released in 1974, Shimon joined his parents and brother who were already in Israel. He immediately went to work on behalf of fellow prisoners of Zion and on behalf of the non-Jewish political prisoners that he had befriended. In 1978 he gathered together a group of young Russians and founded the Shvut Ami Center, a realization of his dreams in the Gulag.

Today, Shimon is recognized as one of the most active and charismatic teachers of Judaism, lecturing in cities across Israel and traveling regularly to seminars in the Former Soviet Union and the United States. His dynamic introductory lectures in  Judaism  have inspired Russian audiences worldwide.

Shimon always shows his very personal concern for his students, helping fellow Russian immigrants to deal with all types of problems; a referral for medical treatment, a connection to help a new immigrant find a job, or help in planning a Bar Mitzvah or other celebration.