Today, we’re reminded that — amazingly — former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon is still alive, still in a coma after suffering a stroke two years ago.
Today is his 80th birthday.
Unless, it’s tomorrow. The MJL article on Sharon lists his birthday as February 27, as does Wikipedia and Jewish Virtual Library.
When Sharon suffered his stroke, Yehudah Mirsky wrote an excellent article for us about the prime minister’s legacy. The article can be found here.
The third-largest Jewish community in the world has undergone alternating periods of achievement and persecution.
The largest Jewish community in Latin America has struggled through the economic and political upheavals of the 20th century.
A former Soviet dissident, Sharansky spent nine years in prison and became the face of the movement to free Jews living under communism.