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Jul 13, 2020

"In a place where there are no humans, one must strive to be human." --Hillel the Elder

Freedom in Prison: The Story of My Great-Grandfather

Aryae Coopersmith recounts the moving story of his great-grandfather Shmuel, a Talmud scholar who was forced war front in Bosnia-Herzegovinae. When it was discovered he didn't have the makings of a soldier in him, he was given prison guard duty instead. "How was Shmuel, a naive young kid who knew nothing about prisons, going to run a prison full of battle-scarred soldiers? He offered the prisoners a deal. I'll leave your cells unlocked and let you guys run the prison, he told them. But your part of the deal is, you've got to take care of each other, serve the food on time, and keep the place clean." What unfolded next was an unforgettable story of trust, love and the triumph of the human spirit in dark times.