How best to save Soviet Jewry?

A Clash Over Absorption

In August 1990, a letter from Natan Sharansky landed on Mendel’s desk—respectful, but not entirely friendly. Sharansky laid out a history of betrayal, accusing the Jewish Agency of breaking its agreement with olim. The flashpoint? A shocking 300% rent hike for absorption centre dwellings which, in his view, crippled struggling immigrants.

Mendel saw it differently. The rent hike wasn’t sabotage—it was a necessary correction. Absorption centre rents had fallen far below the public market, fostering dependence instead of integration. The goal was independence—and freeing up space for new arrivals in need.

Mendel’s response was firm but measured—until the final line. A subtle but unmistakable message to Sharansky: “let us work together in those areas in which you could give the kind of assistance that only experienced ‘Vatikim’ such as the olim organisations can give”—i.e. Stay in your lane.

A Historic Moment

The real issue underlying Mendel and Sharansky’s exchange was the sheer scale of Aliyah. Restrictions on Soviet immigration were lifted in November 1989 and a million Soviet Jews poured into Israel in record time. Old solutions wouldn’t cut it—this was a whole new challenge.

Long before leading the Jewish Agency, Mendel was sounding the alarm on Soviet Jewry. He was already writing about their plight in 1976.

Later, he fought tirelessly to restore JAFI’s original mission: bringing Jews home to Israel. He fiercely opposed U.S. visas for Soviet Jews in transit camps, insisting that Aliyah funds should serve those who chose Israel as their home.

Mendel’s commitment ran deep. He helped raise over $1 billion for Soviet and Ethiopian immigration and, with a businessman’s mindset, prioritised jobs over handouts.

He lobbied manufacturers to retrain olim, promoted state privatisation to spark self-employment, and by 1993, immigrants were outpacing native Israelis in employment. He tackled housing too—cutting red tape, fast-tracking public housing projects, and partnering with Ariel Sharon to import prefab homes for rapid resettlement.

Beyond Soviet and Ethiopian Jews, Mendel reach extended to helping Jews flee troubled states—Argentina, Syria, Yemen, Tajikistan—and supported communities in Poland, Romania, and Yugoslavia.

On the surface, Mendel’s exchange with Sharansky was a debate about rent. But it revealed a fundamental clash over how absorption should work. For Mendel, the Jewish Agency—not NGOs—understood the challenges, and their actions should be trusted.