In this special edition podcast Jay Beilis shares the story of his grandfather and the legacy of one of the most significant events in modern history.
Mendel Beilis never sought celebrity nor to profit from his suffering even though his case gripped Russia, and the world, even more than the Dreyfus affair had gripped France. His conduct – resisting the pressure to implicate himself or other jews – saved his countrymen from a pogrom. Close to his death, when he was asked what was the enduring impression of the trial he paid tribute to the Russian Gentiles who had helped him. It was kindness, in particular the kindness of many ordinary Russians before and during his imprisonment, that mitigated his bitterness towards his persecutors.
It is in this spirit of kindness that this podcast has been created.
(credits: Jay Beilis, Jeremy Simcha Garber, Mark S. Stein; Music by http://filmtv-tracks.com)