Ida Nudel
Encyclopedia
Ida Nudel (born April 27, 1931) is a former refusenik
and an Israel
i activist. She was known as the "Guardian Angel" for her efforts to help the "Prisoners of Zion" in the Soviet Union
.
, Krasnodar Krai
, in the Russian SFSR. In 1970, she heard of the Dymshits-Kuznetsov hijacking affair
, and decided to emigrate. She contacted a Jew named Vladimir Prestin, a known refusenik who was secretly teaching Hebrew. In 1970 she first sought an exit visa to leave the USSR, saying she couldn't stand its discrimination against Jews
. The authorities refused, saying she possessed state secrets she had learned working for the Moscow Institute of Planning and Production. Her sister, Elena, received permission to leave with her husband and son in 1972.
In the summer of 1972 she organized a hunger strike at the central office of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
to protest the arrest of refusenik Vladimir Markman. After four days, the police ended the strike by blocking their entry. She started a campaign for keeping contact with prisoners of Zion who called her "Mama" and "The angel of mercy". She spread word about items the prisoners needed and were premitted to possess, and requested them from visitors from all over the world. These included vitamins, warm underwear and chocolate, as well as pens, cigarettes, and three-dimensional postcards, that could be exchanged with the guards for small favors.
She soon lost her job. In June 1978 she placed a banner in her apartment in Moscow
reading "KGB
, give me my visa to Israel". She was sentenced to four years of internal exile. She was sent to Krivosheino, on the River Ob, Siberia
. For several months, she was the only woman in a factory dormitory, before finding herself a log hut and a job as a night guard at a truck yard. The KGB warned the residents of the village to stay away from her. She kept receiving letters of support and corresponding with prisoners of Zion. She was released on March 20, 1982, having been warned not to associate with any refuseniks or foreigners. After almost an year in constant movement as she wasn't allowed back to her flat in Moscow nor gain permit to live in any other place, she was permitted to live for five years in Bendary, Moldavia
.
In April 1984, she was visited by Jane Fonda
, which had been arranged by political activist and publicist Stephen Rivers
. The two struck a friendship and Fonda began a campaign for Nudel's release. Others involved in the campaign included Liv Ullman, and Israeli President, Chaim Herzog
, left an empty place at his Passover
table in her honor. On October 2, 1987, she was informed she had been granted an exit visa.
by Fonda, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres
as well as her sister and thousands of Israelies. She was immediately presented with an Israeli identity card and immigration papers, and had a brief telephone conversation with United States Secretary of State
, George P. Shultz
. The ceremony was broadcast on Israeli television.
She wrote autobiography: "A Hand in the Darkness", and moved to Karmei Yosef
, near Rehovot
, with her sister's Elena family. It was filmed as Addio Mosca (Farewell Moscow
) by Mauro Bolognini
, starred by Liv Ullman. In 1991 She established and run "Mother to Mother", an unprofit organization funded by donations from abroad, seeking to take the children of Russian immigrants off the streets and into after-school activities. In 2005, she petitioned the Supreme Court of Israel
to force Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
to use any measures necessary to save the lives of fifteen jailed Palestinian
collaborators facing execution, and spoke against Israel's upcoming disengagement plan. In 2007, she filed a petition to the Supreme Court demanding it order Israeli Internal Security Minister, Avi Dichter
to withhold visitation rights from Hamas
and Hizbullah prisoners in Israel, as long as the Red Cross was prevented from seeing kidnapped Israel Defense Forces
soldiers Gilad Shalit
, Eldad Regev
and Ehud Goldwasser
. In 2008 she moved to Rehovot
.
In 2005, she was voted the 120th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.
Refusenik
Refusenik originally referred to citizens of the former Soviet Union who were refused permission to emigrate.Refusenik or refusnik may also refer to:*An Israeli conscientious objector, see Refusal to serve in the Israeli military...
and an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i activist. She was known as the "Guardian Angel" for her efforts to help the "Prisoners of Zion" in the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Biography
Nudel was born in 1931 in NovorossiyskNovorossiysk
Novorossiysk is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is the country's main port on the Black Sea and the leading Russian port for importing grain. It is one of the few cities honored with the title of the Hero City. Population: -History:...
, Krasnodar Krai
Krasnodar Krai
-External links:* **...
, in the Russian SFSR. In 1970, she heard of the Dymshits-Kuznetsov hijacking affair
Dymshits-Kuznetsov hijacking affair
The Dymshits–Kuznetsov aircraft hijacking affair was an attempt to hijack a civilian aircraft on 15 June 1970 by a group of Soviet refuseniks in order to escape to the West...
, and decided to emigrate. She contacted a Jew named Vladimir Prestin, a known refusenik who was secretly teaching Hebrew. In 1970 she first sought an exit visa to leave the USSR, saying she couldn't stand its discrimination against Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
. The authorities refused, saying she possessed state secrets she had learned working for the Moscow Institute of Planning and Production. Her sister, Elena, received permission to leave with her husband and son in 1972.
In the summer of 1972 she organized a hunger strike at the central office of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
to protest the arrest of refusenik Vladimir Markman. After four days, the police ended the strike by blocking their entry. She started a campaign for keeping contact with prisoners of Zion who called her "Mama" and "The angel of mercy". She spread word about items the prisoners needed and were premitted to possess, and requested them from visitors from all over the world. These included vitamins, warm underwear and chocolate, as well as pens, cigarettes, and three-dimensional postcards, that could be exchanged with the guards for small favors.
She soon lost her job. In June 1978 she placed a banner in her apartment in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
reading "KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
, give me my visa to Israel". She was sentenced to four years of internal exile. She was sent to Krivosheino, on the River Ob, Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. For several months, she was the only woman in a factory dormitory, before finding herself a log hut and a job as a night guard at a truck yard. The KGB warned the residents of the village to stay away from her. She kept receiving letters of support and corresponding with prisoners of Zion. She was released on March 20, 1982, having been warned not to associate with any refuseniks or foreigners. After almost an year in constant movement as she wasn't allowed back to her flat in Moscow nor gain permit to live in any other place, she was permitted to live for five years in Bendary, Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
.
In April 1984, she was visited by Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda
Jane Fonda is an American actress, writer, political activist, former fashion model, and fitness guru. She rose to fame in the 1960s with films such as Barbarella and Cat Ballou. She has won two Academy Awards and received several other movie awards and nominations during more than 50 years as an...
, which had been arranged by political activist and publicist Stephen Rivers
Stephen Rivers
Stephen M. Rivers was an United States political activist and publicist, who represented numerous actors and celebrities, including Kevin Costner, Richard Dreyfuss, Jane Fonda, Michael Ovitz and Oliver Stone....
. The two struck a friendship and Fonda began a campaign for Nudel's release. Others involved in the campaign included Liv Ullman, and Israeli President, Chaim Herzog
Chaim Herzog
Chaim Herzog served as the sixth President of Israel , following a distinguished career in both the British Army and the Israel Defense Forces .-Early life:...
, left an empty place at his Passover
Passover
Passover is a Jewish holiday and festival. It commemorates the story of the Exodus, in which the ancient Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt...
table in her honor. On October 2, 1987, she was informed she had been granted an exit visa.
Immigration to Israel
On October 15, she arrived in Israel. She was greeted at the Ben Gurion International AirportBen Gurion International Airport
Ben Gurion International Airport , also referred to by its Hebrew acronym Natbag , is the largest and busiest international airport in Israel, handling 12,160,339 passengers in 2010...
by Fonda, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir
Yitzhak Shamir
' is a former Israeli politician, the seventh Prime Minister of Israel, in 1983–84 and 1986–92.-Biography:Icchak Jeziernicky was born in Ruzhany , Russian Empire . He studied at a Hebrew High School in Białystok, Poland. As a youth he joined Betar, the Revisionist Zionist youth movement...
and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres
Shimon Peres
GCMG is the ninth President of the State of Israel. Peres served twice as the eighth Prime Minister of Israel and once as Interim Prime Minister, and has been a member of 12 cabinets in a political career spanning over 66 years...
as well as her sister and thousands of Israelies. She was immediately presented with an Israeli identity card and immigration papers, and had a brief telephone conversation with United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
, George P. Shultz
George P. Shultz
George Pratt Shultz is an American economist, statesman, and businessman. He served as the United States Secretary of Labor from 1969 to 1970, as the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury from 1972 to 1974, and as the U.S. Secretary of State from 1982 to 1989...
. The ceremony was broadcast on Israeli television.
She wrote autobiography: "A Hand in the Darkness", and moved to Karmei Yosef
Karmei Yosef
Karmei Yosef is a communal settlement in central Israel. Located in the Shephelah between Ramle and Rehovot, it falls under the jurisdiction of Gezer Regional Council. In 2007 it had a population of 1,800....
, near Rehovot
Rehovot
Rehovot is a city in the Center District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 112,700. Rehovot's official website estimates the population at 114,000.Rehovot was built on the site of Doron,...
, with her sister's Elena family. It was filmed as Addio Mosca (Farewell Moscow
Farewell Moscow
Farewell Moscow is a 1987 Italian drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini and starring Liv Ullmann. It is based on the life of Russian Jew Ida Nudel.-Cast:* Liv Ullmann - Ida Nudel* Daniel Olbrychski - Yuli* Aurore Clément - Elena* Saverio Vallone...
) by Mauro Bolognini
Mauro Bolognini
Mauro Bolognini was an Italian film director of literate sensibility, known for masterful handling of period subject matter.-Biography:Mauro Bolognini was born in Pistoia, Tuscany....
, starred by Liv Ullman. In 1991 She established and run "Mother to Mother", an unprofit organization funded by donations from abroad, seeking to take the children of Russian immigrants off the streets and into after-school activities. In 2005, she petitioned the Supreme Court of Israel
Supreme Court of Israel
The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...
to force Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon
Ariel Sharon is an Israeli statesman and retired general, who served as Israel’s 11th Prime Minister. He has been in a permanent vegetative state since suffering a stroke on 4 January 2006....
to use any measures necessary to save the lives of fifteen jailed Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
collaborators facing execution, and spoke against Israel's upcoming disengagement plan. In 2007, she filed a petition to the Supreme Court demanding it order Israeli Internal Security Minister, Avi Dichter
Avi Dichter
Avi Dichter is an Israeli politician who currently serves as a member of the Knesset for Kadima. He is a former Minister of Internal Security and Shin Bet director.-Biography:...
to withhold visitation rights from Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
and Hizbullah prisoners in Israel, as long as the Red Cross was prevented from seeing kidnapped Israel Defense Forces
Israel Defense Forces
The Israel Defense Forces , commonly known in Israel by the Hebrew acronym Tzahal , are the military forces of the State of Israel. They consist of the ground forces, air force and navy. It is the sole military wing of the Israeli security forces, and has no civilian jurisdiction within Israel...
soldiers Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit is an Israeli – French citizen and Israel Defense Forces soldier. On 25 June 2006, he was captured inside Israel by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the border with Gaza. The Hamas militants held him for over five years, until he was released on...
, Eldad Regev
Eldad Regev
Eldad Regev was an Israeli soldier, born in Qiryat Motzkin, abducted by Hezbollah members along with Ehud Goldwasser on July 12, 2006, in Israel near the Lebanese border, sparking the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. His rank was Sergeant First Class....
and Ehud Goldwasser
Ehud Goldwasser
Ehud Goldwasser was an Israeli soldier who was abducted in Israel by Hezbollah along with Eldad Regev on 12 July 2006, sparking the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. His rank was First Sergeant....
. In 2008 she moved to Rehovot
Rehovot
Rehovot is a city in the Center District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 112,700. Rehovot's official website estimates the population at 114,000.Rehovot was built on the site of Doron,...
.
In 2005, she was voted the 120th-greatest Israeli of all time, in a poll by the Israeli news website Ynet
Ynet
Ynet is the most popular Israeli news and general content website. It is owned by the same conglomerate that operates Yediot Ahronot, the country's secondleading daily newspaper...
to determine whom the general public considered the 200 Greatest Israelis.