Where Germany’s government has failed to protect German Jews from rising anti-Semitism, they have taken steps to defend themselves—efforts that have saved lives

Independence Day is doubly special for the legendary refusenik Natan Sharansky and his family. He sits down for a wide-ranging interview about his wife Avital, love among Jewish people, and the promise of freedom.

Few details are known about the covert operation, which successfully led 19 Yemeni Jews to Israel. One of them, a rabbi, brought a 500-year-old Torah scroll with him.