Natan Sharansky

Natan Sharansky, a former Soviet dissident and human rights activist, transitioned into a significant political career in Israel, advocating for democracy and Jewish diaspora issues. After earning a degree in applied mathematics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Natan Sharansky became a prominent refusenik and human rights activist. In 1973, he was denied an exit visa to Israel, subsequently serving as a translator for Andrei Sakharov and a spokesman for the Moscow Helsinki Group, advocating for refuseniks’ rights. His activism led to his arrest by the KGB on March 15, 1977, on charges of high treason and spying, resulting in a 13-year sentence to forced labor in 1978.

He followed this with ‘The Case for Democracy’ in 2004 and ‘Defending Identity’ in 2008. He continued his public service as Chairman of the Executive for the Jewish Agency for Israel from 2009 to 2018 and later as Chairman for the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) starting in 2019. For his lifelong contributions, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006, the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award in 2008, and the Israel Prize for lifetime achievements in 2018. Most recently, Sharansky was awarded the prestigious Genesis Prize in 2020 for his lifelong struggle for human rights and democracy.

In 2024, he was recognized as a recipient of the Bonei Zion Prize, further solidifying his legacy as a global advocate and leader.