Author to discuss Soviet Jewry movement

Local author Philip Spiegel will discuss “Forty Years After ‘Operation Wedding’ — The Success of the Soviet Jewry Movement” at 10 a.m. April 25 at Congregation Emanu-El, 2 Lake St., San Francisco.

“Operation Wedding” was the code name for a 1970 plot, organized by Jews in Leningrad and Riga, to hijack an airplane and request safe passage to Israel. The KGB foiled the plan before they boarded the plane and all were arrested.

Spiegel, author of “Triumph Over Tyranny,” traveled to the Soviet Union in the 1980s and befriended refuseniks, later organizing a letter-writing solidarity campaign. He also has taught a course on Soviet Jewry for Lehrhaus Judaica.

Dessert and coffee will follow the lecture. For information, call (415) 751-2541.