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Ilan Sinelnikov: What the Soviet Union Taught Me about Freedom

“I know that the truth is on my side.”  Ilan Sinelnikov was the first in his family to be born in a free country—the first to grow up with freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Those liberties didn’t exist in the Soviet Union, where his family was persecuted for being Jewish. Ilan attended college in the United States, where he aspired to hold a student leadership position. Because of his outspoken support of Israel, he was smeared, silenced, and blocked from that role. Ilan fought back and now encourages all Americans to speak up, tell the truth, and protect our country’s founding freedoms. Ilan Sinelnikov is an Israeli American who serves as the President and Founder of Students Supporting Israel. SSI is an international campus movement with the mission of supporting students who spread the truth about Israel. For more information, visit